In the News

Protesters gather outside the Nassau County Police Department to honor John Lewis’s legacy and denounce county collaboration with ICE and threats to civil liberties. Photo by Larissa Fuentes

Published by Long island Press, Posted July 22, 2025. Larissa Fuentes, Journalist

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Thursday evening, July 17, for the annual “Good Trouble” rally, an event inspired by civil rights leader and former U.S. Rep. John Lewis, to protest what organizers described as rising threats to democracy, civil liberties and immigrant rights in Nassau County and across the country.

Organized to honor Lewis’s legacy of nonviolent civil disobedience, the rally aimed to “redeem the soul of America” through peaceful protest, civic engagement, and public accountability.

The event’s name stems from Lewis’s iconic call to get into “good trouble, necessary trouble,” in the face of injustice. This year’s focus was on what organizers described as growing threats to democracy and civil rights, both nationally and locally, particularly around immigration enforcement and executive overreach.

“John Lewis taught us that protest is patriotic,” said Judy Esterquest, a leader with the League of Women Voters of Port Washington–Manhasset, which co-hosted the rally alongside the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock. “What we’re witnessing today is the erosion of our constitutional safeguards. The executive branch is usurping the authority of Congress and the courts.”

Organizers initially planned to hold the rally on the steps of the Nassau County Legislature, with permission reportedly granted by Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

But upon arrival, they were redirected and forced to relocate to the police department across the street, as another event took place on the steps.

Ryder said he did speak with someone from the event but also said, “All rallies should apply for a permit.” Ryder said anyone looking to hold any event at the Legislature should contact Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

Sonia Arora, a social justice coordinator at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock and one of the event organizers, said she spoke with Ryder and wasn’t told that a permit was needed. He “thanked me for letting him know and would inform the police.”

The police headquarters became a symbolic backdrop for speakers who denounced Nassau County’s participation in 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Cheryl Keshner, of the Long Island Language Advocates Coalition and the Long Island Immigrant Justice Alliance, delivered a scathing critique of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and local police agencies.

Keshner said that despite promises from county officials not to cooperate with federal deportations, local agencies have helped detain more than 1,500 people for immigration pickup over the last five months.

“These are our neighbors, our friends,” Keshner said. “People are being deported to countries they barely know, held in poor conditions, and denied due process.”

Speakers made clear that while the rally was rooted in concern over national politics, particularly the return of Trump-era immigration and governance policies, it was also aimed at holding local officials accountable.

Susan Gottehrer, Nassau County director for the New York Civil Liberties Union, warned that the rollback of civil liberties is not confined to Washington.

“Good trouble means speaking up right here,” Gottehrer said. She spoke about Nassau having passed mask bans that target protesters, buffer zones around police, and deputizing officers to act as immigration agents.

Attendees from across the region offered impassioned remarks about what brought them out on a hot July evening.

Alice Stein, of Levittown, said she fears democracy is slipping away.

Joylette Williams, a Hempstead Board of Education trustee and candidate for Nassau County District Clerk, said she left the event feeling “empowered” and “ready to act.” She credited a friend for forwarding her the rally invitation.

“I want to do something for our communities, for our residents of Nassau County.”

Organizers urged attendees to return to the Nassau County Legislature on Sunday, July 28, at 1 p.m., for a follow-up rally specifically targeting the 287(g) agreements and calling on legislators to act.

The event concluded with a message from Long Beach community leader James Hodge, who rallied the crowd with echoes of civil rights-era resolve.

“When they say ‘Get back,’ we say ‘Push back!’” Hodge shouted to cheers. “Anger without action is just anger. We’ve got work to do. Roll up your sleeves, because democracy is not a spectator sport.”

Read article and see pictures HERE

The Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore speaking at the UUA’s 2018 General Assembly. Photo Credit: UUA

Posted by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), June 10, 2025

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has chosen the Rev. Dr. Natalie Maxwell Fenimore to receive the 2025 Angus H. MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education.

The MacLean Award honors individuals for vision and leadership in lifespan faith development at the local and associational level and for uplifting the profession of religious education. A committee led by Nao Bethea, UUA Co-director of Lifespan Faith Engagement, selects recipients.

