Sufism Reoriented
Neighborhood Newsletter
Spring 2008
Spring picnic at White Horse Court
It was April 6 and it was starting to feel a lot like
spring—time for our annual children’s celebration.
Held in previous years in a smaller setting
nearby, this year it was held on the lawns of
White Horse Court to accommodate the 300 or
so neighbors, friends, and their children who
joined us.
Children played a whole gamut of games straight out of
a Norman Rockwell painting—sack races, three-legged
races, egg-balancing races, baseball, even an old-fashioned
egg hunt.
Children and their parents were offered an array of artistic
activities. The spring-basket-making table overflowed with
camellias, roses, cala lilies, freesia, and sweet pea cut by
neighborhood gardeners, plus silk
ribbon and wicker baskets. Experienced face painters captured
the images their adult and child
clientele asked for, from elves
and flowers to birds and dinosaurs. One table offered young
artists a chance to create one-of-akind colored eggs, and a gypsy tent
invited people in for hand
decorating.
Guests spread a patchwork of
blankets over the lawn near the
sumptuous potluck food tables, eating and chatting with people on
neighboring blankets. Later people
gathered to listen to live music and
watch an engaging puppet show. While leaving, one neighbor
commented,
“Every day should be like this!”
Why this newsletter?
When we talked to our neighbors
about building our new sanctuary,
it sparked curiosity about Sufism
Reoriented and its members.
This newsletter is our way of
sharing more about us.
Union Square performance
Fabled Union Square in San Francisco was the
setting for the first public performance together
of Sufism Reoriented’s Consortium of the Arts
Chorus and members of the Meher Schools
Children’s Chorus, on December 22. On a
bright winter day, hundreds of holiday shoppers,
Meher Schools parents, relatives, and friends
listened spellbound as their joyous program of
love-themed songs filled the square.
The concert featured soloist soprano Hilary
Hogan. Hilary, now 25, attended The Meher
Schools where her father, David Hogan, a wellknown composer of liturgical music and an
acclaimed tenor, was director of music. He was
also director of the Consortium of the Arts
Chorus. After her father passed away, Hilary’s
mother, Terry Hogan Johnson, took over as
director of both choruses.
The audience was so
enthused by the original
performance that the
choruses and Hilary
were invited to perform
again on the afternoon of
Sunday, May 4. The two
choruses, with gifted
singers ages seven to
70, will sing timeless
messages of universal
love, the awakening of
the heart, and the fundamental unity of life. This
spring concert will also include a father-son hiphop dance duet featuring a Meher Schools
fourth grader and his physician father. Performances will be at 2 p.m. and at 3 p.m. If you
get this newsletter in time, please join us. The
concerts are free.
With the promise of May weather, the concert
should provide one of those uplifting San Francisco days when our gratitude for living in the
beautiful Bay Area soars.
People love to hear young children sing, especially
songs of reverence and beauty. On May 3 the
Meher Schools Children’s Chorus, consisting of
students from second through fifth grade, will be
singing again at Broadway Plaza. The music is
all original, upbeat, and sometimes humorous. Most importantly, it expresses the principles of the school, with
songs about working and playing together and friendship.
Performances will be at 1 p.m.
and 2 p.m. at the fountain across
from Nordstrom.
Broadway Plaza Celebration
Who are we?
Carol Conner
Carol Weyland Conner was appointed the murshida, or spiritual teacher,
of Sufism Reoriented by her predecessors, Dr. James MacKie and Ivy O.
Duce, in 2001. She is a 1967 graduate of UC Berkeley and holds a
doctorate in psychology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
She taught in the Department of Child Health and Development at
George Washington University School of Medicine before going into
private practice. At the top of Murshida’s list of special interests is childhood education. Her parents were both educators, and she grew up with
a profound respect for the importance of children’s education. “It is a joy
to see the preschool and elementary age children thrive at our Meher
Schools in an atmosphere of love, security, and rich, positive stimulation
for their growth. It gives me joy to see these delightful children blossom
and excel in the happy environment of our school.”
Pete Wells
Students at USF recently posted a video of Dr.
Pete Wells’s rap lecture, “Call Me Fractal,” on
YouTube. Rapping is only one of the ways that
math professor Pete plays with concepts he finds
fascinating to make them “accessible” to students.
