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Above & Beyond Award: Alan Zeichick
At this year s Annual Gathering, Arizona Faith Network is proud to honor AFN At-Large Board Member Alan Zeichick, who represents the Jewish community on AFN's Board of Directors, with the
Above & Beyond Award.
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Alan brings extensive nonprofit and community leadership experience to the AFN Board. He has helped strengthen relationships across faith communities and build partnerships addressing hate, extremism, and threats of violence.
As a member of the Safe Communities Coalition Steering Committee, Alan connects faith communities, community organizations, and public-safety partners. His service has also included leadership with the
Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix and other civic organizations.
Through his strategic guidance, relationship-building, and willingness to help wherever needed, Alan truly embodies going above and beyond.
Congratulations, Alan, and thank you for your extraordinary service to Arizona Faith Network and communities throughout our state!
Join us at the Annual Gathering on October 20 as we celebrate Alan and our other honorees!
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AFN Monday Meditation
Mondays at noon MST via Zoom
Start your week with meditation led by Bandhu, AFN's Interfaith Manager, and guests.
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CCC Monthly Meeting
Guest speakers at this month's meeting will be David Kreamer from the Department of Geoscience at UNLV on regional hydrology and Jason Struthers from the Maricopa Bird Alliance on an effort to encourage communities to turn off their property lights during bird
migration to help protect local birds traveling through Phoenix. All are welcome to join the meeting.
AFN Cherishing Creation Collaborative, Tuesday, October 13, 10:00 - 11:30 am MST via Zoom -
RSVP
for Zoom information
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Arizona Poll Chaplain/ Peacekeeper Virtual Mobilization & Unity Rally
Wednesday, October 7, 5:00 - 5:45 pm MST via Zoom
This virtual rally will bring together certified Poll Chaplains/Peacekeepers, individuals who previously registered but did not complete the training, prospective volunteers, faith leaders, and community partners as we prepare to serve our communities during
this critical election season. The rally will inspire, energize, remind us why voting matters, clarify the critical role of Poll Chaplains and Peacekeepers, share special voting issues in the state, share tools for reaching discouraged voters, answer questions
for those who will serve; and share our post-election strategy to ensure all votes are counted.
Whether you are already certified, have started the process but have not completed the training, or are just learning about this movement, we need you to connect with others in the state committed to free, fair, and safe elections.
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Community Voting Celebration
Thursday, October 8, 3:00 - 6:00 pm
The Good Shepherd United Church of Christ
17750 South La Ca ada Drive, Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Join Arizona Faith Network and The Good Shepherd United Church of Christ for a Community Voting Celebration an afternoon of food, community, nonpartisan voter education, and opportunities to participate in our democracy.
Stop by anytime between 3:00 and 6:00 PM to learn about what s on Arizona s ballot, connect with neighbors, enjoy free food, access voter information and resources, and celebrate our community. We ll also provide transportation for those who would like to drop
off their completed ballots at an official ballot drop-off location.
Come for part of the afternoon or stay for the whole celebration. Bring your family, friends, neighbors, and faith community! Free Nonpartisan Open to All
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What's On Your Ballot?
Wednesday, October 14, 5:30 - 6:30 pm MST via Zoom
What will Arizona voters actually see when they open their ballots this fall?
Join us for What s on Your Ballot?, a free, nonpartisan educational webinar designed to help Arizona voters understand the races, offices, and statewide propositions appearing on the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot.
We ll begin with an overview of the federal, statewide, legislative, and other races Arizona voters may see on their ballots, including a brief explanation of what the different offices do and why individual ballots differ depending on where a voter
lives.
The majority of the webinar will then provide a deeper educational walkthrough of Arizona s 2026 statewide ballot propositions. Using official ballot language and other nonpartisan sources, we ll explain each proposition in plain language, including
what the measure proposes to change and what a YES or NO vote means.
The Arizona Secretary of State currently lists eight statewide propositions for the 2026 General Election:
Propositions 141, 142, 144, 316, 317, 318, 319, and 320.
This webinar is strictly nonpartisan and educational. Arizona Faith Network will not endorse candidates or ballot positions or tell participants how to vote. Our goal is to give voters clear, accessible information so they can research the issues and
make their own informed decisions.
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Community Voting Celebration
Thursday, October 15, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
739 W Erie St, Chandler, AZ 85225
Join Arizona Faith Network, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Party at the Polls, and community partners for a Community Voting Celebration: Brunch + Educational Session at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chandler.
