Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On July 1, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported on "William Claassen, a self-described 'nomadic pilgrim.'...Claassen spent 2 1/2 years traveling around the world, visiting 40 monasteries in 12 countries. He broke bread with Greek Orthodox monks on Mount Athos, walked with Catholic brothers in Spain, watched whirling dervishes in Turkey, meditated with Zen monks in Japan and sat at the feet of Hindu gurus and Jain pujaris in India."

Source: Newsday

On May 22, 2001, Newsday reported that "evidence of the explosive growth of Queens' Indian population is showing up in neighborhoods across the borough, way beyond the borders of the community's historical base in Jackson Heights...The population growth is welcomed by Indian community and religious leaders who have learned that higher population numbers can be translated into a stronger political base, better social services and wider opportunities for future generations."

Source: The Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/01/04/03998820.shtml?Element_ID=3998820

On April 7, 2001, The Tennessean reported on Jainism, "a world religion that sprung from ancient India." It "has elements of Hinduism and Buddhism, but its stress on personal responsibility, nonviolence and other doctrines make it a faith in its own right." There are about 25 Jain families...

Source: The Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/01/04/03814884.shtml?Element_ID=3814884

On April 1, 2001, The Tennessean reported that the Bible Belt is now home to "Six Buddhist communities. Five Jewish congregations. Five Islamic mosques. A Baha'i center. A Hindu temple and a Hindu ashram, or teaching abode. Plus assorted Sikhs and Jains...Others exist, too." Tom Russell, a...

Source: The Boston Herald

On February 8, 2001, The Boston Herald reported that "the local Indian community plans to adopt families, villages and schools in the earthquake-ravaged Gujarat region and target donations and long-term support...The groups decided to pool their efforts in order to get the most for each dollar raised...The meeting of 22 Indian social organizations in Cambridge Sunday brought together Hindus, Moslems, Jains and Sikhs, and people from diverse Indian regions and ethnic groups." One local group, Hindu Swayansewak Sangh, has raised...

Source: Jain Spirit

In the December 2000-February 2001 edition of Jain Spirit, the Jain Associations of North America (JAINA) requested the Mayor of Buffalo, New York, to proclaim the 2nd of October as Ahimsa Day. This date marks and honoured the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who followed Lord Mahavir's teachings and outlook towards all forms of life. The Mayor, Anthony Masiello, signed a Proclamation which states the benefits of Ahimsa and details several points of a non-violent way of life.

Source: Los Angeles Times

On March 31, 2000, the Los Angeles Times published an article on the Jain Center of Southern California, whose renovation plans were approved by the Buena Park City Council in California. The revamped center will be a $5 million structure that will take 12 to 18 months to complete. It will serve the approximately 900 Jain families that live within a 7-mile radius of the temple and will include a library containing about 8,000 religious books and some manuscripts dating back 800 years, a temple, a children's room, and activity and...

Source: Akron Beacon Journal

On July 31, 1999 Akron Beacon Journal featured an article on the research of Northern Ohio's religious diversity by Pluralism Project affiliates. The "growth in religious diversity has been examined by two Kent State University researchers... Dr. David Odell-Scott, associate professor of philosophy... and Dr. Surinder M. Bhardwaj, a professor of geography... received a 1998 grant through the Pluralism Project at Harvard University to map the religious diversity of Northern Ohio... As a result of that work, the researchers have...

Source: No source given.

On March 27, 1999, the Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC) announced that construction of the first Jain Bhawan in Northern California will begin on April, 17, 1999 in Milpitas, CA. The Bhawan will be a 2-story, 24,000 square foot structure that will hold a multi-purpose Community Center and a space exclusively for religious worship.

Source: The Arizona Republic

On November 14, 1998, The Arizona Republic published an article on Prem L. Gandhi, a Jain woman who completed a 45-day fast during which she only drank small amounts of boiled water. Gandhi, who lives in Tempe, AZ but is originally from India, went to the small western Indian town of Palitana to undergo the fast. Gandhi fasted one day for each volume of the Jain holy scriptures, the 45 agams of the Ardhamaghdi.

Source: The New York Times

On July 20, 1998, the New York Times ran an article which reported on the arranged union of a Jain native New Yorker (an investment banker) with a Jain woman of India. "In modern immigrant families -- where the bindings between new land and homeland are stronger than ever before -- the children almost inevitably find themselves pushed and pulled between the culture and values of their parents and those of the larger American society. Such ambiguities are perhaps never more acute than when a decision about marriage -- the arc of...

Source: The Detroit News

On July 6, 1998 the Detroit News ran an article entitled "India's Jains Open Their 1st Temple In State."

Source: Orange County Register

On January 31, 1998, the Orange County Register ran an article on Jain faith and its practical applications entitled "The Peaceful Liberators."

Source: Jain Digest

"The Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC) celebrated the Bhumi Pujan ceremony on a rainy morning of November 15, 1997, with great devotion, splendor, and gaiety. The event marked an auspicious beginning of the construction of the first Jain Bhawan in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... The JCNC intend to build a unique landmark for Jains across the United States, Canada, and the rest of the world."

Source: Jain Digest

"Jain Center of America (JCA) recently purchased a property in Lake Success, Long Island, New York. The site consists of approximately 4 acres of land just off Long Island Expressway. JCA plans to build a spacious and attractive facility that will include a temple, auxiliary facilities for religious activities and a community hall."