An Open Letter to my Brothers and Sisters in Faith

Dear Friends in Faith,

My heart is breaking. Too much hatred. Too many deaths. Too much sadness and crushed dreams. My friends and family in Israel are living in fear and will never be the same. My Muslim and Christian and other brothers and sisters of this region including Israel and Palestine belonging to our larger family of Adam and Eve are living in fear and will never be the same. I who work so hard to build bridges that join and not fences that divide and destroy am hurting beyond words and will never be the same. I am hurting for all of these people, who are members of our human family, the beginning of which we read this week in our Torah portion in our synagogues as we begin the cycle of Torah readings once again. How do we get through this?

This is NOT about politics; it is about the respect we are to show for human lives and the humility we must all hold onto as we remember that we do NOT have the right to destroy the lives of others.

This is exactly why this work of Multi-Faith engagement and connections is of such vital importance to me. We need to respect each other. We need to listen to each other. We need to learn to understand each other and truly see each other for all that we are. We need to acknowledge differences and have the challenging conversations because when we can't talk with each other, and we can't see the humanity in each other, fear, hatred and destruction such as we are all now witnessing happens.

As the lives of too many Israelis and Palestinians all faiths who are innocent and just want to live are destroyed, we must all recommit ourselves to this work of realizing we are all the children of G-d who created us and remember that our G-d, our Lord, Allah or whatever we call The Supreme Being wants much better from us. We, however, must work to be much better and not fail ourselves or The One To Whom We Hold Ourselves Accountable. We must not fall into the trap of moral equivocation when we see one party of the conflict try so hard to NOT destroy lives and the other one parading those they do.

With prayers and ongoing thoughts for the loss of too many lives and the destruction resulting from not working together to be better.

Let us pray, hope and work for a better future for Israel and Israelis of all faiths, for Palestine and Palestinians of all faiths, and for all of us of all faiths.

Sunnie

The Very Sad State of Affairs, Why We Have To Care, and a Victory!

You most likely have never heard of Dr. Jake Kleinmahon but you must pay attention to the cautionary tale of his life. He is one of Louisiana's only three pediatric cardiologists dealing with profoundly ill children, and has had to leave the state over anti-LGBTQ legislation. He and his husband and two children are now making a life in New York where he is not fearful for the safety of his family and he will open a new pediatric cardiologist practice there.

You should also know the name of Benjamin Sumner Wells. He served President Franklin D. Roosevelt for many years in various roles, ultimately as Under Secretary of State, assisting with the saving of Jews from Nazi Germany. This was halted as he was forced out of his position in 1943 due to rumors that he was gay. One can only wonder if more Jews could have been saved had he been allowed to continue his very important work.

I speak with LGBTQ+ Jews who are religious daily and unfortunately, have had to come to the realization with them that an increasing number of states in the USA are no longer safe places. One of the saddest conversations I had recently was with a wonderful Rabbi who called to ask about safe communities he could counsel the transgender persons in his Kehillah/community to consider as new homes, given that his state was becoming an increasingly dangerous place for these individuals to JUST LIVE!

………. Okay, so I do not really keep up with this blog any longer as I am really busy on so many fronts and the Hagim (the Jewish holidays) have been an additional element in our lives at present. BUT, there must be a reason I did not continue this UNTIL TODAY. For today, we have so much to celebrate.

Oakland, California is where one of our Eshel Rock Star Rabbis, Rabbi Gershon Albert is the Senior Rabbi at Beth Jacob Congregation and they now have the first openly gay Orthodox Rabbi, Shua Brick, in a congregational post. Rabbi Brick is a Yeshiva University Rabbinic alumnus and he has already established himself as a wonderful teacher, leader and dugma (role model) for how to live. meaningful and involved Jewish life. There are many of us in the Orthodox Jewish world and especially as allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community amongst us that are marking this significant milestone. You can read the story here https://forward.com/news/563113/shua-brick-gay-orthodox-rabbi-oakland/

As a strictly observant Jew, I have never questioned the importance or my ability to walk in any lane of the Jewish world or the Multi-Faith world or just the world….. My husband and I have taught and shown our four children how to do the same. Three of the four of them are in the LGBTQ+ spectrum and are living their lives purposefully and meaningfully. This is what I try to help ensure that people can do through my work with Eshel, the Orthodox Jewish consortium for LGBTQ+ inclusion. I have seen so much change in the past ten years, being able to have more meaningful and deep conversations with Rabbis, parents and community members who did not even engage with this topic not so long ago. I always say that it is our responsibility and our privilege, and ultimately we will benefit, from including and valuing our children and community members who are LGBTQ+ for who they are. With one daughter as a palliative care physician, another as a community organizer working with populations at risk, and my daughters-in-law --- one a rabbi and one engaged in community work, counseling and bringing students of different faith communities together, I could not be more proud. SO MANY people are benefitting from their professionalism, their wisdom and their skill sets. THIS is what we want for all of our children and just imagine who will benefit.

