Award Season

I am so honored and humbled to receive the Human Rights Campaign’s Community Equality Award this coming Saturday night at their annual Los Angeles Dinner! Click on the link for more info or to join us! I will receive the award with my fellow agitator and activist and HRC Religion Council Member, The Rev. Cannon…Read more »

Season Opener

Mazal tov to the Beverly Hills Normans.  Season Opener was Saturday.  I am proud to say the son pitched the first five inning –in a game they won.  Sadly he won’t get credit for the win.  But he did a fine job I am told.  (I was leading Shabbat services). The second game he was…Read more »

I tried it

I made it through Shabbat without a Facebook post or a tweet.  Wow!  I vaguely remember that there was a time before these things were invented.  Oh yeah, just a few years ago.  But Tweeting and Facebook have so changed our realities.  But this Shabbat I participated in Shabbat Unplugged–and didn’t tweet and or Facebook.…Read more »

TURN IT OFF!

This Shabbat is a time to TURN IT OFF. Electronics that is.  Jewish communities across North America are participating in Shabbat Unplugged.  This is an effort to reclaim Shabbat in the age of Social Media and the internet.  Like many of you I am connected in all the time.  Facebook on my smartphone. Email accessible.…Read more »

The Supremes Affirm Free Speech

Today the Supreme Court ruled (8-1) that Fred Phelps and his ilk have the free speech right to protest at a military funeral.  Our constitution affirms the right of free speech and the right of assembly. But Fred Phelps and the handful of family members who make up his Westboro Baptist Church are still guilty…Read more »

A Cancellation

My Congregation, Kol Ami joined together with many GLBT organizations and the City of West Hollywood to co-sponsor a California speaking tour for Russian GLBT activist Nikolai Alekseev.  He was to be here this weekend-March 5-7 and speaking specifically in West Hollywood on Shabbat afternoon-March 5 from 3- 5 pm.  But we have cancelled his…Read more »

Gifts of Baseball

This past weekend I actually got to watch two innings of a BASEBALL game.  Yes spring Training games are underway.  I am thrilled.  I admit the game that I watched (which was a late night rerun of a game played on Shabbat) was between the Rockies and the Diamondbacks.  Cactus League.  Neither are my favorite…Read more »

Shabbat building

Parshat Vayakhel Exodus 35:1-38:20 This week in our Torah we read Vayahkel.  It seems as if it is a repetition of the earlier instructions and descriptions of building the Mishkan, the Tabernacle.  It is straightforward and to the point.  Tradition teaches us that there is no extraneous information in the Torah.  So why then do…Read more »