Constance Leighann McMillen is a brave senior high school student that wouldn’t be quiet when her high school in Northern Mississippi told her she couldn’t bring her girlfriend to the prom.  Oh and by the way, they told her “No” she could not wear a tuxedo either!  Instead the Itawamba Agricultural High School cancelled the prom.  I wrote…Read more »

Tonight Jews around the world sit down to their Seder meal to ritually tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. With special foods filled with symbolism we will taste the bitterness of slavery and the sweetness of freedom with four cups of wine.  So for those of you who need a last-minute great recipe to…Read more »

Okay already–enough with the birthday thing…. No really it has been a wonderful month of celebrating my special birthday.  Friday evening at Shabbat was truly the icing on the cake.  My wonderful special congregation gave me a birthday Shabbat that was so touching and sweet.  So many Temple members turned out to celebrate. It was…Read more »

Here is information on the basics of the Health Care Reform bill passed by the House and signed by the President. Yes it still has to be reconciled by the Senate but this summary comes from the website  for the House  Committee on Energy and Commerce chaired by our wonderful California Representative Henry Waxman.  There…Read more »

This was a momentous week.  A week we should all give thanks that Health Care Reform became law.  I know there were and are many who are scared of Health Care Reform–they are scared of the numbers of the finances of it.  But I am more scared by the more than 30 million Americans who had…Read more »

Parshat Tzav Leviticus 6:1-8:36 This week’s portion, Tzav contains the ordination ceremony of Aaron and his sons as the priesthood.  It makes sense to detail the ordination of the Aaron as High Priest and his sons because the offerings of the sacrifices are detailed in last week’s portion and again in this week’s portion Tzav. …Read more »

I have to admit it I love watching my kid play ball! From the time he was a little tyke to now his second year on the Varsity Normans of Beverly Hills, it is fun to watch him pitch, catch, hit and play third base. And he is very good at it.  I also admit…Read more »

Well it has been a whole week of 50. I turned 50 a week ago and so far so good!  Everyone who beat here tells me that this decade is potentially one of the greatest of one’s life.  The first week was not so bad! I started it watching baseball with my kid at Spring…Read more »

It has long been a problem for gay and lesbian couples.  If one is not a U.S. citizen and resides in another country, it takes hurdles to bring in a permanent partner.  This is just one more area of discrimination for gay men and lesbians in this country.  Immigration groups have been lobbying hard to…Read more »

Mike Hamel has been chair person of the Agudah, Israel’s oldest LGBT organization for almost 5 years.  But nothing prepared him to handle the tragic shooting at the Agudah’s Nachmani Street center last August.  Hamel and the Agudah board based in Tel Aviv has been gracefully trying to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy…Read more »