UUs for Justice in the Middle East is delighted to announce the results of the 2nd Annual UUJME Sermon Contest! This year's contest was based on the theme "Why are UU congregations reluctant to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how can they overcome this reluctance to help our faith community contribute more meaningfully to the cause of peace and justice for Israelis and Palestinians?" Hanan Watson of All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City was chosen by our panel of judges as this year's winner! Her moving sermon, entitled "Waking Up to Shatter the Silence", was delivered on February 6 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Essex County in Orange, NJ; again on March 20 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills in Kingston, NY; and a third time on April 10 at the Unitarian Church of All Souls, New York, NY.
Ms. Watson will receive the $400 prize and present her winning sermon at the UUJME Sermon Contest Award Dinner on June 23 during the UUA General Assembly in Charlotte, NC (details below).
In addition to selecting the winning sermon, our panel of judges was moved to designate a special runner-up sermon this year. This honor has gone to Rev. Jason M. Lydon, Minister of Community Church of Boston, MA, for his sermon entitled, "Be Not Afraid: Truth Telling and Justice Seeking", which Rev. Lydon delivered on May 1 at First Parish in Bedford, MA. In response to the panel's decision, the UUJME board has decided to present Rev. Lydon with a $100 prize for his runner-up achievement!
Both of these excellent sermons will be available in transcript form on the UUJME website following General Assembly in late June. Congratulations to both Ms. Watson and Rev. Lydon!
Hanan Watson was born in Jerusalem to Palestinian Christian Arab parents and in 1948 became one of the 750,000 refugees from the newly established State of Israel. She earned Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from the American University of Beirut. After moving to New York in 1966 she worked in the executive search field until retiring to devote herself to volunteer work. She is past chair of, and continues to serve on, the board of Just Vision, a non-profit organization dedicated to publicizing efforts of Palestinian and Israeli leaders working together for the cause of peace and justice. Among the many accomplishments of Just Vision is the production of two feature documentary films: Encounter Point (released in 2006) and Budrus (released in 2010, and scheduled to be shown at General Assembly on Friday, June 24 at 1:00 pm in Convention Center 208A ). For the last 10 years, Ms. Watson has been a member of All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City. From 2003-2006 she chaired the All Souls Peace Task Force, and currently serves the congregation as a Lay Pastoral Associate.
Rev. Jason M. Lydon is the minister of the Community Church of Boston, a humanist-based UU congregation. Rev. Lydon's ministry is rooted in struggles for liberation, ranging from Palestine to the U.S. prison system. Along with the work of his congregation, Rev. Lydon organizes for prison abolition, particularly supporting the needs of LGBTQ prisoners; an end to domestic violence; stopping the racist policing of immigrant communities; and other struggles for justice. If you are looking for him on a Friday night it is likely you will find him at the opening screening of some major Hollywood movie. You can also find him on his bicycle around the city and searching out delicious pizza places in town.
The Sermon Contest Award Dinner will be held on Thursday, June 23rd from 5:15 to 8:00 pm in the Hilton Garden Inn Dogwood Room in Charlotte, NC, one block east of the Convention Center. People can arrive at 5:15 for drinks and socializing, while a buffet dinner will be available beginning at 5:45. The official proceedings will begin promptly at 6:15 with the introduction of the contest winners, followed by Hanan Watson's presentation of her winning sermon. Since the day's final GA workshop session ends at 5:45, we encourage guests to try to arrive at the hotel as promptly as possible to be able to get through the buffet line prior to the start of the presentations to avoid distractions to the speakers and other guests. Following the sermon, we will present the prize money to the winners and then hold a Q&A session. People wishing to attend the Service of the Living Tradition, which begins at 7:30, are welcome to leave before the Q&A or to stay for any part of it.
Remember to reserve your seats at the dinner by June 19 to save money and assist us in our planning! You can accomplish this by sending an email to uujme@uujme.org with your name(s) and number of seats to reserve, then mailing a check for $5 per person to UUJME, PO Box 380355, Cambridge, MA 02238. If mailing a check, please be sure to allow plenty of time for it to arrive by the 19th! The reservation deposit can also be paid online via PayPal at our website, uujme.org (click on the Support Us tab and follow the instructions for donating via PayPal). Those who've paid to reserve seats will be refunded their $5 deposits at the dinner and will receive an additional $5 discount on their meals. If you do not reserve a seat prior to June 19, you can still sign up for the dinner at the UUJME booth during GA, contingent on seating availability and without the promise of a discount. We will also accept walk-ins at the hotel until all seats are taken. The full price of the meal is expected to be around $15 - $20, not including tip and tax. Note that you do NOT need to be registered for GA to attend the dinner.