Elemental Climate Conversations
Fire: An Interfaith Exchange
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
7:00-8:30 pm
Temple Beth El of South Orange County
2A Liberty
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Optional tour of the synagogue with Rabbi-Cantor Marcia Tilchin
6:30-7:00 pm
Free and open to the public. RSVP to attend.
Responding to the climate crisis requires new forms of imagination, particularly in a time of increased drought and wildfires, especially in Southern California. In this third event in a series featuring the four elements (Water, Air, Fire, and Earth), please join us for an interfaith exploration of fire with a focus on Indigenous approaches to fire stewardship. Learn about wildfire prevention and recovery. Join together in collective learning and healing, and find out what you can do to make a difference.
Program will include:
Interfaith Candle Lighting
Rabbi-Cantor Marcia Tilchin, Founder, Jewish Collaborative of Orange County
Cultural Burning and Tribal Fire Management
Henry Najera, Cultural Outreach Coordinator, La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians
Wildfire Prevention and Land Conservation
Madison Killebrew, Fire Prevention & Management Program Manager, Irvine Ranch Conservancy
Native Stewardship and Plant Recovery after Wildfire
Karagan Smith, PhD Student, Cleland Lab at UC San Diego
Musical Interlude: “Who By Fire?”
Musician Jason Feddy performs a song by Leonard Cohen
Interfaith Fire Memorial Service
A memorial service for all affected by the fires around Los Angeles
Refreshments to follow.
Free and open to the public. RSVP to attend.
Hosted by the Jewish Collaborative of Orange County and Temple Beth El of South Orange County
Co-hosted by the Program in Religious Studies at UC Irvine School of Humanities, the Living with Wildfire Project at UC Irvine, and the UC Humanities Research Institute
This Elemental Climate Conversation event is organized by the Interfaith Climate Action Working Group, an initiative of WUICAN (Wildland-Urban Interface Climate Action Network). Based at UC Irvine, WUICAN is a consortium of environmental justice organizations, California Native American Tribes, land managers, and universities working together to develop community-driven policies and practices for land and water stewardship in response to the climate crisis. Our interfaith working group members hail from the following organizations:
Church of the Messiah | Harbor Christian Church | Jewish Collaborative of Orange County | New Hope Presbyterian Church | Pacifica Institute | Reconcile Church | St. Mark Presbyterian Church | UC Humanities Research Institute | UCI Religious Studies Program | UCI School of Humanities | United Sikh Mission