Emerald Hills Institute

Emerald Hills Institute thought of the talk series as a venue to cultivate friendship and strengthen civic dialogue among the many civil communities.

The speakers of the talk series include prominent government, elected, corporate and media officials, religious leaders, academics, diplomats, and other civic leaders and they will share their viewpoints and experiences on important issues facing our local communities.

These talk series provide information on important public, intercultural issues and help to build ever-lasting and strong relationships among the diverse ethnic communities in the west coast of USA.

Ashure[1] (Turkish: aşure; Bulgarian and Macedonian: ашуре) or Noah's Pudding is a Turkish dessert congee that is made of a mixture consisting of grains, fruits, dried fruits and nuts. In Turkey it is made all the year and served especially during Muharram,[2] the first month of the Islamic calendar, as the 10th of Muharrem corresponds to the Day of Ashure. ("Ashura" means "tenth" in Arabic.) Ashure is part of the culinary tradition of Turkey as well as many of the surrounding countries like Greece; Christian and Jewish cultures, as well as Muslims, share similar versions of this dessert under a variety of names.

Ashure is one of the limited set of Turkish desserts which contain no animal products. One reason behind it is arguably protesting all kinds of violence and bloodshed.Traditionally, Ashure is made in large quantities to commemorate the ark's landing and is distributed to friends, relatives, neighbors, colleagues, classmates, among others, without regard to the recipient's religion or belief system as an offering of peace and love. Ashure was traditionally made and eaten during the colder months of the year as it is calorie rich fare, but now it is enjoyed year-round.

Ramadan (/ˌræməˈdɑːn/; Arabic: رمضان‎‎ Ramaḍān, IPA: [ramaˈdˤaːn];[note 1] also romanized as Ramzan, Ramadhan, or Ramathan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar,[3] and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting(Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief.[4][5] This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.[6] The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.[7][8]

The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ, which means scorching heat or dryness.[9]Fasting is fardh (obligatory) for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travelling, are elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, chronically ill or menstruating.[10] Fasting the month of Ramadan was made obligatory (wājib) during the month of Sha'ban, in the second year after the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina. Fatwas have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a natural phenomenon such as the midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca,[11] but the more commonly accepted opinion is that Muslims in those areas should follow the timetable of the closest country to them in which night can be distinguished from day.[12][13][14]

The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Ramadan also teaches Muslims how to better practice self-discipline, self-control,[41] sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity (zakat).[42]

Help to spread message about domestic violence.

Reaching out and working with various faith groups to increase the visibility of interfaith understanding.

We offer Language Classes, Religious Class, Art & Craft, Character Education, Environmental Education, Religious Education, Quran Education, Language Education. We have on-call scholars and faith-based leaders who, working hand in hand with our education volunteers, are trained in helping guide children in understanding messages of religious content in light of historical and contemporary context. Within the format of weekend and evening workshops, students will learn character development and respectful social behavior using scriptural examples explained in terms of today’s understanding, and commitment to law-abiding citizenship is paramount. Students will be taught the religious history of their families and countries of origin as well as that of their neighbors, stressing elements that make for a strong and healthy society as well as positive points of commonality.

We offer a Congressional Award mentoring program, after-school ACT/SAT mentoring, after school character, retreat camps, citizenship, humanities, and scholastic tutoring. Emerald Hills Institute and collaborating organizations will provide outreach program services prior to the project start date. Collaborating organizations will assist with enrollment. Emerald Hills and program volunteers will coordinate a series of 8-week ACT and SAT preparation workshops. ACT and SAT workshops target high school students ages 15-18 years old. Character, citizenship, and humanities programs will be age-appropriate continuations of the programs for children, to build continuity and cohesiveness with the programming community.

We offer specialty workshops geared towards helping educators more effectively teach in educational settings and awareness of suicide prevention, child abuse, and critical policies in an educational setting.