Omaha's Tri-Faith Initiative, the only faith community of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, started with a conversation and is now the worship home for members of Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions.

It began when leaders from Omaha's Jewish and Muslim faiths discovered they shared the common "logistical needs" of parking and land for growth. After many "honest conversations" and a lot of planning, the nonreligious nonprofit Tri-Faith Initiative was formed.

Ultimately, a former golf course became the home of the Tri-Faith Initiative and the site of a new synagogue, mosque and church, followed by an interfaith center, jointly referred to as the "Tri-Faith Commons."

Corey Oldenhuis, communications manager for the Tri-Faith Initiative, said it shows how powerful it can be when people with differences sit down to talk. He stressed they hope to be a model for the country and the world.

"We want people to see the collaboration we have and the beauty of being neighbors and share that, and take that back to their communities and replicate it," Oldenhuis explained. "It doesn't have to be exactly like the Commons, but the lesson from the Commons is what we'd like them to replicate."

Each religious community at Tri-Faith is independent, but Oldenhuis noted a lot of their events are designed to engage all three communities. One of their monthly events, Making the Familiar Strange, involves a member sharing the meaning and significance of a particular passage from their religious text, with those attending encouraged to read and react to it as well.

Oldenhuis pointed out it is not uncommon for texts from the three faiths to share the same, or similar, stories.

"So that leads to really interesting conversation," Oldenhuis observed. "That's one where the event is certainly bolstered and enlivened by representation and more people from the different buildings."

Amal Alexander, a member of Tri-Faith's AMI Mosque, said she has never seen anything like the Tri-Faith community. She emphasized considering the conflicts between the three religions over the years, it is amazing to sit together and learn from each other.

"I would really urge people just to come and experience it," Alexander stressed. "Everybody who comes to visit, they always go away with so many things that they learned, and they leave with just feeling enlightened, so to speak."

The Tri-Faith Initiative's second annual Race, Religion and Social Justice Conference will be held June 7-8 and is open for registration.


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April is both National Poetry Month and National Library Month, and younger generations are embracing both.

The American Library Association says "Gen Z" and millennials are using public libraries, both in person and digitally, at higher rates than older generations. They're also engaging with poetry, but often not the classics taught in school. Instead, it's minimalist verses set to music and posted on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

"There's easy access for poetry. There's access through libraries," said Lauren Camp, New Mexico's current poet laureate. "Libraries are pretty much my favorite place and have been for my whole life."

Camp, the Arab-American daughter of a Jewish-Iraqi immigrant, has lived in New Mexico for 30 years. She's the author of eight poetry collections and New Mexico's second Poet Laureate.

Multiple libraries across the state, including those in Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, have scheduled poetry readings and other literary events this month.

Some research shows that fiction readers often are more empathetic - better able to put themselves in someone else's shoes. Camp said you shouldn't expect to like all poets or poetry any more than you like all music or all art, but believes finding a handful that you like can enrich your life.

"In these very fraught, complicated times," she said, "we all need to find more ways of accessing empathy for an 'other' - and I think poetry is a really good way to do that because it narrows down to one experience and one sliver of one experience."

New Mexico has nearly 150 public libraries, according to Felt Maps, including branches and other locations that offer library services. The New Mexico State Library also supports more than 100 public and tribal libraries.

For those with young kids, Camp recommended the Poetry Out Loud program as a starting point to engage them.


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Military bravery and sacrifice is recognized today, with the nation's recipients of the National Medal of Honor being celebrated for their service.

In addition to ceremonies across the country, a permanent place of remembrance opens in Arlington, Texas today, the new National Medal of Honor Museum.

Chris Cassidy, CEO of the museum, hopes it will serve as a reminder of what he calls the pillars of American excellence, courage, sacrifice and patriotism.

"It's telling the stories of American military heroes but it's also a way to be inspired for courage in your own life," Cassidy explained.

The museum includes the story of New Mexico's Hiroshi Miyamura, a Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II before returning to Gallup. The son of Japanese immigrants who moved to the community in 1923, Miyamura was the first living Japanese-American to receive the medal.

Cassidy pointed out the new museum features more than 100,000 square feet of space, about one-third dedicated to exhibition galleries. He noted medal recipients are selected for going above and beyond, putting the mission and interests of others ahead of their own.

"It's not a war museum or a military history museum or a place where you see a ton of airplanes and tanks," Cassidy stressed. "There's other great places for that. This museum is storytelling about amazing Americans that did something when the country needed them to."

Closer to home, New Mexico lawmakers honored the state's veterans this month by passing two bills to provide them with tax relief and free recreational opportunities. The legislation expands property tax exemptions and provides veterans with unlimited day-use and camping passes for specific recreational areas.


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Some 29 Arkansas Medal of Honor recipients will be recognized Tuesday as the National Medal of Honor Museum opens in Arlington, Texas.

The museum is dedicated to celebrating the stories of the more than 3,500 service members who have been awarded the nation's highest honor. The opening coincides with National Medal of Honor Day.

Chris Cassidy, CEO of the museum, said the facility is unlike any other military or war museum.

"We've paid a lot of attention to telling a broad swath of stories from the Civil War to present day of all branches of service, of all hometowns and states and ethnicity," Cassidy outlined. "Just kind of covering a broad section of America, because the Medal of Honor recipients really do represent America."

Arkansas was home to Medal of Honor recipient John Canley, who received the medal for his actions in Vietnam. Canley was the first living Black Marine to receive the Medal. He died in 2022.

Tuesday is the 162nd anniversary of the day the first Medal of Honor was awarded. Only 61 recipients are still living. Cassidy noted the museum will be a place where the public can interact with these heroes.

"In the ensuing weeks and months, we have several programs that we'll put on in the museum, where folks can come and listen to their stories live, and ask the Medal of Honor recipients questions in person," Cassidy added.

The $290 million structure has classrooms and spaces for meetings, memorials and ceremonies.


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