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JAINA DAY AT YOUR CENTER
Dilip V. Shah, Philadelphia, PA
This April, we will reach the end of a yearlong celebration of Committee of JAINA has become Tirthrakshak of Lachhwar - 2600th Birth anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavir. We now need to Birthplace of Lord Mahavir. look around us to see how we will continue on the path shown by
Countless volunteers and just one part time Executive Direchim. Fifty-seven Jain Centers throughout North America has done
tor accomplish all this. Individual Jain families pay no dues to wonderful job of providing places of worship and studies. Our
receive these services. Member societies pay dues of $100 or $200 centers are focal point of Jain communities. They have built mag
per year and rest of the funds comes from generous benefactors of nificent Temples and have Pathshalas for the coming generation.
JAINA. Our Jain tradition of giving has continued here - thouThe unifying force behind all our centers is JAINA. The one sands of miles from our homeland. and only organization in North America representing all the Jains
In this third decade of JAINA, time is ripe for some self-exwithout regard to the language, cast or panth. JAINA is the legacy
amination. Has JAINA touched your life? Have you benefited from of Acharya Sushilmuniji and Gurudev Chitrabhanuji. Created in
the activities of JAINA? What would you like to see JAINA do? 1981 as an umbrella organization with three Sanghs is now repre
Would you like to volunteer your talents or time? Would you like senting 57 centers in USA and Canada and growing.
to come to a town hall type meeting and ask questions of JAINA I for one cannot imagine sustaining our way of life in this Executives? JAINA is ready when you are. adopted land without JAINA. The services JAINA provides are
JAINA is proposing to observe a JAINA day at your center at too numerous to enumerate here but let me name a few: JAIN
a time suitable to your center. JAINA will send one of the past DIGEST, a quarterly publication is sent to 8,000 Jain homes.
presidents of JAINA and one or more current member of the ExJAINA education committee has produced teaching materials and
ecutive Committee to address your concerns in open to all town books for our pathshalas. A picturesque and colorful Jain calendar
hall type meeting. Regional Vice President and JAINA Directors decorates living room walls of Jain homes and soon every home
from your region will also be invited so that you can establish will be equipped with a mini Jain library. Marriage Information
person-to-person contact. If your center wishes, JAINA will arService is a blessing for hundreds of parents who have found suit
range for a guest artist for a program of Bhakti Geets. The centers able match for their children. Hundreds of Yatris have joined pil
will decide on the precise format and will be in charge of the progrimage to our Tirthdhams. JAINA Book Store is now ready to
gram. JAINA just wishes to come out and meet you. quench thirst for religious knowledge. The Scholar visitation committee has facilitated visits of scores of speakers in most of the First of this JAINA Day will be celebrated at Chicago on March centers. The Scholar visitation committee helps centers obtain US 24h. Two other centers are discussing possible dates. If your center or Canadian visas for visiting scholars. We have created North is willing to host JAINA DAY please contact the coordinator: Dilip American Jain families assistance program. Senior Citizens com- V. Shah at (215) 561 0581 or by email: dilipvshah@aol.com mittee is pondering retirement communities. And the list goes on. JAINA Conventions held every two-year is the most visible
Maskhaman of Namita Mehta sign of JAINA's efforts. Visitors from India marvel with tears in
Ms. Namita Mehta wanted to do Maskhaman for the last their eyes the sight of thousands of Jains under one roof celebrat
three years, but this year her parents gave her the ing their heritage, their faith and their traditions. Tomorrow's leaders
blessing to accomplish it. Her younger brother Vishal are being trained at YJA and YJP. Their commitment to the cause
accompanied her in fasting. He did Atthai, and so did of Jainism assures us that future of our faith is secure.
her grandfather. Shri Babubhai Kadiwala and his two The World community Service of JAINA has worked tire
grandsons were invited to perform the Siddhachakra
Maha Pujan and the whole Jain community of New York lessly on many humanitarian projects in India and around the
participated. New York's Jain community is very proud world. Of the nearly 1,400 Indian organizations in the US, JAINA
of her. This was the first Maskhaman of New York. is one of the only two organizations to have gotten NGO status at the U.N. JAINA is a founding member of World Confederation Namita is in the Honors program at the George of Jains. JAINA and the Jain Center of Southern California orga- Washington University. Presently she is studying at nize Bidada Medical camp every year in Kutch. Within last six
Oxford University as a junior. For her senior year she months, JAINA has sent two containers loaded with medical equip
will be back in the U.S.A. He dream is to become a ments to hospitals in India and more are on the way. Tirthodhhar
corporate lawyer or go for International Law.
6/JAIN DIGEST SPRING 2002 Jain Education Intemational
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