__ISSUE 4

1) JAINA Volunteers in India
2) Presidents Message
3) JAINA Awarded the Global Community Award by World Mecial Relief
4) Pratistha Mahotsav - Tulsa Jain Sangh
5) 6th Biennial YJA Convention
6) Cherry Hill Temple Anniversary Celebration
7) Bay Area To Host 2005 Jaina Convention
8) JAINA Executive Committee Meets In Atlanta
9) Interfaith News
10) Editors Message

January and February were busy months for many JAINA volunteers who went to India for various medical camps, Pilgrimage or other activities. In a lengthy report by Shardaben Tarasaria in the Feb 7 issue of “The Urban Indian” describes in moving details medical camp at Bidada where team of JAINA Volunteers headed by Drs. Manibhai Mehta and Dhirajbhai Shah are doing wonderful work. JAINA Doctors and volunteers participated in other camps in various cities. Details of the medical camps will be in the upcoming issue of JAIN DIGEST. Various JAINA leaders met with Dr. Chandrakant Shah, incoming President of Federation of Jain Social Groups and Shri Pratapbhai Bhogilal of World Jain Confederation and discussed possibilities of closer co-operation between their organizations and JAINA.

President's Message

Jai Jinendra!

I was in India from Dec. 31, 2003 through Jan. 27, 2004 and found myself very busy with the JAINA related activities, Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya, visiting temples, and of course paying visits to friends and families. I managed to squeeze 9-day long vacation in beautiful Kerala too. Overall it was a highly satisfying experience.

I started with a visit to the Bidada Medical Camp and Vardhman Nagar. I was moved by the impact JAINA has and continues to make on that part of the country. It was fascinating to see so many volunteers from the North America as well as from India who came to render selfless services to thousands of patients. Thanks to Vijaya Chhedda and Dr. Dhiraj Shah, gracious hosts, who made my trip possible?

You probably know that JAINA has built a village near Bhuj-named “Vardhman Nagar” to help the victims of the Gujarat Earthquake. This time, we donated an ambulance to help the residents meet in their medical emergency needs (see the photo above). In my mind, this is another act of kindness of JAINA.

I attended reunion function organized by The Federation of Alumni of Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya. To an audience of about 1500 people, I strongly appealed to the management to change the Vidyalaya constitution to admit all Jains. Many people came to see me afterwards and expressed strong support to my line of thinking.

I visited with Dr. Soneji, Jitendra Shah of L. D. Institute of Indology and Shri Shekharchandra Jain in Ahmedabad. I also met Shantilal Muttha, President of Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana(BJS)and Federation of Jain Educational Insitututes (FJEI), Shri Pratapbhai Bhogilal of World Jain Confederation (WJC) ,Dr. N. P. Jain, Mr. C N Sanghavi and Mr. C D Shah of JAIN Social Group.

Because of our humanitarian/social/religious activities and conscious effort to unite all Jains, JAINA seems to have earned a lot of recognition and respect in India. We have become a role model and that is the reason why other organizations such as WJC, BJS, FJEI, Veerayatan, and Jain Social Group have expressed strong desire to work with us on programs of mutual interest.

India has finally started moving! I noticed a lot of improvements. People are opening up and are willing to listen. This creates a lot of opportunity for JAINA to join hands with like-minded people and be of service to a far greater number of people within in our own community and outside.

JAINA has become an instrument of positive changes. Please join us in whatever way you can.

Best Regards,
Anop Vora

Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanuji will perform Pratistha ceremony of 3 Teerthankar idols, Navkar Mantar Shila, Padmavati Devi and Ghantakaran Mahavir Gokhala weekend of May 29-31. Narendra Shah and Narendra Nandu of India will perform vidhi. For more information, contact Kanti Shah (918) 369 3163.

Bay Area To Host 2005 Jaina Convention

The JAINA Executive Committee has awarded the hosting of the 13th Biennial JAINA Convention to the Jain Center of Northern California. The Convention will be held from July 1 – 4, 2005 in Santa Clara Convention Center. The Convention will return to California after 14 years where it was last held in 1991. A multi media presentation was made by Bipin Shah, President of JCNC and Girish Shah, co-convener of the 2005 convention to the JAINA Executive committee meeting in Atlanta on March 13, 2004 on some of the key areas of the convention focus, governance and program details.

56th ANNIVERSARY OF MAHATMA GANDHI’S PUNYA TITHI

Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial anniversary was observed in New York on January 30, in a program organized by the Consulate general of India and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. The program attended by Mr. Pramathesh Rath, Consulate General, included prayers from various faiths, speeches, poetry reading, and devotional music. Naresh Jain, of JAINA and International Jain Sangh, recited Namokar Mantra. Jain community was represented by Dr. Navin Mehta, Nitin Talsania and JAINA director Rajendra Kumar

COMPELLED TO RELATIONSHIP? - AN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

An interfaith dialogue was held at the Wesley Seminary’s Refectory, Washington, DC, on February 5, 2004. The dialogue discussed the teachings of many religious traditions that lead us to live and work together as people of many faiths. Dr. Sushil Jain, Secretary of JAINA was a speaker as well as the facilitator of the discussion at this gathering.

SPIRITUALITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

An interfaith dialogue ‘Spirituality and the Environment- Making Connections’ was hosted by the Catholic Center at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, at the Graduate Student Lounge on March 3, 2004. The program attended by over 100 graduate students and campus staff was so-sponsored by the New Jersey Catholic Coalition for Environmental Justice, Partners for Environmental Quality, and the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability. The panelists included Dr Kurt Spellmeyer, Associate Professor and Buddhist Campus Minister; Dr. David Ehrenfield, Professor of Ecology at Cook College of Rutgers; Erin Biviano, doctoral student in Systematic Theology at Fordham University; and Naresh Jain, Co-chair of JAINA Interfaith Committee and International Jain Sangh of New Jersey. Significant number of questions in the extended Q/A session was directed toward assessing a variety of real life situations for determining the path of minimum harm as that would reduce violence as well as sustain environment.

Pavapuri – The Nirvanbhoomi of Lord Mahavirswami invokes a mental picture of serenity and reverence more than any other Teerthdham. But the present day reality on the ground draws a disturbing picture. The Jalmandir lake is so polluted that there are no lotus blooming on the surface and town people are using it to wash laundry or worst for fishing. The Government of India has recently awarded funds for the cleanup of the lake but the town has definitely deteriorated and is crying out for help. Hardly any Jains live there, vegetarianism is all but forgotten and most kids practice just one thing – begging. Town elders are blaming Jain Pilgrims of having turned their town to Beggar’s heaven!

Acharya Shri Chandanaji of Veerayatan has a solution to this blemish on Jain Heritage. She has purchased a parcel of land to build a Jain School for a thousand students to pull the kids out of the cycle of poverty and instill Jain values in them. Acharya Shri Chandanaji would like to have state government declaring it a holy site- a zone of non violence – preventing selling of meat or fish etc at Pavapuri, Lachhwar and Shri Samet Shikharji. She has asked JAINA to help in the building of the school. JAINA’s participation can be a powerful statement of our unity and our resolve to make a difference in the lives of thousands in a land dear to all Jains everywhere. If you would like to help, or have any suggestion, Please write to me @ Dilipvshah@aol.com. If there is enough interest, World Community Service of JAINA with the help of other committees would like to contribute to the project on behalf of JAINA.