Celebrate Religion and Spirituality Around the World in December with WORLD Channel

BOSTON, Dec. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Inspired by the approaching new year, this December, WORLD Channel programming will offer insightful views on faith and global religions beginning Tuesday, December 2. This special lineup also includes the WORLD Channel premiere of two new series: The Story of the Jews with Simon Schama and Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler.

In five-part series, The Story of the Jews, author, historian and TV host, Simon Schama, explores the Jewish experience from ancient times to the present day in this five-part series.

Hosted by Bruce Feiler — bestselling author, scholar, adventurer, and explorer extraordinaire — Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler goes on an unprecedented journey to some of the world's most meaningful landscapes and rigorous religious pilgrimages – all undertaken in one remarkable year.

"As Americans prepare to celebrate and give thanks this holiday season, WORLD Channel is pleased to present voices and stories that represent diverse religions, while highlighting the similarities shared by all people in their spiritual journeys," says Chris Hastings, executive producer, WORLD Channel. "Our programming offers audiences global perspectives and inspiration."

For full listing information on WORLD Channel's December programming, visit www.worldchannel.org. Airdate information of The Story of the Jews and Sacred Journeys is below.

The Story of the Jews

Sunday, December 14, 2014
In the Beginning: Chronicles the story of the Jewish experience, which begins 3,000 years ago with the emergence of a tribal people in a contested land and their extraordinary book, the Hebrew Bible.

Sunday, December 21, 2014
Among Believers: The story of medieval Jews struggling to preserve their identity — and sometimes their lives — under the rule of Christianity and Islam.

Sunday, December 28, 2014
A Leap of Faith: Explores the bright, hopeful moment when Enlightenment thinkers and revolutionary armies brought ghetto walls crashing down — allowing Jews to weave their wisdom, creativity and energies into the very fabric of modern life in Europe.

Sunday, January 4, 2015
Over the Rainbow: Travel from Lithuania, where Schama's own family logged wood and fought wolves, to the boulevards of Odessa, where shtetl kids argued the merits of revolutionary socialism over Zionism.

Sunday, January 11, 2015
Return: Examining how the Holocaust and the creation of Israel have fundamentally changed what it means to be Jewish.

Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler

Friday, December 19, 2014
Lourdes, France – wounded warriors seek healing in the waters of Lourdes 
Shikoku, Japan – pilgrims walk an 870-mile trail, visiting 88-temples

Friday, December 26, 2014
Jerusalem, Israel – pilgrims pray in the most sacred city in the world 
Mecca, Saudi Arabia – pilgrims journey on the Hajj to these Muslim holy lands

Friday, January 2, 2015
Allahabad, India – pilgrims gather to purify themselves on the banks of the Ganges at the Kumbh Mela
Osun-Osogbo, Nigeria – pilgrims attend an annual festival celebrating the Yoruba Goddess Osun

Expand your views and perspectives on important social issues in December and year-round. Check your local listings and get more info about WORLD Channel programs at www.worldchannel.org. Viewers can also join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

About WORLD Channel:
The WORLD Channel is a 24/7, multicast channel dedicated to delivering the best of public television's nonfiction, news and documentary programming as well as a growing schedule of original content from independent producers and communities of difference. The complementary website, www.WORLDchannel.org, expands on broadcast topics and fuels content across social media, providing opportunities for broad and diverse audience interaction. WORLD Channel is produced by WGBH/Boston, in partnership with American Public Television and WNET/New York, and in association with the Public Broadcasting Service and the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Funding for WORLD Channel is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Ford Foundation. Additional funding for "America ReFramed" is provided by the MacArthur Foundation.

Contact:   
Mandy Miller 
National Marketing, WGBH
617-300-5334
[email protected]

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SOURCE WORLD Channel

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