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| Interfaith Council of Greater New York | |
|---|---|
| Name | Interfaith Council of Greater New York |
| Formation | 1967 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Region served | New York metropolitan area |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Interfaith Council of Greater New York The Interfaith Council of Greater New York is a multifaith civic organization based in New York City that brings together leaders from diverse Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and other religious communities within the New York metropolitan area. Founded during the social upheavals of the 1960s alongside organizations such as the National Council of Churches, the Council has engaged with municipal authorities, philanthropic institutions, academic centers, and cultural organizations including Columbia University, New York University, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Ford Foundation to address communal concerns. Over decades it has collaborated with religious leaders from institutions like St. Patrick's Cathedral, Temple Emanu-El (New York), Islamic Cultural Center of New York, Wat Buddhapadipa, and Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha on civic programs.
The Council emerged in the wake of civil rights struggles associated with figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and movements linked to the Civil Rights Movement, forming coalitions similar to national efforts including the Interfaith Youth Core and the Parliament of the World's Religions. Early initiatives paralleled work by the Citizen's Committee for Children of New York and the United Jewish Appeal, addressing urban poverty in boroughs like Harlem, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. During the 1970s and 1980s the Council coordinated responses to crises involving institutions such as New York City Board of Education and municipal programs spearheaded by mayors like John Lindsay and Ed Koch, later interacting with administrations of Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. In the post-9/11 era the Council participated in interreligious dialogues alongside Mayor Rudy Giuliani's successor initiatives, working with groups such as United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and academic centers like the Center for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding.
The Council's mission emphasizes interreligious cooperation, conflict resolution, and community service, aligning with models from Carnegie Corporation of New York and programmatic frameworks used by AmeriCorps and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Programs include clergy training similar to curricula at Union Theological Seminary (New York), interfaith chaplaincy efforts connected with hospitals like Mount Sinai Hospital (Manhattan), immigration assistance paralleling work by The New Sanctuary Coalition, and disaster response coordination with agencies such as the American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Educational programming has partnered with museums and cultural entities including the Jewish Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum, and City University of New York for public lectures and exhibitions.
The Council operates as a nonprofit board-governed body with committees reflecting roles seen in organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Jewish Committee. Leadership roles include an Executive Director, board chairs drawn from faith traditions represented by institutions like Saint Bartholomew's Church, Congregation Shearith Israel, Al-Azhar Mosque affiliates, and representatives from academic partners such as Princeton University and Harvard Divinity School. Committees address program areas found in nonprofits like The Aspen Institute—including outreach, youth engagement, public policy advocacy, and interreligious education—with staff collaborating with municipal agencies such as the New York City Human Rights Commission and civic coalitions like Make the Road New York.
Membership spans clergy, lay leaders, and institutional delegates from dioceses such as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, denominations like the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Jewish movements including Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, and Muslim organizations including the Islamic Society of North America. Partnerships include civic entities like The New York Public Library, educational institutions such as Columbia Law School, philanthropic partners including the Open Society Foundations, and cultural organizations like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The Council has collaborated with labor groups such as the AFL–CIO and advocacy networks like Human Rights Watch and American Civil Liberties Union on rights-based initiatives.
Notable initiatives include citywide dialogues after events associated with September 11 attacks, neighborhood mediation projects modeled after programs from the Mayor's Office of Community Affairs, and voter engagement efforts akin to campaigns run by Nonprofit VOTE. The Council has hosted conferences featuring speakers from The Dalai Lama, representatives of Pope Francis's diplomatic community, Jewish scholars from Yeshiva University, and Muslim academics affiliated with Georgetown University. It has organized interfaith prayer services at venues such as Madison Square Garden, public forums at City Hall (New York City), and collaborative disaster relief drives with partners like Feeding America and Habitat for Humanity.
The Council is credited with fostering interreligious cooperation across New York's diverse communities and influencing municipal policy debates involving institutions such as the New York City Police Department and the Office of the Mayor of New York City. Supporters point to sustained partnerships with philanthropic entities like The Rockefeller Foundation and academic research collaborations with New York University School of Law. Critics, drawing parallels to debates involving groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations and controversies seen in interfaith projects within the British Interfaith Network, argue that the Council sometimes privileges institutional representation over grassroots voices from neighborhoods such as Brownsville, Brooklyn and The South Bronx, and that partnerships with large foundations may shape program agendas. Debates have occurred over engagement with political leaders comparable to controversies faced by organizations like Faith in Public Life and The National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.).
Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City