Rev. Dr. Fenimore is Lead Minister and Minister of Lifespan Religious Education at The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York. She has served as a director of religious education, parish minister, and minister of religious education in UU congregations in Maryland, Virginia, and New York since 1998.

A past president and a Good Officer of the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), Rev. Dr. Fenimore is an author of many UU religious education curricula, professional development for religious professionals, meditations, and readings. She has served as a Trustee for both the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA) and the Starr King School for the Ministry.

Award Citation for Natalie Fenimore

For sharing with Unitarian Universalism her honesty, grace, and wisdom; for centering religious education as a core practice in serving congregations, mentoring others, and championing Associational change; for the sum of her service to this faith in love and struggle, the UUA on June 22, 2025 presents the 52nd Annual Angus H. MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education to Rev. Dr. Natalie Maxwell Fenimore.

This award recognizes Rev. Dr. Fenimore for:

●  Congregational service of more than a quarter century as a director or minister of religious education, culminating in being called as Lead Minister to the UU Congregation of Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York.
●  Collegial leadership, mentorship, and support through the Liberal Religious Educators Association, in roles from President to Good Officer.
●  Leadership as a Trustee for both the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association and the Starr King School for the Ministry.
●  Shaping our faith as author, teacher, and guide, through Renaissance Modules, curricula from Tapestry of Faith through the UU Common Read, meditations, readings, essays, and the Commission on Institutional Change’s report, Widening the Circle of Concern.

I’m in love with the Unitarian Universalism that does not yet exist. But I have to hold both the love for that thing and the love for the reality…wanting to be there in that struggle. That’s why I’m fighting.
–- Natalie Maxwell Fenimore

Read article HERE

Published by Long island Press, Posted January 30, 2025. Christy Hinko, Journalist

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock (UUCSR) is offering a new citizenship preparation program aimed at assisting immigrants with green cards in their journey toward U.S. citizenship. The 10-week course, which focuses on U.S. history and the Constitution, began recently and continues to accept participants.

The program, a collaborative effort spearheaded by the UUCSR’s Immigrant Task Force under the congregation’s social justice committee, aims to help immigrants prepare for the U.S. citizenship exam while promoting inclusivity, community support and educational access.

Rev. David Olson, the lead minister at UUCSR, emphasized the congregation’s commitment to social justice and support for immigrants.

“We see this program as part of our broader mission to serve all people, regardless of where they come from. It’s an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals who want to become part of the American fabric,” Olson, a Unitarian Universalist minister for 25 years, said.

The course, which kicked off its second session in January, is open to adults who already have green cards and are ready to take the next step toward citizenship. The curriculum covers crucial subjects such as U.S. history, the Constitution and the workings of the U.S. government—all of which are key components of the citizenship exam. Volunteers, many of whom are bilingual, provide individualized support in English and additional languages, including Spanish and Korean.

Olson explained, “We want to provide a supportive, welcoming environment where participants can ask questions and feel empowered. A lot of the people who join us may face language barriers or they might be unsure where to even begin their path to citizenship. Our role is to simplify the process and build trust.”

“We see this program as part of our broader mission to serve all people, regardless of where they come from. It’s an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals who want to become part of the American fabric,” Olson, a Unitarian Universalist minister for 25 years, said.

The course, which kicked off its second session in January, is open to adults who already have green cards and are ready to take the next step toward citizenship. The curriculum covers crucial subjects such as U.S. history, the Constitution and the workings of the U.S. government—all of which are key components of the citizenship exam. Volunteers, many of whom are bilingual, provide individualized support in English and additional languages, including Spanish and Korean.

Olson explained, “We want to provide a supportive, welcoming environment where participants can ask questions and feel empowered. A lot of the people who join us may face language barriers or they might be unsure where to even begin their path to citizenship. Our role is to simplify the process and build trust.”

The Immigrant Task Force at UUCSR plays a central role in reaching out to immigrants in the community. According to Olson, much of the program’s success relies on word-of-mouth outreach and personal networks.