For instance, he
performs puppet
shows on group
theory, and he
gets students
out of the classroom to hunt
natural fractals
at Lands’ End or
to analyze the
math in artwork
at the de Young
Museum. Pete
collaborates with
scientists internationally in the study of hypercomputing—exploring
what computers might achieve in the far future.
Every Thursday at noon he
hosts a free lecture at
USF on new topics
in computer
science.
Ellen Evans
To thousands of students and alumni and their families, she is “Miss Ellen,” the principal they visit and
update about their changing lives. “One of the most
satisfying aspects of my 33 years as principal of The
Meher Schools is seeing that our students come back.
Sometimes they return as trained teachers who want
to work in the school they love so much. I’m also
excited that our alumni bring their children here. Now
we have a second generation joining us.” The school
attracts a diverse population, welcoming people from
all over the country and the world. (A relatively small
percentage of the students come from Sufi families).
The school has never advertised; people hear about
the program through word-of-mouth and through the
school’s website, www.meherschools.org. Ellen, who
serves on the Diablo Valley College Early
Childhood Education Advisory Board, is also
thrilled that so many families with children
are moving into the Saranap area and
enrolling at The Meher Schools. She says
happily, “These young families are allowing
us to operate as a neighborhood school.”
Tim Tacker
If you see a powder-blue ’67 Volkswagen
Beetle tooling around the neighborhood, it’s
probably Tim Tacker’s. Tim took the offer of a
free VW “bug” and refurbished it top to bottom.
The coordinator of buildings and grounds at
The Meher Schools, Tim also drives a green
Ford pickup that’s a familiar sight around the
Saranap. After earning a degree in industrial
education, Tim worked for several years in the
construction industry. Then, 18 years ago, a
friend asked him to help with “a few projects”
at the school—and he’s still there, working
hard. Known affectionately as “Mr. Tim,” his
job provides constant
challenges, but being
around the vibrant
atmosphere of the
children is what
makes it a special
experience. “When I
see little moments of
kindness between
children or teachers
and students, it really touches me.”
Lori Humphreys
As a math teacher at Carondelet High School, an all-girl
Catholic school in Concord, Lori Humphreys impressed her students with her
high standards and her availability to
help them with their homework, even
late at night. Lori felt passionately about
young women succeeding at math. She
was also one of the founders of the
Saranap Community Association (formerly Saranap Homeowners Association).
Lori loved to sing and was a member of
Sufism Reoriented’s Consortium of the
Arts Chorus. In spite of being in the final
stages of leukemia, she participated in
the chorus’s December concert on
Union Square. Lori passed away on
February 1. Her husband Matt, son
Daniel, and other family members and
friends were at her side.
Duncan Knowles
Duncan Knowles’s knowledge of the history of the Bay Area has led him to
appointments to community task forces by the mayors of San Francisco and
San Mateo; he has appeared on CNN, the History Channel, CNBC, and
NPR. A retired senior vice president of Bank of America and former president
of the Tice Valley Homeowners Association, Duncan has always cherished
time with his family. A widower with
four grown children, he shares a
condo with his daughter Mary, 37,
who has Downs syndrome. Recently
he and Mary have been enjoying
ballroom dancing together. Of Mary
he says, “Though disabled, she is a
giant in love and kindness. She
inspires me every moment of the
day and brings me so much
happiness.”
Lilli Remer
Nick Remer
Most Boy Scout leaders end their careers
when their sons graduate from the
program. Not so with Lilli Remer.
Although Royce, the youngest of
her three sons, became an Eagle
Scout in 2003, Lilli is still going
strong with 25 years of service
behind her. She received the
highest award for service to the
Aklan District Council, the Silver
Beaver award. Lilli says the joy
of scouting has been watching
boys grow and develop—about
500 so far. She also contributes to
the lives of young people through her
“day job” as a research scientist investigating how to prevent drug and alcohol
problems. Lilli gives life to the saying “Kids are
our most important investment.”
As a retired airplane mechanic, Nick
Remer still likes to find out what makes
things tick. Recently he designed a
model steam engine; he’s now
building a clock. Next year he
plans to do a major renovation on
his family’s new home on Juanita,
a few blocks from where they live
now on Island Court. He plans to
do the work himself, including the
plumbing. Nick doesn’t mind that
not one of his three grown sons
enjoys his enthusiasm for designing
and building structures and machines. “None of them are interested in
mechanical things, but that’s fine with me.
