UWest Participates in Drive for Suicide Prevention

Jonathan D. Strum is an attorney who works as the US counsel for Planet Energy. Outside of his professional life, Jonathan Strum sits on the board of trustees of the University of the West (UWest), a nonprofit university dedicated to cultural understanding. 

On November 3, 2018, students and staff members from UWest took part in a donor drive for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and a follow-up “Out of the Darkness” walk. The students and staff members raised funds for AFSP initiatives, including a national suicide-prevention hotline that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

For the “Out of the Darkness” walk, UWest students and staff members made signs with the names and pictures of seven young people who had died by suicide. The signs were made together with the parents of the deceased to honor the lives of their children. Two of the parents even participated in the walk.

Every 12 minutes, someone dies by suicide in the United States. Some of these people suffer from mental illnesses that were unsuccessfully treated. Supporting suicide-prevention causes helps save lives.

Musharakah: An Overview

An attorney and experienced professional in multinational relations, Jonathan D. Strum has been published in The Baltimore Sun and featured on media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and C-Span. Currently, Jonathan D. Strum operates a corporate and commercial law practice in Washington, DC, and regularly speaks around the world on the topic of Islamic finance.

To be categorized as Islamic Finance, financing tools must comply with Sharia law derived from the Quran and the Hadith. For example, Islamic Finance does not allow interest to be charged, investment in forbidden activities, or speculation and excessive risk. Some examples of financing arrangements that comply with Sharia law include Mudarabah, 'ijarah/'ijar, Salam, and Musharakah.

Musharakah refers to a Sharia-compliant joint venture or partnership in which all partners share in profits and losses that stem from the business arrangement. Often, this arrangement is utilized in real estate transactions, investments, or large financing agreements. In lieu of interest, the lender in Musharakah earns a return by collecting a portion of profits that are clearly defined in a business agreement.

Socially Relevant Productions at Mosaic Theater Company

An experienced attorney, Jonathan D. Strum holds degrees from Georgetown University and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Jonathan Strum manages his own law office in Washington, DC, in addition to serving as counsel for Planet Energy. 

Outside of his professional pursuits, Mr. Strum enjoys attending theater productions. His favorite theaters in the Washington area include Mosaic Theater Company, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 that emphasizes socially relevant productions. 

This season's lineup includes The Agitators, which explores the friendship and rivalry between Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Another production, Oh, God, follows the single mother of a child with autism who is visited by God, while the documentary work Shame depicts challenges to cross-cultural collaboration between Israelis and Palestinians. 

For a full list of productions at Mosaic Theater, which include an adaptation of Richard Wright’s novel Native Son, visit www.mosaictheater.org.

General Subscriptions to the Mosaic Theater Company

In addition to his work as partner in the Law Offices of Jonathan Strum in Washington, DC, Jonathan D. Strum is US counsel for the international company Planet Energy. An avid theatergoer, Jonathan Strum holds subscriptions to three theater companies in DC. Among his favorites is the Mosaic Theater Company, an intercultural organization dedicated to transformational art that addresses pressing social issues.

The theater offers multiple subscription options. Those interested in general productions can choose between the Mosaic Weeknight 8 and the Mosaic Weekend 8. A twist on a former subscription model, the Weeknight 8 includes eight flex tickets for performances on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings. Subscribers to the Weekend 8 receive eight tickets good for evening productions on Fridays and Saturdays and matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets obtained through the subscriptions are not valid for opening-night performances. Patrons who live in the surrounding zip codes can use a discount code to receive $80 off their subscription purchase.

Improving Basketball Free Throws

A lawyer who has worked in areas such as energy acquisition, finance, and international business, Jonathan D. Strum appreciates a wide variety of activities in his spare time. Jonathan Strum particularly enjoys basketball, a fast-paced, high-intensity sport.