“We want people to trust that this program is a safe space,” he said. “A lot of the outreach happens person to person, whether it’s through a community volunteer or someone who knows a social worker. These personal connections are key in ensuring that immigrants feel comfortable.”

UUCSR is committed to keeping the program non-partisan and open to individuals of all backgrounds. Olson stressed that the initiative is grounded in the values of the congregation, which believes in human dignity and justice for all.

“This is not a political effort; this is a human effort. Our aim is simply to help people who want to pursue the American dream,” he said. “We believe that all people are worthy of dignity, respect and the opportunity to flourish.” Read more…

Read full article HERE

Published by Long island Press, Posted January 13, 2025.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset has a long-standing commitment to community engagement and advocating for human rights. Beginning February 6, 2025, the congregation will offer a free 10-week course designed to help immigrants prepare for the U.S. Citizenship Examination.

The classes will be held every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and welcome new students.

During the two-hour sessions, trained bilingual volunteers will teach U.S. history, geography, and the Constitution. Recently, five immigrants completed instruction on how to study for the exam and have since filed their applications to take it.

In addition to the citizenship course, UUCSR is working to build meaningful relationships with immigrants in Nassau County through a friendship program. “This initiative reflects our mission to create a more just and joyful world,” said Rev. Buffardi. “Our goal is to create opportunities where strangers can become friends, enriching each other’s lives in the process.”

As part of the program, volunteers will meet with immigrants once a week at local libraries, restaurants, parks, UUCSR, or other places of worship.

From left, The Rev. Henrietta Scott Fullard, Shareese Harris, and The Rev. David Carl Olson Credit: African Methodist Episcopal Church; Shareese Harris; Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock

Published by Newsday, February 4, 2024. Jim Merritt, Journalist

Gospel music performance is not just a Grammy category, it’s also a spiritually inspiring part of many Long Island worship services. This week’s clergy discuss the value of a vocal tradition that draws on biblical themes and, according to the Library of Congress, is rooted in the call and response singing of the African American South.

The Rev. David Carl Olson
Associate Minister for Congregational Life, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock

The choir of the Shelter Rock Unitarian Universalist congregation recently had a concert on the history of Gospel music. It spanned from traditional spirituals through early Gospel and into more contemporary sounds. Under the direction of Nigel W. Gretton, and with the participation of local Gospel artists, we experienced more than a concert. It became a service of worship. Our religious tradition embraces pluralism. One power of Gospel music can be found in its capacity to bridge difference and provide emotional connections in the human experience of overcoming challenges. In congregation-based community organizing in Unitarian Universalist congregations across the country, the sharing of Gospel music by interreligious audiences expects that we will find commonalities in the human desires for freedom and for victory, even in the face of insurmountable odds. Not all Unitarian Universalists find the Christian message of the Gospel compelling, but we heed the advice of 16th century founder Frances David: “We need not think alike to love alike.” With humility, many of us find inspiration in the Gospel songs that tell of our connections to a world that is yet to be, to a power greater than ourselves.

Download a copy of the article HERE

Attendees light candles at the start of a National Day of Prayer program at the Tilles Center at LIU Post in Brookville on Thursday. Credit: Rick Kopstein

Published by Newsday, May 2, 2024. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith, Journalist

As protests over the Israel-Hamas war grip the country, Long Island religious leaders of Jewish, Muslim and other faiths formed a prayer circle.

The official reason for the Thursday morning gathering at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post in Brookville was the National Day of Prayer, which is typically memorialized annually on the first Thursday of May, leaders said.

But what perhaps wafted in many of the minds and hearts of the more than 20 attendees was the Israel-Hamas war that has left tens of thousands of people dead and sparked demonstrations at places such as Columbia University and Stony Brook University.

“I’m hoping that this is a time for us to not only pray, but to build friendship and build bridges, especially during these difficult times,” said Sepi Djavaheri, senior community mobilizer with the UJA-Federation of New York, which joined a number of organizations to put on the event.

Rabbi Lina Zerbarini of Kehillath Shalom Synagogue, left, talks with Urmila Shivaram of Hindus of LI. Credit: Rick Kopstein

For roughly an hour, religious leaders shared thoughts and prayers, including some in Hindi and Hebrew. Many of the themes expressed emphasized togetherness and conflict resolution. Early in the event, some of the clergy members lit candles on a table in the center of the room.