They’re artists and computer wizzes. Their
interests have actually expanded my life
greatly. If they liked to do exactly what I’m
interested in, it might be boring.”
Stephanie Oswald
After 33 years as a Saranap resident,
Stephanie Oswald still has more to say
about her passion for her house and
neighborhood than about any of the
very different careers she has explored
in her busy life. She has worked as an
attorney, an assistant pastry chef, and a
software tester, and is currently chief
financial officer for The Meher Schools.
Stephanie sees her professional life as
a backdrop to her love of being at home
and enjoying activities with friends.
“This is the neighborhood where I set
up a home with my husband and brought home two babies.” Stephanie likes that
she lives on a street where people walk with their children. Her other passion is cooking. And she even
enjoys taking charge of food preparation for special events for 70 or more. “As with anything,” she says,
“it’s quite doable once you get used to it.”
Jacquie Allen
Marrying into a family with a Downs syndrome child reinforced Jacquie
Allen’s belief that people with developmental disabilities can become
contributing members of society. With a degree in education and a
background in nutrition, Jacquie joined the staff of Las Trampas, a
Lafayette program serving the developmentally disabled. She and her
clients started a business called Rapid Rolls, baking muffins and brownies
and selling them with coffee at the Walnut Creek BART station. Now
Jacquie is program director at Futures Explored, an agency in Lafayette
that provides work- and life-skills training for adults with developmental
disabilities, which has opened a catering company called Huckleberry
Café To Go, delivering fresh gourmet boxed lunches and party platters to
homes and businesses. Jacquie has two grown children and two grandchildren, with another one on the way!
“Realism with heart”
Diane Cobb exhibit opens May 31
Diane Cobb, one of Sufism Reoriented’s best-known artists, will
open an exhibit of her work at
Searchlight bookstore (at The Meher
Schools, 999 Leland Dr., Lafayette)
on May 31. Diane’s work is represented in about 200 private and
public collections in the United
States and Europe. She is also a
long-time art teacher at The Meher
Schools.
Diane describes her style as
“realism with heart.” She says her
Searchlight show will include landscapes inspired by the beautiful hills
that surround our area, works of
“impressionistic” realism, and even
surrealism. It will also contain portraits of children. “I’m so struck by
the beauty of children and the surprisingly individual ways their beauty
appears.”
Diane’s last show at Searchlight,
several years ago, motivated people
to get out of bed early and line up
outside the Searchlight door hours
before the show began. Searchlight
is open Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m.,
Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,
and Sundays from 1 to 5:30 p.m.
Life as a member of Sufism Reoriented
By Pascal Kaplan, Ph.D.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with
one of our Saranap neighbors, a minister at a church
in Walnut Creek, to review the plans for our new sanctuary. I knew that as a pastor, he would understand
the wide range of issues that a church must consider
when starting a building project. We sat outside in a shaded, glen-like setting at his
church. In the course of our conversation, the reverend asked me why we do not have any signs at our
current church building on Boulevard Way. I explained
that since we don’t proselytize or seek
new members, we’ve never thought
about publicizing ourselves, even
with signage. He then asked what
defined a member of
Sufism Reoriented. I
said that Sufism Reoriented is a community of people who
have reached a phase
of their life when they
care more about deepening their love for God
and expressing that love in
quiet service in the world
than they care about anything else. I then mentioned that there are essentially five prerequisites for membership in Sufism Reoriented:
Being drawn to the life and teachings of the Indian
spiritual figure Meher Baba and wishing to study with
the spiritual teacher of Sufism Reoriented
A commitment to try to be 100 percent honest in all
things, but with kindness, that is, not to use honesty as
a hammer
Abstinence from use of illicit or hallucinatory drugs
Abstinence from sex outside of marriage
Productive and responsible engagement in the
world, including having completed one’s educational training, being self-sufficient, having
established financial balance, and using one’s
skills to be of service to others.
When I finished discussing these points, the
minister urged me to add this list to the brochure we had prepared to explain to our
neighbors our need for a new church building. He said that these statements are
ones that anyone could understand and
support and that, even though we don’t
proselytize, it would be helpful to share
these principles more widely so our neighbors
would understand more about us. So with thanks
for his suggestion, I am taking this opportunity to
do so.