coming up, a faith-based school that gives hope to inner-city kids who've been told they can not succeed. >> we tell them, you can. you can and you will, and then we say, and look, you have when they get there. and buddhist chaplains at beth israel medical center in new york, dealing with the pain. >> everything else is going on, but can you come back to the breath and slow it down a little? >> plus, the s lauislamic holid eid al-adha, and the tradition of sacrifice.

welcome. i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. humanitarian concerns on many fronts this week. in haiti, aid groups are still working to contain a massive outbreak of cholera that has now reached the country's capital, port au prince. relief workers warned that the disease could spread rapidly among inhabitants of the capitol's tent cities where about 1.5 million people still live following last january's earthquake. more than 700 people have died and more than 11,000 have become ill. meanwhile, aid groups in

pakistan say relief funds are running out for victims of this summer's floods. the united nations has already collected more than $700 million, but says about twice as much is needed. more than 7 million people remain homeless. and in indonesia, the death toll continued to rise from illnesses caused by large blankets of ash released by recent volcanic eruptions. concern that the ash might disrupt air travel shortened president obama's visit to indonesia this week. while he was there, he spoke repeatedly about strengthening ties with the muslim world. indonesia has the largest muslim population of any country. during a speech in jakarta, the president praised indonesia for its religious tolerance. he said relations have improved recently between the u.s. and muslim countries, but he also insisted that still more needs to be done.

>> we can choose to be defined by our differences, and give in to a future of suspicion and mistrust or we can choose to do the hard work of forging common ground and commit ourselves to the steady pursuit of progress. >> president obama's trip to indonesia also included a visit to the country's largest mosque. religious and political leaders have condemned a continuing wave of violence against christians in iraq. earlier this week, several people were killed and many more wounded after roadside bombs were set off in predominantly christian areas of baghdad. al-qaeda in iraq had warned that it would continue to target christians following its violent attack last week on a catholic church there. the u.s. catholic bishops have urged president obama to do more to protect iraqi christians. in other news, gene robinson, the first openly gay

episcopal bishop, announced that he will retire in 2013. robinson's consecration and the debate over gay bishops have divided the u.s. episcopal church and the worldwide anglican communion. robinson says he is not being "run off" by his opponents, although he does admit that the controversy has taken its toll on him, his family and his diocese. he says he will remain active in the church and on public policy issues. we have a story today about a school in washington d.c. that defies all the gloomy statistics about achievement levels for inner-city boys. it's the washington jesuit academy, an independent, catholic school - one of more than 60 similar schools nationwide. it demonstrates conspicuously what hard work, discipline, caring teachers and parents, ambitious students and money can achieve. our reporter is deborah potter. >> the outlook for many young

african-american boys is grim. national studies say about half will drop out of high school, but for these boys, the future is considerably brighter. >> five, four, three, two -- two, one. let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go. >> this small middle school is bucking the trend. >> come on, fellas. let's get in line. >> in just eight years, it's built a strong track record, with every one of its graduates either enrolled in or graduated from high school. more than 80% have gone on to college. >> good morning, mr. washington. >> later on, we've got to talk about something. >> all right. >> washington jesuit academy is an independent catholic school. all of its students are african american or latino. most are not catholic. tuition is $18,000 a year, but families pay nothing. the money comes mainly from private donations and foundation grants. >> i just love my kids, you know, and i want the best for them.

if you have your education you can go anywhere. anything that you want to do in life, you can do it. >> shana haire's son, domonic, is in seventh grade at wja, and willingly gets up before dawn to begin a rigorous 12-hour day at school, 11 months a year. >> it's fun to do, because you learn more every day. you know, you get to interact more with the students, so it's like it's another part of your family. >> i'm a single mom. his dad isn't around. i like the fact that most of the faculty is men. he definitely needs that in his life-someone he can relate to. >> male teachers, small classes, and well-equipped classrooms are the norm here. >> excellente! >> but what really sets the school apart is the student body. three-quarters of the boys live in single-parent households. one in five has a parent in prison. the average family income is slightly above the poverty line, so the school feeds its students breakfast and lunch, as well as a complete dinner five days a week, and there's something else