In basketball, free throws can add a significant number of points to a team’s total, and good free throw shooting should be a priority for coaches and players alike. Unlike other shots, which require good judgment, situational awareness, and fast reaction time, free throws require only a consistently solid movement. These tips can improve anyone’s free throw game.

Every court includes a dot in the middle of the foul line. Whether players straddle it or stand either directly on it or a foot to its right, they should rely on it as a reference point on every court for all of their free throws.

A routine for free throw shooting can also help. Whether it’s two quick dribbles, a gesture to the crowd, or a mental centering ritual, a routine breaks the tension of the game and puts the shooter in a foul-shooting mindset.

Nothing beats practice, however. Players should take the time to shoot free throws until they can do so successfully at least 70 percent of the time. Having the shot down to a science will help any shooter.

Three Theaters to Visit in Washington, DC

An attorney with extensive international experience, Washington, DC-based Jonathan D. Strum provides counsel in areas that include import/export regulation and foreign investments. In his leisure time, Jonathan Strum enjoys attending local theaters.

In addition to Ford's Theatre, which was made infamous by being the location of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Washington, DC, offers the following theaters:

1. Constellation Theatre Company. With an eclectic mix of genres, this theater focuses on telling epic stories in an intimate environment and has featured spectacular visuals in its past productions.

2. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Seeking to break the conventions of live theater, the Woolly Mammoth produces several new experimental productions each year and has earned acclaim as “Washington's most daring theater company” from the New York Times.

3. Shakespeare Theatre Company. The area's leader in classical productions, this theater features an array of works by William Shakespeare and original shows inspired by his plays.

The Genesis Prize Foundation's Genesis Generation Challenge

Jonathan D. Strum is a Washington, DC, legal professional with over 30 years of experience in areas of general corporate and commercial practice law. In addition to his professional activities, Jonathan Strum has engaged with several community organizations and programs, including time as a judge of the Genesis Generation Challenge.

The Genesis Generation Challenge, hosted by the Genesis Prize Foundation, was launched in 2014 with a goal of facilitating strategic competition among young adult social entrepreneurs from around the world. More than 100 international teams competed in the name of inaugural laureate Michael R. Bloomberg, who judged the competition with the help of an evaluation panel comprised of 52 judges.

In the spring of 2015, the Genesis Prize Foundation announced nine winners. Each winner received a $100,000 prize and was subsequently partnered with a mentor tasked with helping winners develop an effective business plan for their product or service. Winning teams presented project concepts addressing an array of modern-day issues, including public health, education, poverty alleviation, and cross-cultural exchange of information. Winners included Building Up, a Canadian not for profit that provides residential buildings with updated water and energy efficiency technology, and Sanergy, a group dedicated to bringing an overhauled sanitation model to Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the Mathare region.

Some Basic Guidelines for Effective Interfaith Dialogue

Attorney Jonathan D. Strum holds degrees from the Georgetown University Law Center and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he won best oralist in the Eastern Regional of International Law Moot Court Competition in 1984. Currently, he serves as a partner at his law office in Washington, DC, in addition to serving as the United States counsel for Planet Energy, a Canadian energy marketing firm. Along with his professional responsibilities, Jonathan Strum is accomplished in interfaith dialogue. 

Also referred to as interreligious dialogue, interfaith dialogue occurs when individuals of different religious beliefs or traditions engage and cooperate with one another. Often, interfaith dialogue aims to increase understanding of other religious groups. This not only helps to improve relations between groups of different faiths, but also breaks down barriers, stereotypes, and other causes of tension. 

For effective interfaith dialogue to take place, individuals should be prepared to learn about the other faith(s) and be sure to be respectful of one another and speak with honesty. Each individual should also be given an equal chance to speak, although no one should feel pressured to discuss subjects unless he or she is comfortable doing so. 

When differences arise, each individual should avoid being disagreeable or rude. A good faith effort should be made to listen without judgment and empathize with other points of view. Finally, the discussion should be viewed as an opportunity for each individual to truly share his or her heart and mind.