Come for brunch, learn more about what s on your ballot, participate in Election Protection Peacekeeper training, connect with neighbors and community leaders, and if you re ready to return your completed ballot join us for transportation to an official ballot
drop-off location.
This is an open house, so come for the whole event or join us when you can! Free Nonpartisan Open to All
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Faiths United to Save Democracy (FUSD) Poll Chaplain & Peacekeeper Training
October 15 | 4:00 5:30 PM Arizona Time via Zoom
Join Arizona Faith Network and Faiths United to Save Democracy for a national, nonpartisan training preparing faith and community leaders to help support free, fair, safe, and peaceful elections.
Poll Chaplains are ordained faith leaders and Peacekeepers are lay leaders who provide a calm, caring presence at polling locations. Volunteers are trained in de-escalation, voter protection, responding appropriately to potential conflict or intimidation, understanding
key election laws, and connecting voters with Election Protection resources when challenges arise.
With new election threats and changes in election laws in 2026, all Poll Chaplains and Peacekeepers are required to complete a 2026 training before serving.
Faiths
United to Save Democracy is a nonpartisan, multiracial, interfaith, and intergenerational voter education and protection campaign. In Arizona, AFN works alongside faith and community partners to prepare volunteers to help ensure every eligible
voter can participate safely and without intimidation. Clergy and lay leaders are welcome. No previous election protection experience is required.
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Election Protection: Poll Chaplains & Peacekeepers Needed
Arizona Faith Network is recruiting volunteers to serve as Poll Chaplains and
Peacekeepers for the November general election as part of our nonpartisan Election Protection program. These faith-rooted volunteers help create safe, welcoming, and peaceful voting environments where every eligible voter can participate with dignity
and respect.
No prior experience is required. Training and support are provided through partnerships with
Election Protection Arizona and Faiths United to Save Democracy. People of all faith traditions and people of goodwill are welcome. Training sessions via Zoom will be offered on multiple dates/times in September and October. See the registration
form below for additional details.
Join us in protecting democracy, promoting peaceful civic participation, and supporting our communities during the election season.
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Interfaith Council Meeting: Hare Krishna 101 & Dinner Party
Thursday, October 15, 6:00 pm
Hare Krishna Temple
100 S Weber Dr, Chandler, AZ 85226
You're invited to an Interfaith Council Meeting, instruction on "Hare Krishna 101" and a dinner party. Co-sponsored by the Arizona Interfaith Movement and Arizona Faith Network, it will be hosted by the Hare Krishna Temple in Chandler. Syama Mohini Devi Dasi,
the featured speaker, is an active community leader, speaker, and organizer with the ISKON Phoenix Community in Arizona, serving both locally and nationally. Please RSVP using the link below.
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Hope and Healing for Divided Societies: Lessons from Northern Ireland
Wednesday, October 21, 4:30 - 5:45 pm MST
West Hall, Room 135
1000 Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281
(also available via livestream)
What can Arizona learn from Northern Ireland s journey from conflict to reconciliation? Drawing on more than three decades of experience in the Northern Ireland peace process, Gary Mason will explore how memory, dialogue and community leadership can help bridge
deep political and social divides. As Arizona navigates concerns of identity, immigration and political polarization, Mason provides practical lessons to help build trust, strengthen civic life and build communities. Join us for a timely conversation about
how one society s experiences can help us face our own challenges. This is a free event.
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American Caesar: Are We Already There?
Thursday, October 22, 5:00 pm MST via Zoom
In 2024, Dr. Bradley Onishi joined Jews for a Secular Democracy to help us understand the history, ideology, and growing influence of white Christian Nationalism in the United States. That conversation examined how Christian Nationalism intersects with race,
antisemitism, authoritarianism, and American political life. Two years later, the question has changed.
In his new book, American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy, Onishi examines what he describes as a growing convergence among Christian Nationalist religious movements, anti-liberal thinkers, and powerful figures in the
technology world. He argues that despite their differences, these movements increasingly share a willingness to challenge democratic constraints and embrace a stronger, less accountable form of executive power. Join JFASD and partners (including AFN) for a
timely conversation with Dr. Onishi as we ask: Are we already there?
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The Vote Is Sacred: Arizona Bus Tour & Community Celebration
Join us for a nonpartisan celebration of the vote as the Vote Is Sacred Bus Tour makes three stops in Arizona!