on the menu -- >> let us remind ourselves right now that we are in the presence of god. >> religion and an emphasis on moral values. >> today's focus is going to be on gratitude. where have you seen gratitude? where have you seen it in action here? >> when i help somebody with their homework they said thank you. >> your peers recognizing your mistakes and trying to help you correct them. >> how about that, guys? thanking, being grateful to your peers for pointing out something that you're doing wrong. most people don't like being corrected, right? you're doing something wrong, and if your peers are pointing it out and you know you're doing it wrong, you need to be grateful for that, because they want you to get better. we want you to get better every single day here. >> washington jesuit academy is one of 64 schools in 27 states, and the district of columbia that use a similar faith-based curriculum. they're part of what's called the nativity-miguel network, educating boys and girls from some of the poorest communities in the country.

two-thirds of the schools, including wja, have opened in the past decade since a wealthy businessman set up a foundation to support the network with almost $10 million in grants. many of the boys get scholarships paid for by individual donors. >> people want to be a part of something good. people want to be a part of something that works. people want to be a part of something that is effective. >> make sure you get through all five religions today. >> almost all of the network schools are affiliated with catholic religious orders. about half are co-ed, and the vast majority are middle schools, focused on children ages 11 to 13. >> these are the years where students academically can slip very quickly and quite severely and get off path. >> it's not a social period, it's a work period, right? >> generally students are coming to us below grade level. what many of our students are not lacking in, though, is a desire to do well and motivation to do well.

a teacher senses in a child that level of ambition. children can tell even by an environment, a physical environment, that "i matter." children know this. >> they come from schools where they've hidden in the back row for years and passed, and we ask them to work 12 hours a day, 11 months of the year in very small classes where there's nowhere to hide, in the service of a future that is not always imaginable to them. and yet they respond to that? >> they respond to that like plants to light. >> not all students thrive, however. nationally, about 30% of students who enroll in nativity-miguel schools don't graduate. many are dismissed for academic or behavior problems. severe family dysfunction, not a lack of desire to learn, is often to blame. >> that's pretty bad.

that is pretty bad. but you know what? we all sleep well at night because we give them every possible chance, every possible chance. >> get your piece of paper, take it step by step. i'm not going to do the work for you. >> the support starts at school, with a required two-hour study hall after dinner five nights a week, supervised by teachers and volunteer tutors. nativity-miguel schools also provide academic support and counseling to students after they graduate, helping them win scholarships to elite high schools like gonzaga, a jesuit prep school in washington d.c., where demitrius mcneil is now a junior. he wouldn't be here, he says, without wja. >> if you're a good person overall, then academics will come, you know, so they taught me how to be a good person first, and then they taught me overall how to become well academically. it's a wonderful opportunity that's not given every day in every other school. you will quickly find that out. it's for kids that's willing to put in the work and the effort. >> with just 76 enrolled in

grades six, seven, and eight, wja isn't easy to get into. there are at least three applicants for every opening. admissions requirements include a low family income, decent grades, and a motivated parent. most students, like elijah simms, came here because their mothers pushed them. as a muslim, elijah wondered how he'd handle being at a jesuit school 12 hours a day. >> my first instinct was like "no, i will not, definitely, i will never go to this school ever in my life." >> now he's winning awards -- >> most improved, seventh grade, elijah simms. >> -- and thanking his teachers. >> the teachers are more caring here. they care about me as a person. they push you to a higher level. >> seventh-grade student of the week, domonic haire. >> remember domonic? he's a baptist who couldn't be more thrilled to have earned a bracelet with the words "man for others," a paramount objective of jesuit education.

>> it says "man for others," and in our school being a man for others is a big thing, because it's an all-boys school, they want us to grow as men and to be helpful to the community and to be close to god and help others in need. >> we do this not to create catholics, but because we are catholic. it's the social justice teachings of the church that drive us and that basically "men for others" kind of works in almost any religious setting that you have or any religious creed. it's basically leaving things better than you found them. >> what many of these students find when they go home after school are tough neighborhoods where they're expected to set a good example. >> we've all heard stories about the ridicule that a uniformed child might get. but to me, it's about, you know, does this learning environment create or help generate within a student a strong moral character that has them-that gives them the ability to navigate difficult situations within a