I feel badly for the community in New Orleans who has lost one of their very few important medical specialists. I often wonder how many more Jews could have been rescued from Nazi Europe had Wells been able to continue his important work. How many other communities are suffering as I am counseling people who are being forced to leave their homes IN THIS COUNTRY because of their gender or sexuality diversity.

And then there are places to celebrate. I am so glad and grateful that I live in the Greater Philadelphia area and we have so many really important members of our community doing significant work who are LGBTQ+. I know so many in Boston benefit from the efforts and initiatives of our children there and their friends. And now Oakland California is here to teach us all …. It is NOT about gender or sexuality. It IS about what people have to offer to make us all better people.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!

Democracy and Freedom – What We Are Allowed and What Is Asked Of Us in this Season of Reflection

I sit here on the sixth day of Pesach, 5783/2023 amidst the fracture and pain of so much in our world. I think a lot about the two countries on this planet closest to my heart – the United States of America and Israel, as well as all of the other countries and inhabitants and citizens who are often not so different than you or I. We are privileged to live in a land that is a democracy in which many freedoms are afforded us. However, so much of that continues to be at stake with abuse of legislative powers, co-opting of hard fought freedoms and increasing dangers to our very being. Protests for democracy in Israel, protests in the United States over the ousting of democratic members of a primarily republican legislature, lack of ability to negotiate how to keep all citizens safe and respect their integrity, concern over removing pharmaceuticals that will protect the lives and bodies of our daughters, sisters, mothers and all women, and …..

So, on this sixth day of Pesach, called Zeman Heiruteinu, the Time of our Freedom, I am reminded that this freedom was NOT granted to abuse and grab power, but rather, so we as the Jewish Nation could accept the discipline that is celebrated seven weeks later on Shavuot as we observe the time of the Giving of the Torah, Zeman Matan Torateinu or Shavuot, that ASKS so much of us so that we are ALLOWED to remain as free people. In that spirit…

Democracy allows us to freely think; and asks that we protect that right for all others;

Democracy allows us to believe in G-d or any Higher Being or… as we wish; we are asked to respect that others will do what they find right for them;

Democracy allows us to live where we want; it asks us to acknowledge that all others can do the same;

Democracy allows us to choose our own path, career and course of life; it asks that we respect the choices of others;

Democracy allows us to own our property, increase our savings and resources; it asks that we share our good fortune with others;

Democracy allows us to walk on the street in any garb we choose that is appropriate; it asks that we do not look disparagingly at those who may look different;

Democracy allows us to use whatever resources and agencies that we need; we are asked to help others access them;

Democracy allows us to be who we are, our gender, our sexuality, our ethnic grouping, our racial identity; it asks that we accept others for all they are.

Democracy allows us to exercise so many different freedoms; it asks – DEMANDS – that we protect those freedoms for all people.

For Jews, we are now in a period of time called Sefirat HaOmer. Similar to Lent for Christians and Ramadan for Muslims and other cycled periods of thought and reflection for other faiths, it asks that we think long and hard about our lives, to not take the freedoms we have for granted and to consider how we can be the best people possible. This is so central so so many people of faith and various traditions of belief.

Amalek is the archetypal nation that did not do or understand any of this and destroyed the weak, the different, the ones who struggled the most in the Jewish Nation so long ago. G-d saved the Jewish nation from their cruel grip, and G-d did not protect us so that we would become Amalek; rather, that we protect all people from any Amalek that may rise.

As we all celebrate or wrap up our seasons of reflection, may we all remember not just what is ALLOWED for us, but more important what is ASKED of us. In that way, we will build bridges of understanding and acceptance that freedom allows and not construct the fences that divide, fracture and threaten that freedom.