“We pray for our nation, the United States of America, to remain loving [and] compassionate … to remove prejudice from our hears and enable us to love our brothers and sisters,” said Imam Amin Rahman of the Muslim Council of Suffolk County.

The Rev. Natalie Fenimore of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock talked about extending understanding and care for one another.

“None should be held captive or hostage,” she said. “None should go hungry. None should be denied the means to thrive.”

“Amen,” said some members after she spoke.

As the members of the circle prayed, some clergy members closed their eyes while calming music played. Others looked like they were in deep contemplation.

Some attendees broke out in song, with one in Hebrew that talked about hope coming from God.

Rabbi Michael Mishkin of Temple Beth Israel talked about releasing away grudges that have been nurtured over generations.

He thanked God for helping him to see that “we should all work together with our shared humanity to try to recognize and build a community in which we honor the dignity of all people.”

After the event, the Rev. Mark Bigelow of the Congregational Church of Huntington said the war has been a source of division, but the National Day of Prayer — the first such event he has attended — shows there is a different pathway where people of different faiths can come together.

He will bring back to his congregants the continued hope “that we can all work together to bring peace and justice,” he said.

Download a copy of the article HERE

From left, The Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore, Ashleigh Harrison and The Rev. Omotayo Cole Cineus Credit: Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock; Christina Grant; Linda Rosier

Published by Newsday, February 4, 2024. Jim Merritt, Journalist

African Americans and the Arts” is the theme of this February’s celebration of Black History Month. This week’s clergy discuss the role played by music, dance, the spoken word and other art forms in their services and faith communities.

The Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore
Lead minister and minister of Lifespan Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset

Our congregation is blessed with a beautiful physical location: a large, wooded campus. We enhance this beauty by bringing art into the worship space. Each Sunday there are spectacular flower arrangements provided by one of our members. The flowers bring the outside in and connect our worship to the larger creation of which we are a part. There is an art gallery filled with the works of artists from the community. The walls of the building are filled with art created by our members, which they share with others to uplift us all. Art is a way to communicate and focus spiritual insights. Art can reinforce human connections and commonality. It also challenges us to see a variety of perspectives. This openness to diverse views is important to our faith tradition. Music is central to our worship. We know that music can provide emotional expression and release — and stir the soul. As with the songs of the civil rights movement, the hymns we sing empower us to envision freedom, peace and justice. The gifts of the arts bring beauty and joy into our faith.

Download a copy of the article HERE

From left, Rabbi Jaimee Shalhevet, The Rev. David Carl Olson and The Rev. Kate Salisbury Credit: Tamar Fix; Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock; Kate Salisbury

Published by Newsday, January 21, 2024. Jim Merritt, Journalist

In December, Pope Francis took a small but significant step toward making the Roman Catholic church more welcoming to LGBT people when he formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same sex couples. This week’s clergy discuss traditional and evolving LGBT inclusiveness in rituals and other aspects of religious community life.

The Rev. David Carl Olson
Associate minister for Congregational Life, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset

In a way, Unitarian Universalism supports LGBT people by “taking care of our own.” All kinds of people — lesbian, bisexual, gay, straight — find a home in our congregations. People across the gender spectrum are our people. Together we are learning a new way. Unitarian Universalists have supported LGBT folk since the 1970s, when we created formal structures to welcome and minister to lesbian and gay members and friends. We authorized marriage services, ordained gay and lesbian ministers, cared for families during the AIDS crisis and created religious education curriculums that shared what we were learning about queer life. Today, we continue these efforts of education, support and ritual inclusion. And we acknowledge that we have much yet to learn. At the Congregation at Shelter Rock, we recently invited a panel of transgender New Yorkers to help us more fully understand their lives and their community. Our hope was not to study LGBT folk as an “other” to be examined objectively, but to be in relationships that acknowledge LGBT folk as people of inherent worth and dignity. On their terms, we hope to build the human family of ethical, spiritual and communal relationship.

