Activities
CHILDREN’S CLASSES
Through engaging, meaningful classes for children (age 3-11), great emphasis is placed on the development of spiritual qualities and on those beliefs, habits and patterns of conduct that constitute the essential attributes of a spiritual being.
Sundays, 10:00am-12pm, Wilhelm Properties
126 Evergreen Place, Teaneck, NJ (ages 3-11)
Contact wilhelmbahaiprop@gmail.com for more information.
Saturday afternoons, Teaneck, NJ (ages 5-11)
Contact atc.bahai@gmail.com for more information.
DEVOTIONAL GATHERINGS
Devotional meetings spring up naturally in a community where a conversation about the spiritual dimension of human existence is growing. In diverse settings, Bahá’ís and their friends and families unite with one another in prayer. There are no rituals; no one individual has any special role. Meetings consist largely of singing and reading prayers and passages from the Bahá’í sacred texts in an informal yet respectful atmosphere. A spirit of communal worship is generated by these simple gatherings, and this spirit begins to permeate the community’s collective endeavours.
JUNIOR YOUTH PROGRAMS
The junior youth spiritual empowerment program is unique space for adolescents age 12-15 when they can come together to discuss ideas, perform service, build friendships, and form a strong moral identity.
Sundays, 10:00-12pm, Wilhelm Properties - 126 Evergreen Place, Teaneck, NJ (ages 12-15)
Contact wilhelmbahaiprop@gmail.com for more information.
Franklin Lakes
Contact atc.bahai@gmail.com for more information.
SOCIAL ACTION & DISCOURSE
Bahá’í efforts of social action seek to promote the social and material well-being of people of all walks of life, whatever their beliefs or background. Such efforts are motivated by the desire to serve humanity and contribute to constructive social change. Together they represent a growing process of learning concerned with the application of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, along with knowledge accumulated in different fields of human endeavour, to social reality. A few examples of this work is the Teaneck Race Amity initiative and the weekly Meaningful Conversations North Jersey.
Meaningful Conversations: Discussions on the Spiritual Truths That Unite Us All
Thursdays, 7-9pm, Wilhelm Properties - 126 Evergreen Place, Teaneck, NJ
RUHI INSTITUTE COURSES
The Ruhi Institute is a systematic sequence of courses used around the globe to enhance the capacity of youth and adults to serve their communities. Study circles empower participants to develop capacity for service such as educating children, mentoring junior youth, and building community through prayer, home visits, and study. If you are interested in joining a Ruhi Institute study circle, contact atc.bahai@gmail.com
COMMUNITY ENDEAVORS
Souvenir Unity Feast - Saturday, June 29th, 2024 (Teaneck, NJ)
Teaneck Race Amity Day
June 9th, 2024
Meaningful Conversations North Jersey
Teaneck Interfaith Community
Bergen Interfaith Network
HOLY DAYS
March 20, 2024* Naw Rúz, the Bahá’í New Year.
April 20, 2024* First Day of Ridván (meaning “Paradise” in Arabic) — the most important of the Bahá’í Holy Days. It is the day on which Bahá’u’lláh declared His mission as a Messenger of God in the Garden of Ridván.
April 28, 2024* Ninth Day of Ridván, the day on which Bahá’u’lláh’s family joined Him in the Garden of Ridván.
May 1, 2024* Twelfth Day of Ridván, the day on which Bahá’u’lláh and His family left the garden to travel to Constantinople.
May 23, 2024* Declaration of the Báb, the anniversary of the Báb’s announcement of His mission in 1844.
May 28, 2024* Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, marking the passing of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892.
July 9, 2024* Martyrdom of the Báb, who was executed in 1850.
November 2 2024** Birth of the Báb, 1819–1850. The Báb (meaning “Gate” in Arabic) is considered to have paved the way for the incarnation of Bahá’u’lláh, similar to the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Born in 1819 in Shiraz, Iran, The Báb’s mission was to awaken the people to the fact that a new period in human history had begun. He called for spiritual and moral reformation – a revolutionary message in his time.
November 3, 2024** Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, 1817–1892. Bahá’u’lláh was born in 1817 in Tehran, Iran and established the Bahá’í Faith whose principal teachings are the oneness of humanity, the oneness of religion and the oneness of God. The appearance of Bahá’u’lláh has been likened to a spiritual springtime, destined to spread peace and unity around the globe.
November 25, 2024 Day of the Covenant, commemorating Bahá’u’lláh’s appointment of His son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as the One to whom His followers should turn after His passing.
November 27, 2024 Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, marking the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921.
February 26 – 29, 2024 Ayyám-i-Há (also known as the Intercalary Days), a period of celebration devoted to charity, gift-giving and festivities prior to the annual period of fasting.
March 1 – 19, 2024 The month of fasting, during which Bahá’ís from the age of 15 abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset. There are exemptions, including for those who are ill, elderly, traveling, pregnant or breastfeeding.
*Bahá’ís suspend work and school on these Holy Days.
** The Bahá’í Holy Days are set and move according to a solar calendar. However the Holy Days marking the birth days of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh are set and move according to a lunar calculation.For more information regarding Baha’i Holy Days and the Baha’i calendar, click here.