Jain Digest 1997 03

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 24

**There is nothing more powerful than an idea. No weapon can destroy it; no power can conquerit,
except the power of another idea"
Regional
Updates
Jain Group of Montgomery
The Jain Youth participated in their annual Diwali Show. Several young people took part in musical songs and dances. They also held a night of music and bhajans shared by everyone.
Jain Center of Metro Washington
The Washington area youth have been holding biweekly Pathshala classes, geared toward young people between the ages of 8 and 21. For more information contact Archna Shah.
Jain Society of Southern Florida
The youth group of South Florida has started a project in which they are raising money for an organization called Children International. This organization helps provide schooling for children in third world nations, including India. They have raised over $700, which will go to help school and clothe needy children in Calcutta. For Christmas, they conducted a toy drive for a handicapped children's home and visited the shelter to play with the children.
Jain Center of Allentown:
The Jain youth performed dances in the Center's Diwali program. The youth put on the show in conjunction with other Hindu and Sikh young people who all share the same religious center. The Jain youth have also been taking an active role in monthly poojas.
NORTHEAST
Jain Society of Toronto
The youth of Toronto are quite busy planning various youth activities for the upcoming JAINA convention. Balbadhraji is teaching a Pathshala class every other Sunday to young people ages six through twenty-five.
Jain Center of Greater Boston
The youth have been tirelessly working on a petition to McDonald's, Inc. in effort to get an increase in vegetarian selections on the menu. The initiators of this petition are scheduled to meet with the Chairman of McDonald's, Inc. this. summer. Pathsala classes, levels 1-4, are being conducted on a regular basis with the youngest children showing great eagerness to learn about Jainism. Other projects that the very active youth of Greater Boston have undertaken include the publishing of a Jain directory and the construction of a Greater Boston Jain youth home page.
Montreal
The main event going on in Montreal is that they are preparing an event or ceremony that will be filmed for TV in Quebec. Radio Canada, is going to film a segment on Jainism.
SOUTH
MID-ATLANTIC
Jain Center of Connecticut-Brookfield
The Jain youth are busy trying to strengthen their youth organization and plan many activities for the future. Currently, they are working on improving their Pathshala classes. For more information contact Neemit Shah: 2037 375-1699.
Jain Society of Houston
Over 200 people gathered at the Jain Center of Houston this Thanksgiving holiday to discuss and learn about Jainism. The convention's theme, Days of Our Lives: Modernizing Jainism, describes the goals of the lectures and discussions programmed for the convention. Instead of simply presenting Jain ideology and concepts, the convention reviewed modern issues with a Jain outlook. The convention addressed issues that affect people in their day-to-day life. The participants took home information to help transform their daily habits to be more ahimsik, more healthy and more Jain.
Jain Group of Central Jersey and The Jain Youth Association New York
The youth of the New Jersey and New York area came together and held a charity fund-raiser/party last November for their local groups. The party turned out to be a huge success. About 200 young people attended.
Jain Society of North Texas
The group organized a news show with anchors Manish Mehta and Mehul Shah telling the entire audience various stories. There was a lecture by a Jain dignitary, thirteen year old Sudeep Shah, explaining the significance of Diwali. Other stories explained the historical celebration of Diwali and the difference of Diwali in Jainism and Hinduism. The group began classes the first weekend in January.
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