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Community Service -Tsunami Victims Funds Update |
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As
you know, JAINA was in the forefront helping Tsunami Victims.
Based on the intelligence we have gathered in India, we are
proceeding with our long-term plan for rebuilding and rehabilitation.
Our local partner Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana in Pune, has received
approval from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Government for
the building of twenty (20) schools in the Islands, We are
adopting one school in CFO Nallaha, Middle Andaman, comprising
of 8+2 classrooms (6,300Sq. ft.). We intended to adopt more
school contingent upon funds collected. Construction and set-up
for the opening of the school will be completed by the end
of May 2005 so that the students can resume their academic
year during the 1st week of June 2005. BJS would then hand
over the school to the government of Andaman and Nicobar.
As of today, we have received firm commitments from the following
Jain Centers:
1. Jain Center of Southern California, Los Angeles.
2. Jain Society of Metro Chicago.
3. Jain Society of Metro Washington.
4. Jain Society of Greater Atlanta.
5. Jain Society of North Texas
6. Jain Center of Minnesota
7. Jain Center of Phoenix
8. Jain Society of Middle Tennessee
9. Jain Center of New Jersey- Chery Hill
10. Jain Study Group, North Carolina
11. Jain Center of Greater St. Louis
12. Indian Religious and Cultural Center, Ft Lauderdale, Florida
We are again APPEALING to all individuals and organizations
to join hands with us in this work and make a significant
difference. We ask you to send the donation you collected
to JAINA. JAINA needs your help to carry out this humanitarian
work. With your generous contribution, we will be able to
build many schools for the children. This will be a permanent
memory of JAINA and Jain Center in a place where we do not
live. JAINA needs your support and encouragement to continue
this type of humanitarian activities. We are very thankful
for your support in the past during the devastating Gujarat
earthquake.
A marble plaque in front of the school will be inscribed with
the name of The Federation of Jain Associations in North America
(JAINA), and each classroom will be inscribed with major Jain
Center contributors, who have contributed more then twenty
thousand dollars.
If your Sangh has not forwarded your contribution to JAINA,
we ask you to please send your tax deductible (USA) contribution
payable to JAINA and mail to:
Prakash
Mehta
Project Manager
Tsunami Victims Relief
2960 Mother Well Ct
Oak Hill, VA 20171
JAINA plans to publish the names of all donors in the next
Jain Digest. If you wish to remain anonymous, please inform
Prakash Mehta.
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| President’s
Message |
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Jai
Jinendra!
I
would like to bring to your attention a few important developments
that have transpired over the last couple of months:
First, 2005 JAINA Convention preparations
are proceeding very well. The registration trend is very positive.
The volunteers from the Jain Center of Northern California
are working very hard to make the convention a big hit. Please
register quickly if you have not had a chance to do so.
Second, Tsunami Relief fund drive is going
very well. Bachubhai Ajmera and Prakash Mehta and Dr. Dhiraj
Shah have identified a reliable NGO chaired by Shri Shantibhai
Muttha to use our money for a building school in Andaman island.
I am very pleased to note that many of our member centers
have either committed to or are seriously thinking of going
through JAINA. Please go through JAINA to get the maximum
leverage out of our community funds. JAINA has decided not
to charge normal administrative charge 3% on these funds.
Third, I was in India during Dec. 25, 2004
through Jan. 25, 2005 when I met with a number of eminent
Jain leaders in Bomaby, Ahemadabad, and Jaipur and discussed
with them areas of common interest. I attended a Jain Doctors’
Medical Conference in Bombay. I went to Ladnu to attend International
Preksha Meditation Program for 8 days and had several meetings
with Acharya Mahapragyaji and his disciples. All in all, I
came back with a lot of information useful for our community.
Please read the full description of my trip in the next issue
of Jain Digest.
Fourth: Jain Center Resource Committee has
prepared a very comprehensive check list that you can use
if you are thinking of building a new temple. It will be published
in the next issue of Jain Digest. Please read the attached
report from this committee. Please Nitin Shah, Committee Chair,
at 562-902-0277 if you have any questions.
Fifth: We had run into problems with US Customs
in releasing the JAINA calendar shipment. Thanks to Rajeev
Pandya who has finally resolved the problem. The calendars
are in the mail now. Thank you for your patience.