Download a copy of the article HERE

Rev. Israel Buffardi (photo and rights provided by UUCSR)

Published by The Island 360, September 1, 2023.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock Ministerial Search Committee has announced that a new minister, Rev. Israel Buffardi, has joined the congregation as Associate Minister for Member and Community Engagement.

Buffardi joined Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore and Rev. David Carl Olson in ministering to the Manhasset religious community on Shelter Rock Road.

Buffardi has served UU congregations in Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. He earned his M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and has experience in community organizing, theatre, nutrition, gardening, and cooking education.

With his eclectic mix of experience, Buffardi has long been a community-builder, helping people to reflect, connect, and cultivate intentional lives of love and justice.

Buffardi’s ministry is often expressed through food and fellowship, and he looks forward to setting both the proverbial, as well as literal, tables of welcome at the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock.

For more information about UUCSR, please visit www.uucsr.org.

Read article HERE.

From left, The Rev. David Carl Olson, Rabbi Ilana Schachter and the Rev. Jenn Pilat. Credit: Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock; Kris Rogers Photography; Newsday/Steve Pfost

Published by Newsday, June 11, 2023
Contributed by Jim Merritt, Journalist

Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are currently the largest generational group, and they are also among the least religious Americans, with almost a third reporting they are religiously unaffiliated, according to a recent survey. This week’s clergy discuss how they seek to engage the generation currently aged 27 through 42.

The Rev. David Carl Olson
Associate minister for Congregational Life, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset

Millennials value community, cooperation and service. Our Lifespan Religious Education program welcomes young families who pursue the spiritual but not religious path to find community. We recently held a series of workshops in walking the labyrinth and reflecting on the personal and shared meanings each found in the task. One Sunday morning workshop was centered on young families; a second staffed by young adults was held around a simple evening meal; and a final workshop took place at an all-congregation retreat where individuals, over the course of a day, were invited to engage the same walk. Pastoral care was offered in all these settings. We offer care in ways that are sensitive to LGBT people and to the people of color who find their ways to our multicultural services of worship. A strong music and arts program offers a place for creative people to connect. Direct service is offered in our relationship with the Roosevelt Community Garden where volunteers of all ages assist in whatever is needed. This hands-on engagement helps young adults and young families connect to their own sense of our inter-relatedness with the earth and all her creatures.

Download a copy of the article HERE

From left, the Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, the Rev. Lisa Williams, of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Sister Zainab Bey of the Interfaith Institute of Long Island and the Islamic Center of Long Island. Credit: UU Congregation at Shelter Rock; Hy-Sync Media/James McCray; JamaaI T. Morris

Published by Newsday, February 5, 2023.
Contributed by Jim Merritt, Journalist

“Black Resistance in the Past, Present and Future,” is the theme of this February’s celebration of Black History Month, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. This week’s clergy discuss notable African Americans from their faith backgrounds who were paragons of resistance in centuries past.

The Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore
Lead minister and minister of Lifespan Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset

There are many significant Black Unitarian Universalists, among them poet and abolitionist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper(1825-1911) and the Rev. Hope Johnson, the minister emerita at the UU Congregation of Central Nassau, in Garden City, and a national conflict resolution and social justice advocate until her death in 2020.

Another important figure is Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928), the son of enslaved people and an inventor who worked with Thomas Alva Edison on the invention of the light bulb and Alexander Graham Bell on the development of the telephone. Latimer was a creative and intellectually curious person who never received the same recognition or pay as non-Black inventors. Latimer insisted on pushing past imposed boundaries. He bought a large house in Flushing, Queens, when few Black people were allowed to live there and in 1908 was a founder of the Unitarian Church in Flushing.

Latimer’s poetic soul shows through in his description of incandescent lighting: “Like the light of the sun, it beautifies all things on which it shines, and is no less welcome in the palace than in the humblest home.” In his heart, his work and his faith, Latimer sought light, beauty and equality. He was true to Unitarian Universalism’s inclusive message of worth and dignity for all.

