Religion Briefs
Israeli folk dance planned at Ala Wai
An Israeli folk dance party to celebrate the Jewish New Year will be held Sept. 1 at the Ala Wai Golf Course Clubhouse.The dance from 1 to 4 p.m. is the monthly gathering of the Hawaii Israeli Recreational Dance Club. It is open to the public; admission is $4. A potluck lunch will be held.
Folk dancing is not part of the traditional New Year -- Rosh Hashanah -- observance, which will begin Sept. 7, said club leader Fran Margulies. Dancing is a part of the festivities later in the autumn at Simhat Torah, when Jews celebrate the beginning of a new annual cycle of readings from the Scriptures.
Christian musicians to perform in Halawa
Rapper "Big Al" and the Family Life Singers of Waianae are among the Christian musicians set to perform next Saturday at a free Outreach Youth Rally at Makalapa Park on Kohomua Street in Halawa.The rally from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be sponsored by the Holy Warriors @ Work youth group from First Samoan Assembly of God Church in Aiea. Free refreshments will be served.
Youth group president Katherine Muasau said they will also distribute canned goods and clothing to needy people.
Annual Greek Festival is set for this weekend.
Greek food and music traditionally draw crowds to the annual fund-raising effort of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific.The 22nd Annual Greek Festival will be open from noon to 9 p.m. today and tomorrow at McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Park. Admission is $3, with children 11 and younger admitted free.
Food booths will offer gyros, moussaka, spanakopita, baklava and other delicacies. T-shirts, Greek imports, cookbooks, icons and other religious items will be sold. Church members will offer future tours of the only Greek Orthodox church on Oahu at 930 Lunalilo St.
Friday is deadline for City Lights spot
Churches and other organizations have a chance to present a holiday display at the Honolulu City Lights exhibition in December.Friday is the deadline for applications to be submitted to the Department of Customer Services. Proof must be provided of nonprofit or charitable organization status under state or Internal Revenue Service law.
A Sept. 9 lottery will decide which organizations will fill the five spots available.
Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Baha'i organizations have sponsored displays in the past. The lottery was initiated four years ago to resolve a complaint that the religious content of a church's Nativity scene, which had been allowed for several years in the midst of the city's secular show, was a violation of the constitutional prohibition against fostering religion.
For information, call George Souza or Ana Kimi in the Customer Services Department at 523-4381.
RELIGION CALENDAR
