Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer to Celebrate George Washington's Birthday at New York's Facing History School, February 15, at 10 AM

To mark the Washington’s Birthday holiday, Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer will read and discuss George Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, RI of 1790 with students at the Facing History School, 525 West 50^th Street, on February 15, 2011 at 10 AM. Washington’s Letter, which promised that the government of the United States will give “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance,” is one of the nation’s clearest expressions of religious freedom and separation of church and state. Stringer is encouraging all schools in Manhattan and the other boroughs of New York City to read and discuss this important document.

Stringer’s visit is part of a multiyear project called “Give Bigotry No Sanction” created jointly by the George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom (www.GWIRF.org) and Facing History and Ourselves (www.facinghistory.org), an international organization that delivers classroom strategies, resources and lessons that inspire young people to take responsibility for their world.

"Choosing to Participate" Exhibition Opening and Educator Workshop on February 23, 2011

Choosing to Participate is a community initiative and multimedia exhibition that invites visitors to come together to explore issues of prejudice, injustice and compassion. It will be on display at the Washington D.C. Historical Society from February 17th, 2011 through June 17th, 2011. To introduce the exhibit to interested educators and community members, the following events are planned for February 23, 2011.  All events are free (however, reservations are required) and will be held at the Historical Society, 801 K Street, NW at Mount Vernon Square, Washington, DC.
 

Educator Workshop
4:00 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Educators planning to bring their classes to tour the Choosing to Participate exhibition are encouraged to attend this free workshop to help deepen their students' experience through the exploration of content and related themes including a new portion of the exhibit on religious freedom in the U.S. Participants will receive pre- and post- visit lesson ideas and a free copy Facing History's Choosing to Participate resource book.
 

Reception
5:30 p.m.–6:45 p.m.

Friends, educators, and community members are invited to celebrate the opening of Choosing to Participate, tour the exhibition, and enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Symposium
Give Bigotry No Sanction: Exploring Religious Freedom and Democracy
7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

"To bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance"—So wrote George Washington in a landmark letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island in 1790. Inspired by Washington's defense of religious liberty, Facing History now begins a public dialogue on the nature of citizenship, religious freedom, and equality in a democracy.

Symposium speakers include President of NYU John Sexton, co-founder and Executive Director of the American Islamic Congress Zainab Al-Suwaij, Director of the Religious Freedom Education Project Dr. Charles Haynes, and Adam Strom, Director of Content, Research and Development, Facing History and Ourselves.

The Walmart Foundation is the national sponsor of Choosing to Participate and has generously provided support for Washington, D.C. and the five city national tour. This event is co-hosted by Facing History and Ourselves, New York University, and NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and is sponsored by the George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom.