Case Studies

Adding Eid

Jeff Young, the incoming superintendent of schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is asked to add Eid to the public school calendar. What are his options?... Read more about Adding Eid
A Call to Prayer

As a request to broadcast the call to prayer in the tiny city of Hamtramck, Michigan becomes a matter of public debate, how will city council president Karen Majewski--and the diverse citizens of Hamtramck--respond? ... Read more about A Call to Prayer
Center of Dispute

As a dispute rages over a planned Muslim Community Center in Lower Manhattan – often referred to as the “Ground Zero Mosque” – Daisy Khan must respond.... Read more about Center of Dispute
The "Christmas Tree Crisis" at Sea-Tac Airport

After a controversy over the Christmas tree display at Sea-Tac Airport, a Holiday Decorations Advisory Committee is appointed to make a recommendation: what form should next year’s display take?... Read more about The "Christmas Tree Crisis" at Sea-Tac Airport
The Cross at Wren Chapel

When Gene Nichol, president of the College of William & Mary, removes a cross from the historic chapel it triggers a contentious debate: how to honor tradition and create an inclusive campus?... Read more about The Cross at Wren Chapel
Cultivating Change

Tom Spencer is the newly-hired CEO of a struggling Austin interfaith organization. With the organization “bleeding money,” is it time to close the doors or take a closer look at the organization’s purpose and brand?... Read more about Cultivating Change
Driven by Faith

Steve Wareham, an airport director in Minnesota, must respond to conflicting demands of customer service for passengers and religious accommodation for taxi cab drivers.... Read more about Driven by Faith
Fliers at the Peace Parade

In El Sobrante, California, Pastor Kent Brandenburg distributes fliers at a Sikh parade as an expression of his evangelical Christian faith; to the Sikhs, and some others in El Sobrante, it is an affront.... Read more about Fliers at the Peace Parade
The House on Sixth Street

A house in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is vandalized with anti-Muslim epithets and death threats. How will local citizens respond? ... Read more about The House on Sixth Street
In Pursuit of Justice

Rabbi Rachel Cohen, a new rabbi in a wealthy New Jersey congregation, seeks greater accountability for the youth Mitzvah Projects.... Read more about In Pursuit of Justice
An Invitation to a Tri-Faith Neighborhood

Rev. Tim Anderson is asked if the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska would like to join Jewish and Muslim communities in a groundbreaking Tri-Faith neighborhood in Omaha. ... Read more about An Invitation to a Tri-Faith Neighborhood
Invocation or Provocation?

Meetings in Chesterfield County, Virginia regularly open with prayers; however, when Cyndi Simpson – who identifies as a Witch – asks to deliver an invocation at the Board of Supervisors Meeting, controversy follows.... Read more about Invocation or Provocation?
A Meditation on Misconduct

When Jessica Bizub, director of the Shambhala Meditation Center of Milwaukee, learns that the spiritual and temporal leader of Shambhala has been accused of misconduct, she must find a path forward amidst “community chaos.”... Read more about A Meditation on Misconduct
A Mosque in Palos Heights

Mayor Dean Koldenhoven knows that most in his small Illinois town oppose the sale of a local church to a Muslim organization. As tensions rise, and the city council approves a “buyout,” Koldenhoven faces a decision.... Read more about A Mosque in Palos Heights
A Nomination to Controversy

When Parvez Ahmed is nominated to the Human Rights Commission in Jacksonville, Florida, some allege that the professor has links to terror; others argue this is a matter of “guilt by association.” How will Ahmed – and other civic and religious leaders – respond?... Read more about A Nomination to Controversy
A Question of Membership

Sherry Chayat Roshi, who identifies as both Jewish and as a Buddhist leader, asks Rabbi Sheldon Ezring if she and her family can become members at Syracuse’s historic Temple Concord.... Read more about A Question of Membership
Showing Up for Shabbat

After the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, a national Jewish organization announces an interfaith “Show Up for Shabbat” event. Rabbi Joel Sisenwine agrees to open the doors of the temple, but questions the value of an interfaith event when his community is seeking safety and security.... Read more about Showing Up for Shabbat
A Sign of Division

Moments before a youth-organized interfaith event, Rabbi Barry Starr is asked to remove a sign supporting Israel from the synagogue lobby.... Read more about A Sign of Division
Sister Mary and the Muslim Doctors

Sister Mary is approached by three doctors at Avera McKennan Hospital with a unique request: could the hospital assist in securing space for a Muslim Community Center?... Read more about Sister Mary and the Muslim Doctors
Swastikas at School

After swastika graffiti is found at the Pierce Middle School in Milton, Massachusetts, Principal Karen Spaulding’s first steps are a matter of district protocol: document, report, investigate, and punish those responsible. But her next steps are less clear.... Read more about Swastikas at School
Trouble in Troy

Padma Kuppa, a local Hindu resident of Troy, Michigan, challenges her exclusion from the town’s National Day of Prayer observance.... Read more about Trouble in Troy
A Young Imam in the American Midwest

With ongoing violence in the name of Islam, rising rhetoric against Muslims and refugees, and isolation in the American Muslim community, Imam Hassan Selim faces a grueling schedule of inreach and outreach in his Midwestern community. When presidential candidate Donald Trump comes to town for a rally, pressure builds on the young imam.... Read more about A Young Imam in the American Midwest

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