Arizona Faith Network, Interfaith Alliance, Faiths United to Save Democracy, Party at the Polls, and community partners invite you to come together with neighbors for an evening of free food, community, celebration, and nonpartisan voter information about the
upcoming election.
Each gathering will also include an interfaith Prayer Vigil for Democracy, bringing together faith and community leaders for prayer and reflection for a peaceful election season, the safety of voters and election workers, and the strength of our democracy.
These events are free, nonpartisan, and open to everyone. People of all faiths and no faith are welcome.
Dates & Locations:
Phoenix Area Tuesday, October 27 at 5:30 PM
First Church UCC
1407 N 2nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Tucson Area Thursday, October 29 at 5:30 PM
Prince Chapel AME Church
602 S Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
Flagstaff Area Tuesday, November 3 at 5:30 PM
Flagstaff Federated Church
400 W Aspen Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Come share a meal, connect with your community, get the information you need for the upcoming election, and join us in celebrating the sacred importance of every voice and every vote. RSVP for one (or more!) of the Bus Tour stops using the link below.
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Learning Psalms with my Christian Mother: An Interfaith Conversation with Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Wednesday, December 16, 6:30 - 8:00 pm MST (Arizona time) via Zoom
Join AFN and Rabbi
Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz for a thoughtful conversation on his book,
Psalms Between Us: A Rabbi and His Christian Mother on Faith, Love, and Loss, a deeply personal reflection on studying the Psalms with his evangelical Christian mother through illness, grief, and mourning. The book explores how sacred texts can
build bridges across theological differences and strengthen relationships rooted in love, respect, and shared spiritual practice.
Drawing from both Jewish and Christian traditions, Rabbi Shmuly will share insights on interfaith understanding, family relationships, caregiving, loss, resilience, and the enduring power of the Psalms to accompany us through life's most meaningful moments.
The conversation will offer valuable perspectives for people of all faith backgrounds, including clergy, caregivers, interfaith families, and spiritual seekers.
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Take the Faithful Voter Pledge!
Voting is one way we show up for our neighbors and our communities. Arizona Faith Network invites people of faith and goodwill across Arizona to pledge to SHOW UP, make a plan to vote, help others participate, and stay engaged beyond Election Day. Visit the
link below to pledge to be a Faithful AZ Voter.
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Protect Sacred Sites on the Tohono O'odham Nation
Wednesday, October 7, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
San Xavier Community Center
8549 S J Mayor Dr, Tucson, AZ 85746
You're invited to the Tohono O'odham community of San Xavier, 10 miles south of downtown Tucson for an intertribal, interfaith rally to protect sacred sites in harm's way due to the construction of two walls across 60 miles of Tohono O'odham sovereign homelands.
All faiths are welcome at this event in support of religious liberty.
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Tucson Premier of Ways of Knowing
Thursday, October 8, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
First Christian Church
740 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85719
Sunny Dooley, Din storytelling artist, environmental activist and film producer, will join Arizona Interfaith Power & Light for the screening of the film Ways of Knowing." She will be available for a Q&A after the film. Ways of Knowing is an immersive short
documentary about Navajo resilience to protect health, tradition, and land after enduring extensive uranium mining by the United States, leaving abandoned mines and other nuclear legacy sites containing toxic waste. This film challenges us to think differently
about our relationship with land, and illuminates a path towards hope and healing.
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Movies for the Soul: Samaritans
Monday, October 19, 2:00 pm
Desert Garden United Church of Christ
18818 N 128th Ave, Sun City West, AZ 85375
Join us in our Fellowship Hall for a powerful and deeply human documentary about compassion on the Arizona-Mexico border.
Samaritans tells the story of older American volunteers who risk their own safety to provide water, food, and humanitarian aid to migrants traveling one of the world s deadliest migration routes.
Special guest: David Damian Figueroa, producer of Samaritans, will join us for the screening! David is a documentary filmmaker and social justice activist whose work has focused on farmworker rights, immigration, and human rights. Following the film, David
will share stories from making the documentary and participate in a Q&A.
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Former AFN Board member Eric Ledermann donates his photographic talents to AFN. Click on the graphic below to visit his
photography
website, where you'll find samples of his work and the services he can provide.
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Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to AFN today! Your partnership makes our Arizona community thrive.
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