Deborah Singer Pires is Associate Professor of English Emeritus. She is Co-President of the UU Congregation of the Palisades, Englewood, which has had a part-time minister for many years. She has been creating and presenting services since 2003

Titles of programs/sermons and a brief statement of content on each:

• Who Am I?: Ancestry – Who am I? We spend our lives trying to answer this question. With the advent of DNA testing, thousands of people are consulting genealogy sites to gain insight into their identity and help answer this question. What do these sites tell us and how does the information challenge how we see ourselves in the world?
• Coincidence? I Think Not – Everyone experiences coincidences, some life-changing. Are these just coincidences or some kind of spiritual intervention, a touch of the divine? We’ll share our stories of coincidences and how they have shaped our lives.
• Potluck Passover Seder – This holiday celebrates the quest for freedom and our commitment to making our world a more just and peaceful one. We will participate in a Passover Seder led by UUCP Co-President, Deborah Singer Pires, instead of our traditional Sunday service. Learn the meaning of Passover and its relevance to Unitarian Universalists. After the Seder, we will share a potluck lunch. Please bring a dish to share.

• Spiritual Traditions of the Jewish Holidays – Join us for a festive celebration of the Jewish High Holy Days when we will experience the sweetness and spirituality of their traditions. The children will participate and we will share challah, apples and honey.

• The Joys of Aging – This service will include personal reflections about aging.

• Mothers' Day – Join us in celebrating all who mother. We will have our traditional Mothers’ Day Flower Ceremony inspired by an African-American tradition.

• Standing on the Side of Love – We believe that all people deserve love and respect. No person should be dehumanized through acts of exclusion, oppression, or violence. We have listened to many acts of hatred lately but today, let’s listen to some courageous acts of love, and learn about the UU’s campaign to stand on the side of love to overcome hate.

• Turn Off the Noise – November 2016: It’s finally over. (or is it?) This has been a very long and worrisome election. What can we learn from the Jewish tradition of observing the Sabbath to help us keep our sanity during times of insanity? First, turn off the media. Join us to find out what else Sabbath observers do to maintain a sense of peace.

• New Year-New Spirit – Come celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. This morning we honor the traditions of this important Jewish holiday which is also the beginning of a 10-day period of rigorous spiritual self-examination. The first part of the service will be intergenerational.

• Come On, Get Happy – What is happiness? How do we find it? What makes us unhappy? Everyone suffers but can we reduce our suffering? Join us to find the answers.

• Celebrations – Most people celebrate major events without thinking about the spiritual necessity of these celebrations. Why do we celebrate? Is it important to celebrate? Is there a place for ritual in our celebrations? We’ll discuss these questions and consequences of celebrating (or not) the special times of our lives.

• Sharing Our Mystical Experiences – Have you ever had a mystical experience that defied explanation? Many of us have. In keeping with our tradition of “out-of-the-box” services on the fifth Sunday of the month, we will be talking about Spiritualism and sharing our paranormal experiences. Come with your stories and an open mind!

• Spirituality of the Goddess – “The symbolism of the Goddess is not parallel to God the Father. The Goddess does not rule the world. She IS the world. Manifest in each of us, she can be known internally by every individual.”– Starhawk

Availability: Within 50 miles of Teaneck, NJ.

Fee arrangements: Whatever your congregation's standard fee for presenters.

Contact: Email Deborah Pires at dp290@aol.com