Letter to Congress Urges Repeal of Defense of Marriage Act
Rabbi Saperstein: "It is unconscionable discrimination for the government to deny the benefits and rights that all loving, committed couples deserve equally under law."
Pride Month: A Year of LGBT Victories
June is coming, which means LGBT Pride Month is just around the corner! Throughout the month of June, we celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community throughout the nation.
To Gov. Bryant: Veto Mississippi's HB 1523
To Gov. Deal: Veto Georgia's HB 757
Galilee Diary: Under the Chuppah with a "Ceremony Facilitator"?
Recently, we attended still another wedding not conducted by a rabbi, but by a friend of the couple, or by a freelance “ceremony facilitator.” Although such ceremonies are not recognized by the population registry, and thus have no legal standing, the ways around this obstacle have gotten easier in recent years.
Speaking Out Against North Carolina's H.B. 2
On Wednesday, March 23, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed H.B. 2 into law. This wide-sweeping legislation puts into place broad anti-LGBT provisions.
Calling All Clergy: Please Report to Washington D.C.
The Best Wedding Gift: Justice for Non-Orthodox Jews in Israel
As our wedding present to Dinah and Roi, the Israel Religious Action Center will be filing a lawsuit on their behalf against Sh’vilei Or mikveh for unlawful discrimination in public accommodations. We will demand 50,000 shekel in statutory damages and an injunction prohibiting Sh’vilei Or or any other mikveh from closing its doors to non-Orthodox Jews.
The Complex Commandment To Be Holy
The Eternal spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy. (Leviticus 19:1-2)
Parashat K'doshim places before us one of the most difficult commandments in the whole Torah. It's not kashrut or Shabbat, or even the rules of sexual conduct, but rather, the admonition and the expectation to "be holy." Throughout the Torah, we are given rules and statues that tell us what to do. Here are we told what to be. A similar statement is found in Exodus 19:6, where we are commanded to be a "kingdom of priests and a holy people." But what does it mean to be holy? The parashah does not define what holiness is, nor does it tell us what it means to be holy. The guidance it gives us is in the specifics: the who, when, why, and how of the injunction.
What's at Stake? A Look at the Western Wall Agreement
The compromise will bridge a festering schism between Israel and American Jewry, who have voiced concern about the government’s failure to recognize their authenticity and their needs. The hope is that the Western Wall will be an enduring symbol of Jewish unity, not fractious division.