Senior center bans Christian poet from newsletter

Young Chang

COSTA MESA -- Mabel Knowles, an 87-year-old Christian poet, faces what

she calls discrimination because the Costa Mesa Senior Center’s new

director has banned her religious rhymes, which have been published in

the center’s monthly newsletter without controversy for the last five

years, .

Aviva Goelman, the center’s director, told Knowles her that her “Try

Prayer” poem was not suitable for the November issue of the center’s

publication, The Chronicle.

Knowles said she questions why Goelman would restrict her freedom of

religion at the center -- a public place.

Goelman “won’t let me publish anything that is of religious nature,”

she said. “I think that is discrimination.”

Goelman, who became executive director in September, said the center

is not supposed to favor one religion above another.

“We have asked that the poems do not bring ‘savior’ in or ‘Jesus’ in.

We do not want to say anything that is offensive to any religion,”

Goelman said.

In a written response, Goelman added: “We cannot publish any religious

poems in our Chronicle. They belong at churches, temples, etc. . . . It

would be our pleasure to print any poems submitted that are

nondenominational.”

Goelman said the decision was supported by the Senior Advisory

Council, which is comprised of seniors who attend the center.

Though Goelman said she is almost certain she is right about her

policy, she asked Costa Mesa City Atty. Jerry Scheer on Friday to look

into the matter. The center is a nonprofit organization that is partially

funded by the city and also relies on private donations.

Knowles has prayed before mealtimes at the front of the cafeteria for

the same number of years as she’s been submitting her poetry to the

newsletter. This week, leaders of the Senior Meals and Services program

told her she is no longer to share religious prayers publicly before

meals.

“You may choose to say ‘thank you’ prior to the noon meal, which is

quite acceptable, but we must, given the ethnic and religious diversity

of our community, refrain from being in any way construed as maybe being

denominational,” said Loredana Biro, executive director of the Senior

Meals and Services.

Goelman said seniors may bless the food, bless the weather and the

day, but without religious connotations.

“The meals are served by Senior Meals,” she said. “It’s a federally

funded program, and federally funded programs cannot mix church and

state.”

Saying “Thank you, God, for the food we eat” is acceptable, Goelman

said.

“All religions believe in God,” she said, adding that she hasn’t run

across center attendees who do not believe in God.

She said she has received complaints from other seniors at the center

about the prayers being said before lunch but not about the published

poems.

During the holidays, the center held a Hanukkah menorah-lighting

ceremony and some nonreligious Christmas programs, including choir

performances and decorating events. Goelman said she believes the center

stuck to its policy.

“Hanukkah is not a religious holiday, it’s a festivity,” Goelman said.

“We just tried to make it happy for the seniors during the holiday.”

For Knowles, happiness is found partly in sharing her art.

“I would love to have the opportunity to have The Chronicle publish my

poetry because there’s a message in them,” she said. “God gives us

talents to use, and I’d like to use what I can.”