Download a copy of the article HERE

From left, the Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, the Rev. Vicky L. Eastland of Brookville Reformed Church, and Marie McNair of the Baha’is of Long Island. Credit: UU Congregation at Shelter Rock; Raju A. Eastland; Rebecca McNair

Published by Newsday, January 15, 2023. Jim Merritt, Journalist

World Religion Day, observed on Jan. 15 by members of the Baha’i Faith, is an occasion for interfaith gatherings and celebrating both commonalities and differences among the world’s faiths. This week’s clergy discuss how teachings from other faiths have informed their experiences as spiritual leaders.

The Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore
Lead minister and minister of Lifespan Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset

As a Unitarian Universalist minister, my seminary education included the study of other faith traditions. I came to know and appreciate wisdom and beauty inherent in traditions outside my own. Through study and interfaith relationships, I have experienced the many ways that faith communities seek to make meaning, give comfort, share joy.

In my congregation, we seek to join with other faiths to build a better world. I have learned the wisdom of widening the circle of love and care. I have learned that there are so many ways in which other faith traditions offer insights into our common humanity. I regularly use readings and stories from many faith traditions in worship services and for spiritual reflection.

In the words of the noted theologian, philosopher and civil rights activist Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, “No religion is an island. We are all involved with one another. Spiritual betrayal on the part of one of us affects the faith of all of us. Views adopted in one community have an impact on other communities.” All faith traditions can embrace tolerance and diversity. Each human can reflect the glory of the Creator and beauty of creation.

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From left, Rabbi Joel M. Levenson of Midway Jewish Center, the Rev. David Carl Olson of Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, and the Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter of Congregational Church of Patchogue. Credit: Alex M. Wolff; David Carl Olson; Jeffrey Basinger

Published by Newsday, November 6, 2022. Jim Merritt, Journalist

Houses of worship don’t exist in a vacuum, but are often in or near communities with challenges such as food insecurity, health disparities and a lack of equal rights and opportunity. This week’s clergy discuss how they fulfill their faith’s call to public service in their neighborhoods and beyond.

The Rev. David Carl Olson
Associate minister for Congregational Life, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset

Religion includes a call to the development of character. This happens individually through study and devotion, of course, but it is best refined congregationally through public service. Starting in the congregation, we provide a helping hand where it is needed. Then together, in ways that seek to transform, we serve by shortening the distance between our congregation and the communities where we live our public lives.

We learn to identify with the community, to know its heart — joys and woes, assets and deficits. We apply that collective character that we’ve developed. We show leadership by making stronger connections within the community and even make a civic demand. The late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, speaking atop the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 1, 2020, urged us, “Get in good trouble! Necessary trouble! And help redeem the soul of America.” It is the faith that we practice — of seeing our interconnectedness and the inherent worth of each person — that allows us to engage the community not as outside agitators, but as community members and community leaders. Community members not afraid to make a little good trouble, community members willing to do our part in implementing what we demand.

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From left: Rabbi Ira Ebbin of Congregation Ohav Sholom, Arthur Dobrin of Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island, and the Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore of Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock. Credit: Ira Ebbin; Linda Rosier; Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock

Published by Newsday, September 11, 2023. Jim Merritt, Journalist

Sunday, Sept. 11, marks the 21st anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks in which nearly 3,000 Americans died, including about 500 Long Islanders. This week’s clergy discuss how they would talk about that day and its aftermath with the generation that has since come of age.

The Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore
Lead minister and minister of Lifespan Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset

Children born after Sept. 11, 2001, have lived in a world shadowed by the death and destruction of that day — we all have. This tragedy was a trauma that seemed to normalize terrorism, war, hate. The deaths of thousands, including individual loved ones, are still mourned.

All our lives we will struggle to make sense of the tragedies happening around us. No one can say why these horrors happen. We struggle to keep our faith in goodness, hope, compassion and love.

Still, with all we know of pain, we must embrace our commitment to one another, to community, to accountability. We must not step away from the struggle of humanity but lean in to care and problem-solve. The 9/11 terrorists embraced beliefs of death and destruction; they were wrong. There is a faithfulness that honors life and is life-giving. It is a loving faith, which we must show to our children because this is the greater strength and the only way to a better future.

Download a copy of the article HERE