Sixth:
Thanks to Dilip V. Shah for arranging yet another successful
pilgrimage to Shri Samet Shikharji for our community in Jan
and Feb of this year. He is already planning a Pilgrimage
to Temples of South India for 2006.
Thank
you for your time.
Best Regards,
Anop Vora
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From
the Editor
JAINA Calendar & 2005 Convention |
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By now you must have received the 2005 JAINA Calendar. The
delay in mailing to all the members was due to snafu at the
U S Customs. It is a beautiful colander and credit goes to
Shri Rajiv Pandya of NY.
Convention
planning board is working hard to prepare for very entertaining,
enchanting and educational experience. Just one example –
Dr. Sudhir Shah, chairman of All India Jain Doctor’s
Federation, has been invited to present his thesis: “Jainism
The Super Science”. He will illustrate how fundamental
tenets of Jainism are compatible with principles of modern
science: Physics, biology, chemistry, psychology, astronomy,
physiology & medicine. Many more eminent scholars are
invited do not miss attending this convention!
Congratulations to Jain Center of Southern California as they
celebrate opening of their cultural center on March 27. Your
visit to west coast is not complete until you visit this long
planned dream into reality. For more info please read their
newsletter at www.jaincenter.net
If you would like news or announcement of your center included
in the future issues of JAINA SPECTRUM, email to: dilipvshah@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Dilip V Shah
Editor, JAINA SPECTRUM |
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JAINA
Is Growing
The following Jain centers recently applied and are now
accepted as new member centers of JAINA
1. Greater Binghamton Jain Sangh, NY
2. Atlantic Jain Sangh, NJ
3. Delaware Jain Sangh, DE
This
brings the new total of JAINA’s member centers to
65.
Let us extend a warm welcome to the members of these sanghs.
If
you know of any other group in your area which is performing
Jain religious
activities regularly, please call (301) 838-9778.
Kamlesh
Shah - Chairman, Membership Committee
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JAINA
Convention Update
If you have not yet registered for the JAINA Convention 2005
you must do so by April 15 to take advantage of discounted
fees. With almost 2000 members already registered for the
13th Biennial Jaina Convention this is going to be a very
large gathering in the San Francisco Bay Area. .The event
is designed to address interest of people of all ages and
no one should miss this great event. The rates of registration
will go up after April 15 so please register now at
http://secure.jaina.org.
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JCNC
Community Rises for the Tsunami Relief Cause
The devastation caused by the Tsunamis in Asia moved the JCNC
(JAIN Center of Northern California) community and prompted
them to take action. JCNC Tsunami Relief Committee was established
chaired by Hasu Shah, President of JCNC. It had its hand in
several activities to pray for the victims, raise awareness
and funds to help the victims – phone-a-thon, shala
samuhik prayer, seeking NGOs to partner with; the committee
was thinking of several avenues to raise funds to help the
victims of tsunami. During the monthly Bhavna of February,
an anonymous donor offered matching grants that added a generous
sum to the Tsunami Relief pool along with the phone-a-thon
efforts. More |
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Exhibition
of Sculptures
Of Indian & Asian Deities Comes to JAINA
Oditi, Inc., specializing in Eastern and Asian art and artifacts,
is bringing their showcase of Asian art, home and lifestyle
products to the 2005 JAINA Convention. Oditi’s collection,
shown for the second time in the US, includes a series of
3D holographic sculptures of Indian and Asian deities. The
collection features sculptures of Mahavir Swami and many more.
For more information contact Ami
Doshi at 212 427 5885 |
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Interfaith
News
Dharma
Summit 2005 to be held at Rutgers University on August 13-15,
2005 will provide a forum to the spiritual institutions to
exchange thoughts and ideas, and share experiences on how
to impart spiritual and cultural education to our future generations
and remove bias and misperceptions about our faith traditions
from the society. All sessions will be in panel format. More |
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Jain
Centers’ Resource Committee
It is with a tremendous pleasure that I present to you JAINA’s
Jain Centers’ Resource Committee. In October 2004
I was asked to lead this committee that was newly chartered
by JAINA. I feel very honored and privileged to be asked
to be the chairman of this committee by JAINA.
With recommendations by JAINA we have the following members
in this committee: More |
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