"On May 20th, 2020, a few days before Ramadan concluded for 2020, the Zoom chat box was filled with comments from 7 women from Turkey, 2 from Iran, 1 from India, several Americans and others – most of us currently living in the United States. 

 

It was at this moment that I had two InterPlay worlds – Dance Chapel and Sustaining International Sisters(SIS) – collide to honor Ramadan, a deeply religious time period for Muslims, the religion of my Turkish and Iranian friends. 

 

I began leading the Wednesday night Dance Chapel in Cynthia Winton-Henry’s Hidden Monastery at the beginning of April because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. There were so many of us sheltering at home, that Cynthia expanded these interfaith dance chapels from only Monday and Thursday to every day of the week. Our Dance Chapels use elements from InterPlay.

 

Then there is the world of SIS! My InterPlay workshop collaborator and SIS co-founder, Canan Arikan, is both Muslim and an InterPlay Leader-in-Training. I invited Canan into the Dance Chapel to co-facilitate the “Honoring of Ramadan.” Through the strength of her leadership and invitation our Dance Chapel was filled with Muslim SISters. They danced the hour before Iftar (breaking the fast) with us even though they had neither eaten nor had water all day. What grace their presence brought to all of us." - Ruth Schowalter

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You will read more about this special time in the article which is written by InterPlay Leader and SIS co-founder Ruth Schowalter. You will find the link below.