Our Marvelously Multiple Identities: Part I

Dr. Judith Levi, retired linguistics professor from Northwestern University, will speak on the topic Our Marvelously Multiple Identities.  Her talk is the first of a two-part exploration of the nature of identity, with a particular focus on our group identities.  This subject is of enormous importance to all of us, not least because group identities are at the core of so much of the polarization and conflict we see all around the world.  In this discourse, Professor Levi will explain how each one of us has a remarkably complex network of individual and group identities, and the many sources from which they arise.  One paradoxical aspect of this multiplicity is that it sets up the potential for a lot of “us vs. them” thinking, while simultaneously creating very attractive “circles of connection” for us to enjoy.

The US-born daughter of German Jews, Judith Levi has been engaged for the last 20 years in German-Jewish dialogue and reconciliation.  In 2015, she was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for her “exceptional achievements in promoting reconciliation between the German and the Jewish peoples.”  In 2016, her book on her long journey to German-Jewish reconciliation was published in Germany.  It is from that book that her talk today and next week is drawn.  Levi’s research specialty is language and law.

Note: Because Room 101 is not available for this Sunday, we will meet in Matz Hall, which is to the west of Room 101.

Reminder:  Water Ceremony

Each fall, LSUS starts its new year of Sunday services with what we know as the Water Ceremony.  We use water as a symbol of our shared faith coming from many different sources.  During the summer break, our members and attendees are asked to collect a small sample of water from a visit or trip that carries a special memory or meaning for them. They then bring this water to our first fall meeting.  At the appointed time in the service, they are invited to come forward and pour it into a communal vessel to symbolize reunification of LSUS after our summer work and travels. One by one, they pour their sample into a large bowl, tell us where their water came from, and briefly explain why it is special to them.  For those who do not have the actual water from a summer activity, a sample can be taken from a pitcher of water that is provided.  The combined water is symbolic of our shared faith coming from many different sources.