The Rolling Tide Toward Equality

What a week!  The march of progress toward full equality for LGBT folks continues and this week saw some important gains.   Of course the much heralded decision of the the 9th Circuit Federal Appeals Court that stuck down Prop 8 is one of the most significant decisions for LGBT equality that has come at a federal…Read more »

The Rule of Law

Parshat Yitro Exodus   18:1-20:23   This week the rule of law won out.  The release of the decision of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Proposition 8 by a vote of 2-1 reaffirmed that justice and legal logic have a place in our society and our world.   Writing for the majority Judge Stephen…Read more »

It’s Coming

In a short hour and 15 min it’s coming.  The ruling from the 9th Circuit court of appeals on the California Prop. 8 case will be released.  Soon we will know from a federal appeals court whether or not Judge Walker’s ruling stands.  You remember Judge Vaughn Walker who overturned Proposition 8 that took away…Read more »

Seeking Peace inside

I am still in Israel.  There is an ongoing discussion here about what kind of country must Israel be.  The right and the left of politics are clashing I think even more than in the U.S.  In the US the election cycle really makes the clash between conservatives, progressives and moderates more evident.  In Israel…Read more »

The Bones of Joseph

Parshat Beshallach Exodus 13:17-17:16 Our Torah portion contains one of the most well-known moments in the Bible.  This week the Children of Israel walk between walls of water on dry land to escape Egypt and Pharaoh’s army.  Cinematic images of Charlton Heston as Moses are burned into our global psyches!   Moses raises his staff…Read more »

Greetings from Jerusalem

Shalom from Jerusalem.  It is Sunday Morning and I finally made it to my Winter Session of the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative at the Machon Shalom Hartman.  This session we are discussion everything from conversion and intermarriage to the increasing gender divide in the Charedi community. We will be dealing with the Israel-Iran question and updates…Read more »