Religous Seminars

The constitution of the American Druze Society states "The primary purposes of the Society are to perpetuate the universal teachings of the Druze faith, the enhancement of fellowship among Druze descendants, the advancement of Druze religious, literary and cultural knowledge through education and research, and the betterment of all Druze people through charitable work."

As you may know, the ADS National Board has introduced an educational curriculum targeting our youth and their education. The ADS National President, Dr. Akram Bou-Ghannam, said, "Our vision is for the ADS to become a beacon that guides our youth and help them maintain their Druze identity. We want to instill in our youth the never-ending quest for knowledge and understanding about their heritage."

In keeping with the ADS mission and to supplement the ADS National efforts, the ADS Michigan Religious Committee announces the formation of a new English-only study group and encourages further participation in the established Arabic study group.

Both spiritual study groups meet at the ADS Community Center:
• The Arabic study group has been meeting for four years. The group meets every Sunday at 6:00 PM and is conducted by Dr. Rabeeh Aboufakher.

• The English study group will launch a series of 10 lectures/group discussions conducted by Nabil Kadi, the first being on Friday March 14, 2008 at 6:30 PM. Future group meetings will be conducted by either Dr. Aboufakher or Dr. Kadi and will be scheduled and communicated based on participants feedback and to ensure maximum participation.

The main objectives of our study groups are:
• To provide participants an opportunity and a context for focused study, reflection, and discussion of the essentials of the Tawhid faith.
• To familiarize participants with the basic concepts of the integration of faith, values, learning, and their application in our daily lives.
• To assist participants in bridging the generational gap between youths and older adults through understanding the concepts of the Tawhid faith and spiritual learning.
• To enable participants to become initiators or supporters of the process of integrating faith, values, teaching, and learning among their fellow Druzes.
We encourage every community member to participate, but we especially reach out to our ADS youth. You are the future of our society. You are eager to learn, but you hear countless opinions and theories about the Druze faith, human relationships, and how to live fulfilling lives. It is hard to know whom to believe! We ask all of you to come and see if this could be a good forum to seek guidance and learn.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rabeeh Aboufakher
Dr. Nabil Kadi
Khalil Harfouch

ADS Michigan Religious Committee