On Nov. 23, 2024 the Hendricks Chapel food pantry was dedicated and renamed as the Coach Mac Food Pantry just before Coach Mac’s induction into Syracuse Football‘s Ring of Honor. We are so grateful to our wonderful campus partners and generous donors. Special thanks to Newhouse School at Syracuse University alum Sean McDonough ’84 and the entire MacPherson family!
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Rabbi Ethan Bair and Imam Amir Durić receive national recognition as Interfaith America Innovation Fellows
By Dara Harper
Rabbi Ethan Bair and Imam Amir Durić, chaplains at Hendricks Chapel, model how friendship and understanding can transcend and transform adversity. Through the Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship they co-founded, Bair and Durić have helped the Syracuse University campus community unlock the potential of religious and spiritual diversity, and their shared efforts are receiving national recognition.
Each year, Interfaith America, founded by Eboo Patel and known as one of the nation’s premier interfaith organizations, chooses exemplary leaders as Interfaith Innovation Fellows. Out of over 200 applicants across the country, both Durić and Bair were chosen. The Fellowship awards grant funding to leaders with an inspirational vision for social change. Durić and Bair will network with cohort members, learn from one another’s projects, participate in a retreat geared toward professional development, and work with mentors at Interfaith America. Along with Durić and Bair, nine other Fellows representing various worldviews and projects were also named as Fellows.
After Bair and Durić first met at a Hendricks Chapel retreat in 2022, they perceived potential not just for their friendship but for the opportunities to continue the interfaith work they both valued. “Interfaith work has always been a priority for me,” said Bair. “Amir and I really only knew each other for a year before we created this Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship and applied for our first grant from Interfaith America. I’ve been an ordained rabbi for 15 years and have dedicated myself to interfaith work in every position I’ve held. What’s new is being able to work with an ordained Muslim imam who shares so many of my values. That is a blessing.”
Continue ReadingGenerous Donors Exceed Expectations in $3M Challenge Gift Campaign for Hendricks Chapel
When an anonymous donor family pledged $1 million to Hendricks Chapel and issued a challenge to inspire other donors to match it, no one could foresee the extraordinary outpouring of support for what is widely known as the spiritual heart of Syracuse University. The donor family promised an additional $1 million if the challenge could be met. Since last March, more than 2,500 donors stepped up to meet—and exceed—the challenge, raising $1,757,496.
That brings the total funds raised as part of this campaign to more than $3.7 million, significantly amplifying the impact of the initial pledge. “Hendricks Chapel is such an important part of the Syracuse experience for not only our students and alumni, but for faculty, staff, parents and friends,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “This outpouring of support is the direct result of the good work Hendricks Chapel does every day to foster belonging, friendship and acceptance within our campus community. It is truly in the spirit of Hendricks Chapel that so many who benefited from its programs made gifts to support a strong interfaith community for the next generation of students.”…
University Remembers Hendricks Chapel Dean Emeritus Richard Phillips
Thursday, September 26, 2024, By Kelly Homan Rodoski
Richard “Dick” Phillips G’63, G’65, dean emeritus of Hendricks Chapel who led the chapel through the 1980s and 1990s, died July 10 in Colorado. He was 90.
A native of Missouri, Phillips earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Northwest Missouri State University in 1957. He earned a master’s degree in theology from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, in 1960 and became a Methodist minister.
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Read the full story in SU News!
Portrait of Richard “Dick” Phillips that is displayed in the entryway of Hendricks Chapel
Hendricks Chapel Welcomes Rev. Julie Kelly as Lutheran Chaplain
By Dara Harper
Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University is excited to introduce Rev. Julie Kelly as Lutheran chaplain. Rev. Kelly will join Hendricks Chapel’s growing team of 15 chaplains, who collectively represent various religious and spiritual identities.
Continue ReadingInterfaith Day of Service and Learning Enriches Campus and Community
By Dara Harper
To foster peace and understanding through religious and spiritual life, the chaplains and staff of Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University hosted an Interfaith Day of Service and Learning on Sunday, Sept. 1.
Beginning with a luncheon at Hendricks Chapel, more than 25 student leaders—representing various religious and spiritual practices and identities—reflected on questions posed by Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. To build curiosity and connectedness, Dean Konkol asked, “What was your first memory of religion?” and then followed up, “What was your first memory of religious difference?”
Uniting Through Dialogue: The Impact of the Interfaith America Leadership Summit on Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University
By Adam Baltaxe ’25 and Dara Harper
In August 2024, Imam Amir Durić and Rabbi Ethan Bair of Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University were invited to participate in the Interfaith America Leadership Summit in Chicago. Representing Syracuse University’s Jewish and Muslim communities, they were accompanied by Adam Baltaxe ’25 and Avva Boroujerdi ’25, student representatives from each tradition.
Continue ReadingHendricks Chapel Food Pantry to be Named in Honor of Coach Dick MacPherson on Nov. 23
In addition to his success as a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, “Coach Mac” was known for his devout Catholic faith, and for putting his faith into action in numerous ways, including collecting food items for those in need. During his funeral in Hendricks Chapel in August of 2017, numerous speakers—including Hendricks Chapel Advisory Board Member Sean McDonough ’84—shared stories of Coach Mac’s beliefs and commitment to service. The renaming of the Coach Mac Food Pantry in Hendricks Chapel on Nov. 23, made possible through the generosity of McDonough and other supporters, is intended to inspire others to support those in need today.
The ceremony to honor Coach Mac is scheduled for Nov. 23 and will include his induction into the Ring of Honor at the JMA Wireless Dome. Learn more about events in this cuse.com article.
Love, Legacy, and Loyalty: An Alumni Couple’s Journey from Interfaith Wedding to Meaningful Gift
By Dara Harper
A 3-minute read
A chance encounter on a snowy Syracuse day sparked a love story that would span decades, bridging faith traditions and leaving a lasting impact on Syracuse University (SU). Henry ‘Hank’ ’71 and Nancy ’73 Markiewicz’s journey from students to alumni to benefactors is proof of the enduring bonds formed at SU. Their recent gift to Syracuse Hillel not only honors their family’s legacy but also reinforces the university’s commitment to inclusivity and interfaith understanding.
Hank and Nancy, who currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona, have long-supported the efforts of Syracuse University through athletic, academic and alumni interests. In 1982, Hank co-founded the Phoenix-based SU Alumni Club with a fellow alumnus, Gary Mather. Recently, Hank and Nancy chose to donate to Syracuse Hillel through Hendricks Chapel in honor of Dr. Alfred Englander, Dr. Erna Englander and Bernard Englander, JD ’73.
Continue ReadingHaudenosaunee Welcome Gathering: An Invitation to Celebrate on Sacred Land
Tuesday, August 6, 2024, By Dara Harper
Diane Schenandoah ’11, Honwadiyenawa’sek (“One who helps them”) will host a Haudenosaunee Welcome Gathering on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle on Monday, Aug. 26, from 4 to 5 p.m.
2023 Haudenosaunee Welcome Gathering (Photo by Angela Ryan)
The Haudenosaunee Welcome Gathering is an event held on campus to welcome all incoming and returning students, faculty and staff for the 2024-25 academic year, and for all to show respect for the Indigenous people on whose ancestral lands Syracuse University now stands. Schenandoah is a citizen of the Oneida Nation and a Wolf Clan Faithkeeper, as well as staff member in the Barnes Center. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is comprised of Six Nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora.
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