Another great resource for Jewish Austinites is the Jewish
Community Association of Austin. While not actually a worship
group, the JCAA is a community of Jewish people brought
together by the common goal of helping others. The JCAA is
not attached to any one synagogue and offers various arts and
fitness classes, family and youth services, and community events
for professional and social groups. “In Austin, you can find your
religious home, no matter who you are and what your background,” says Rabbi Rebecca Epstein. Rabbi Epstein and Lital
Yaacob run the Outreach and Engagement program at JCAA,
which acts as a “concierge” to the Jewish community, especially
for those new to Austin and looking to get involved.
In the Christian Community, one group that continues to
stand out and reaches out to worshipers from any church is the
Austin Christian Fellowship. Like the JCAA, The ACF focuses
on uniting Christians in the service of others. “Christianity
has never been a spectator’s sport – Jesus has called us each to
make a difference where we are,” says ACF Pastor Steve Shaver.
The ACF has three campuses around Austin, instead of one
centralized campus, where they offer worship services alongside
opportunities to join other Christians in community service.
While Judeo-Christian faiths still dominate worship in Austin,
a part of Austin’s progressive worship landscape is populated
by Buddhist communities. The Austin Shambhala Meditation
Center, in the neighborhood of Bouldin, teaches Shambhala
Buddhism, which comes from Tibet. The center emphasizes
bringing meditation and peace into one’s everyday life over
retreating from the world in order to meditate. Director Billy
Boyar, in an interview with KOOP Radio Station, said that rather
than focusing on “religious” traditions, The Austin Shambhala
Meditation Center focuses on finding and developing one’s
“basic goodness” and radiating that outward into the community
as “compassion.” Shambhala welcomes anyone who is interested
in Buddhism, meditation, or living a mindful existence.
AN INTERFAITH CONNECTION
With Austin’s growing religious diversity, there has also been
a developing trend toward interfaith groups, which encourage
participation from members of all religions. Most Austin interfaith centers focus on bringing people of any faith together for
a shared goal, like supporting the arts, promoting open dialogue
among many faiths, or fighting for religious freedom.
The Interfaith Arts Council (IAC), for example, unifies people
of different faiths by emphasizing art and music as common
elements of any religion. According to their website, they believe
that “as an intrinsic component of most religious, ethnic and
social traditions, inspired art holds infinite promise as an effective
global vehicle to seek commonalities and advance understanding
among people of all nations.” The IAC has sponsored such music
artists as Gospel artist Cynthia Clawson, Native American flutist
Aaron Pyle, and national recording artist Rabbi Joe Black. Religious diversity and Austin’s love for music combine to create an
interfaith community that promotes peace and unity across faiths
in the IAC.
With a similar goal, the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest
strives to promote peace and understanding through open
communication between people of different faiths. The institute
features lectures on various religions, such as Buddhism, Islam,
Mormonism, and Baptism, which anyone who is interested in
learning about another faith can attend. Other programs include
Church in Austin. Photo by Jasleen Kaur