community. does it give them the ability to influence their peers, influence their family? >> family involvement is critical at wja. parents must attend monthly meetings, and the school hosts an annual family retreat. >> a weekend to spend with your child and be able to sit down and talk to them is a great, great gift for them to give each other, and that's what we hear from the parents, and even from the boys sometimes -- "it was just great to be with my mom." >> the school's main goal is simple but audacious -- to shatter the stereotype that poor minority students can't succeed. >> when you've been told you can't, you can't, you can't, you can't, you believe you can't. we tell them "you can and you will." "you can and you will," and then we say and look, you have when they get there, and they're shocked. >> about 5,000 students have graduated so far from nativity-miguel schools nationwide. two-thirds have gone on to college. they leave middle school believing anything is possible.

>> college-wise i want to go to yale, m.i.t., the school called texas christian university, or harvard. >> i think every time a graduate walks through the door, and he is proud of himself, and on the road to something meaningful for his life, it's just the greatest feeling, and they're just great kids. >> and they're kids who carry high expectations that they'll give back to these schools and their communities, helping to break the cycle of poverty. for religion & ethics newsweekly, i'm deborah potter in washington d.c. it's often observed, fairly or not, that doctors and nurses in hospitals can become so focused on the science and technology of medicine, and have so much to do, that they don't have enough time for counseling and compassion, also known as tender loving care.

enter hospital chaplains, who do take time to sit with patients, and comfort them. typically, chaplains are christians and jews and muslims, but at beth israel medical center in new york there's a special program for training buddhist chaplains. betty rollin has our story. >> and instead of pushing that pain away, just let it be. you are not the pain. that pain is something that doesn't have to be who you are. just let your breath take that pain away from you. >> rob bundy is one of 24 buddhist chaplains-in-training at beth israel hospital in new york. >> just breathe down into that pain. >> audrey alasia has multiple diseases of the spinal cord and is in constant pain. rob uses the buddhist techniques

of meditation, visualization, and a focus on breathing to help ease audrey's suffering. >> the pain comes and goes, right? >> yes. >> in our practice as contemplatives, as buddhists, as many other contemplatives do, it's to come back to the moment. what's happening right now? come back to your breath. can you breathe right now? everything else is going on, but can you come back to the breath? can we slow it down a little? can we start to relax? >> i think one of the most important things you can do for someone is to hear their pain and how miserable they are. >> rather than "you're going to be fine, mom. you will be home in a couple of days, the operation was a success, bought some flowers, you know, you are going to be great. you will be back on your feet again soon." that's not addressing what's happening to me right now. >> chodo campbell and koshin ellison, both buddhist monks,

are co-founders and directors of beth israel's buddhist chaplaincy program, the only accredited clinical program of its kind. chodo and koshin minister to patients themselves and train others, who are both buddhists and non-buddhists. chaplains may also provide their special kind of care to patients' families and staff. part of the chaplain's training consists of learning about other faith traditions. sister maureen mitchell is there to answer questions about catholicism. >> is it inappropriate for me as a buddhist to make the sign of the cross as i am helping a catholic or praying with a catholic? >> no, it's not inappropriate. for you to join with the person may give them great joy. they also might think they are converting you. >> rabbi jeffrey silberman is one of the jewish instructors. >> when do you offer direct prayer to people that you are

working with? >> most patients you can ask them just would you like prayer, and they will tell you. >> father, son, and holy spirit, may anne be at ease. may she be free of all pain and suffering. >> as part of the medical team, chaplains often provide insight about the spiritual needs of patients. buddhists relate to patients in a non-theistic way. >> many chaplains coming into a hospital, they are coming from a theology, and they are coming from a doctrine, that this is what you do, this is how you tend to the sick. you give them the sacraments -- you give them the last rites, whatever it is. for us, we are coming in from a place of just being present to whatever is arising in the moment. >> i was training with other seminarians of christian or

jewish tradition, and sometimes their theologies would be an obstacle in connecting to a patient, because they had ideas about, and moralistic views from their tradition. >> patients usually request chaplains of their own religion, but buddhists tend to go everywhere, although chodo has found that not every patient welcomes him at the start. >> i knocked on the door, and i said, "hi, mr -- i'm the chaplain on the floor." and then, "are you a jew?" i said, "no." he said, "get out!" and i said, "okay." he said, "where are you going?" "i'm leaving. you told me to get out." he said, "get back in here," and i sat down and he said, "so what are you?" and i said, "i'm a buddhist," and he said, "really? tell me," and this was the beginning of the most wonderful relationship i had with many patients in this hospital. >> chaplain services of any kind are not covered by insurance.

