RJ Blog

Over the last year, many Americans have spoke against the voter suppression laws that have swept the nation, state by state. But there are few who can speak with more passion or heart than those who actively organized, rallied and marched during the Civil Rights Movement to fight for expanded rights, including voting rights, for all. One of these leaders is Representative John Lewis (D-GA), who, 50 years ago, put his body on the line to defeat Jim Crow laws that blocked African Americans and other citizens of color from accessing the polls and exercising their rights as Americans.

by Rabbi Jason Rosenberg Marriage equality has been in the news, pretty much non-stop, for a couple of days now. First, North Carolina passed Amendment 1, banning any kind of legal civil union, other than heterosexual marriage. Then, President Obama came out in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, a first for a sitting U.S. President. It has been, to say the least, a busy few days in the marriage equality world. That makes this as good of a time as any for me to speak out in favor of marriage equality. It’s something I’ve done before, as have many of [...]

Like all parents, I have many hopes and dreams for my children. On one level, I just hope I don’t screw them up too much. But above all, I dream: each will grow into the best of who he or she is meant to be and fulfill his or her life’s unique purpose. Each will experience success, know failure, and be a better human being as a result of both. Each will be rooted in and wrestle with their faith, and be stronger for both. I hope they will be truth-tellers, justice-seekers, and good neighbors. I dream they will be [...]

by Alexis Kashar As a mom with three hearing children, I volunteer in many venues, including my children’s elementary school. I also happen to be deaf and communicate primarily through sign language when presenting to groups. It has become a tradition of sorts for me to present annually to the second-grade classes at my children’s school to help raise awareness of what it means to be a deaf person. On this particular morning, my son who is in the fourth grade joined me for the first time. This time, the sign language interpreter did not show up, which meant my [...]

by Rabbi Bonnie Margulis Years ago, as an undergraduate at NYU, I was working on my senior honors thesis, “On the Ordination of Women as Rabbis.” It had been only 11 years since the first woman was ordained, but it was more than half a lifetime ago for me, and so seemed a very long time ago. It never occurred to me that I could try to go see Rabbi Sally Priesand and interview her. She was in Morristown, I was in Paramus – just an hour away, but who knew?  Today I kick myself that I was so dumb. [...]

Over a month ago, the Senate leadership struck a bipartisan deal pledging to vote on a package of 14 judicial nominees, thereby momentarily addressing the pervasive obstructionism to judicial appointments. While this deal effectively stimulated voting on judicial vacancies, it did not even begin to address the urgent need for a real commitment to filling our nation’s benches. Judicial nominations have been subject to the worst kind of politics by placing the justice system for which we pride ourselves at risk for the purpose of partisan battles.

On Tuesday, May 8th, 2012, the state of North Carolina enshrined bigotry, ignorance, and hatred into their constitution. Many adults who hold the power to vote abused this opportunity by deciding to hurt others to protect their own feelings of morality.

I experienced a profound moment of clarity Monday afternoon. Attending Reform Jewish Voice of New York State (RJV) Advocacy Day in Albany, I listened intently as Rabbi Linda Goodman of Union Temple in Brooklyn affirmed the Reform Jewish values undergirding our Movement’s advocacy for reproductive choice while speaking to her state Senator. Though her words were persuasive and meaningful, it was the silent but amplified power of her position that resonated so deeply. That a female rabbi, a leader of the Jewish people, had chosen to devote her day to championing the cause of reproductive health spoke volumes about a [...]

Yesterday, North Carolinians voted to write discrimination into their state constitution, joining 29 other states that have constitutional bans on marriage equality. Amendment 1, which passed with 61 percent in favor to 39 percent against, however, goes much further than those passed in other states. Whereas other states have bans restricting “only” marriage equality, this amendment also prohibits any recognition of civil unions and domestic partnerships, regardless of the couple’s sexual orientations. There is little doubt that, one day, this hateful measure will be repealed – even one of its key supporters has recognized that the amendment will not last [...]

It’s not too late to plan a Jubilee Shabbat event in your synagogue, community, or even for your home and family. This year’s Jubilee Shabbat weekend is taking place May 18-19, and it is co-sponsored by the Religious Action Center, American Jewish World Service, Tikkun, the Shalom Center and Rabbis for Human Rights-North America (RHR-NA). The weekend is just one opportunity to set aside time to pray, reflect, study, and act around issues of global inequality and poverty. Each week we set aside time to rest during Shabbat. But the Jubilee, which represents the seventh Sabbath cycle, reminds us to [...]