Celebrating Pride Month by Advocating for Equality
One of the first things we learn in the Torah from the story of creation is that humans were created b’tzelem Elohim – in the holy image of G-d (Genesis 1:27).
Here's How to Advocate for Equality This Pride Month and Beyond
The Reform Jewish Movement is encouraged to see the House prioritizing issues directly impacting the lives of LGBTQ+ Americans, but the Senate has yet to consider the Equality Act or LGBTQ+ provisions in a COVID-19 response bill. That is where we, as a people committed to social justice, have a role to play.
The Struggle to Build a Loving, Accepting, and Ethical Israel
A classmate recently snapped a photo of a billboard promoting Israel’s right-wing Yachad party that read: “So there won’t be a child with a father and a father!”
This Pride Month, Break the Glass
What Can We Learn from the Pfeffermans?
Most people have at least heard of Amazon’s groundbreaking television show, Transparent, which along with transgender actress Laverne Cox of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and movies such as Tangerine, are pushing transgender stories from the margins into the mainstream. But to single out Transparent simply for highlighting a topic that’s still taboo in most of the television world is to overlook the other half of the show’s DNA – its significant reliance on Jewish themes and customs to weave its tale. It may seem an arbitrary combination, as the show is based in part on creator Jill Soloway’s own Jewish family and transgendered parent, but advocacy for LGBTQ rights has a long history among progressive Jews.
When the Holy Act of Kneeling Becomes a Weapon
This Shabbat, recite these 15 words of this ancient and powerful b’racha. Take a knee to show your vulnerability. Take a knee in protest and offer this blessing with the hopes of truly bringing a sense of peace and wholeness at a time when it is so deeply needed.
The New Zionism: Driven By Innovation in Technology
A new Zionism has emerged. It’s taking many forms, but most dramatically, I've discovered it in the startup companies that are transforming Israel into a high-tech powerhouse and an engine for improving the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.
Not All Rebellions Look (or End) Like Korach's Did
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States this year, Rabbi Carole Balin, Ph.D., is sharing eight chapters of an "alternative Book of Numbers” designed to tell the stories of Jewish women who combined civic engagement with Jewish values in a 40-year struggle “in the wilderness” to pass the 19th Amendment.