hospitals usually pay for them, but they do not pay for buddhist chaplains, who are privately funded. buddhist interns are not paid at all. paid or not, the buddhist chaplains get a lot of appreciation not only from patients, but from staff. >> when you have nurses who are so busy and who are taking care of cancer patients, or even in the ccu, patients who have just had heart attacks or are in hypertensive crisis, and sometimes you have a patient who just wants to sit and talk, and my nurses do the best they can, but they don't always have the time. so this is another way to support a patient that's just incredibly valuable, and they're able to make them look at things in a contemplative way, being present in the moment, and that helps calm, relax. it brings peace. >> if they are calm as we are trying to treat them, they actually get better sooner in terms of their outlook. >> i pray that you watch over him. >> hospitals don't need buddhists, but they provide

something that more and more hospitals are unable to give to patients-time and loving attention. for religion & ethics newsweekly, i'm betty rollin in new york. in other news, muslim groups say u.s. security officials unfairly delayed delivery of passports and visas to americans heading to the hajj, or pilgrimage to mecca. several muslims said their passports were seized and not returned until after their scheduled flights had already left. in one case, customs officials agreed to pay $34,000 for new tickets for 17 delayed pilgrims. delays not withstanding, more than 2 million muslims are in saudi arabia for the annual hajj. the end of the pilgrimage brings one of the most important islamic holidays --

eid al-adha, the festival of sacrifice. it's a three-day period of prayer and feasting that commemorates the prophet abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to god. muslims believe that son was ishmael, christians and jews believe he was isaac. kim lawton has more on how american muslims observe the holiday. >> the festival of eid al adha begins with sacrifice. those participating in the hajj, and all other muslim families with the financial means, slaughter a sheep, lamb, goat, camel or cow. >> this sacrifice is in remembrance of what the qu'ran says, as well as the bible, of when abraham was inspired, or he had a dream, that he was to sacrifice one of his sons, and then god told abraham that he did not have to sacrifice his son, and a ram came, and abraham then sacrificed the ram. >> american muslims typically

buy meat slaughtered according to islamic requirements from a market or grocery store. the immediate family eats one-third of the meat. another third is shared with the larger community of friends and relatives, and the rest is donated to the poor. >> it's a religious obligation for us to give to other people. we would not be good muslims, or following our religion because the third pillar of islam is charity, so we're obligated to give charity. >> in the united states, recipients include places such as gleaner's community food bank of southeastern michigan. they partner with over 400 outlets in their network of feeding programs to distribute thousands of pounds of frozen lamb meat donated by the muslim community annually. >> it's a high protein item, and it's certainly the type of food product that we really like to provide during the winter months where you get a nice, hardy meal out of the donation. groups like the salvation army, the cabbage & soup kitchen, the st. vincent de paul society, and different feeding programs around town will be able to

enjoy this blessing. >> through the soup kitchens they operate, mosques and islamic centers also serve as distribution sites. those who come in to pray are offered bags of lamb to take home as are all non- muslims seeking food assistance. i'm kim lawton reporting. and finally what some are calling new york city's largest dinner party took place last weekend when more than 4,000 b rabbis from around the world gathered for a sell bra toir banquet. it was part of the yearly meeting which which they also visit the grave of a late leader. ♪ one organizer called those pictures a where's waldo for rabbis. that's our program for now. i'm bob abernethy.

there's much more on our website, including links to more information about both the new york zen center for contemplative care and the nativity-miguel network of schools. you can comment on all of our stories and share them. audio and video podcasts are also available. and you can follow us on facebook and twitter, and watch us on smart phones and iphones with the new religion & ethics newsweekly mobile web app. join us at pbs.org. as we leave you, scenes from pope benedict xvi's trip to spain last week. in barcelona, the pope consecrated the yet unfinished sagrada familia basilica, designed by the late antoni gaudi. ♪

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