Neo-Spektrum

Our Story

The seeds were planted

The Neshama Interfaith Center story began years ago. In the fall of 2003 Cathy Crosby and Marian Monahan attended a Call to Action (CTA) conference in Milwaukee. They attended a prayer experience facilitated by Brother Joseph Kilikevice, OP, founder of the Shem Center for Interfaith in Chicago. He led them in the Dances for Universal Peace, a simple yet profound experience of the oneness of God and humanity. This touched them so significantly that the seeds of Neshama were planted that day.

Neshama Interfaith Center is a place for exploration, spiritual growth and healing.

Neshama offers diverse classes and services designed to nurture the whole person in a setting where all faith expressions are valued, building bridges of peace by building community.

They sought the Spirit

On their return to Atlanta they contacted Brother Joseph to see if he might help get them started with a similar center in Atlanta. He encouraged them to seek the Spirit and so they gathered a small group to pray and discern the call that they heard: a place in Atlanta dedicated to respectful dialogue, shared prayer and understanding across religious traditons to foster peace. They met with this group for months until they felt the "Yes, but not yet."

They waited for the Spirit

During the interim, while life happened and they waited, the dream and the call never faded. In March of 2009 they attended the Interfaith Immersion Experience here in Atlanta sponsored by Interfaith Community Initiatives (ICI). It was on this seminal weekend that they met one of the presenters, Rabbi Mitch Cohen. They subsequently became involved in the monthly contemplative interfaith meetings and found themselves meeting with him, and others of diverse religions, in a setting which included silence and spiritual sharing.

They shared the Spirit

As they became more involved in ICI, they shared their dream with leaders in the interfaith community, including Ben Johnson and Jan Swanson, who were encouraging and excited for their hope for a center. But it was when they shared deeply with Mitch over lunch one day in the spring of 2012 and found that he also had a similar dream growing in him, they believed the time had come.

Will you share the Spirit with them?

They are committed to holding the vision at Neshama Interfaith Center that they have held in their mind and hearts for over a decade and thus their mission has evolved. They seek to be a place for exploration, spiritual growth and healing. They offer diverse classes and services designed to nurture the whole person in a setting where all faith expressions are valued, building bridges of peace.

One river, many streams

Cathy Crosby, Marian Monahan and Rabbi Mitch Cohen hope that the Neshama Interfaith Center will feed and nourish your dreams for our world.

Location: Alpharetta, Georgia USA