Emor and Marriage Equality

Emor and Marriage Equality

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Temple Emanuel – Denver, CO

May 11, 2012

This week’s Torah portion, Emor, teaches about the restrictions placed on those who serve as priests in the Temple.  Priests are prohibited from marrying widows or divorcees, they cannot have any physical or mental deformities – their lives are regulated and controlled.

There are many responses that we can have when confronting this text – the first one that comes to mind is – “I’m glad I’m not a priest – and I’m glad that these laws no longer apply.”  The truth is – these laws had their origins in times that are very different than our own.  The concept that a person would be prohibited from serving in a sacred capacity because of physical deformity is completely foreign to us.  Ours is a society that prides itself in being open to all – of providing access and equal rights to everyone – right? 

Well – not everyone.  There are still people who are denied basic human rights and legal protection simply because of how they love and who they love…  And this is wrong.

As I’ve said on many occasions, as a Rabbi, I believe that the most important verses in the Bible can be found in Genesis 1:27.  There we find it written that God created Humanity in the Divine Image.

We are the image of God. 

We are all holy creatures. 

God created us. 

God loves us.

God gave us the ability to love and to hate – to kill and to create.  How we use these abilities is directly proportional to our awareness of the holiness that is implanted within us.

This is why it is essential for religious communities to become involved in the struggle for LGBT rights.  For if we stand idly by and do nothing when basic human rights are denied: 

·        The right to legal protection for families

·        The right to job security. 

·        The right to housing;

·        The right to live free from fear. 

·        The right to ensure that we can carry out the wishes of our spouses and partners when they become incapacitated;

      ·        The right to visit our loved ones when they are in the hospital;

·        the right to insurance;

·        and so many others…..

Then we are denying the holiness implanted not only within our GLBT brothers and sisters – but within ourselves as well.

I’m sure that you are all aware of recent events surround the issue of Civil Unions and Gay marriage – here in our legislature and in other states around the country.  Two days ago, President Obama stated his support for Gay Marriage.  This came on the heels of voters in North Carolina who, on Tuesday approved Amendment One, a fiercely debated and highly restrictive amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as the legal union of a man and a woman is very upsetting.

The North Carolina amendment not only outlaws same-sex marriage — already illegal in the state — but bans civil unions and domestic partnerships for gay or straight couples. Family law experts say it will threaten domestic partnership health benefits for local government workers and strip unmarried couples, both gay and straight, of their rights to make financial or emergency medical decisions for an incapacitated partner.

And here in our own State of Colorado:   the leadership of our State Legislature felt it necessary to derail a bill that would allow citizens to enter into a Domestic partnership that would provide them basic legal protections – I find this to be cruel, inhumane and, frankly, immoral.  I am proud of Governor Hickenlooper for calling a special legislative session to address this bill and others that were also killed by those who were afraid of the consequences of a vote.

My friends, as Jews, I believe that we have a moral obligation to support those in our society who are asking to be granted the ability to express their love and to receive the same basic rights as other couples.

This is not about “supporting” homosexuality.  The bill is very clear in its language that no one needs to change their views on marriage, love or relationships.  It merely states that every human being has the right to love another human being – and to receive the same benefits as those who are legally married.

Our state constitution defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.  That is law.  The current bill will not change that.  All that it will do is grant basic rights to couples who want nothing more than the ability to share their lives together.

The people who will benefit if this bill is passed are not zealots or radicals – they are our friends, our relatives, our teachers, our doctors and lawyers and productive, healthy members of our society – in other words – they are you and me.

I recently posted a photo on my Facebook page (by the way – feel free to “friend” me if you haven’t done so already…),  This photo was of a beautiful family – Rhonda, Jessica and their daughter, Emily.  Rhonda and Jessica were the first same-sex couple at whose wedding I officiated.  Emily is a happy, healthy, beautiful and intelligent young woman who wrote the following to her parents in anticipation of Mothers’ day: 

 "Thank you guys for being the best moms anyone could ever have. You've given me the opportunities that many people never have, and the freedom to excel and be who I am. Thank you for helping me turn into the person I am today, and I see my actions, my words, and myself in both of you. I hope you have an amazing day and relax a little, because you both deserve it! I'm sorry if I don't always act like it, but I appreciate you guys more than anyone else on this earth. A daughter's love for her mother is the most unique and amazing feeling ever. I love you both so so much."

For those who are afraid that domestic partnerships will somehow impact the sanctity of Traditional marriage – all I have to say is how will two people who love one another – who want nothing more than to raise their families in loving homes – in JEWISH homes – where shared values are discussed and God’s presence is felt in the sanctity of consecrated commitment – how will these individuals impact the sanctity of marriage more than those who mock marriage through serial divorce, the exploitation of sexuality and love that we see reflected in the mass media and on the internet?

There is a very good chance that representative McNulty – the current speak of the House, will try to use other legislative means to ensure that the Civil Unions Bill will not come to a vote.  He can do this by shifting it to another committee that will prevent it from being brought forward.  We  need to let him know that this is wrong.  We need to let our voices be heard.  Please contact him and let him know your concern.  His phone number is:  (303)866-2346.  His email is frank.mcnulty.house@state.co.us

We have no more business legislating who is fit to love and how they express that love in sacred commitment - than we have the right to state that those who possess a physical deformity are incapable of holding sacred office.  The tide has shifted.  We need to let our legislators know that we, as people of faith, want to see equality in marriage.

In addition, I am proud that Temple Emanuel is joining with several other synagogues in the Denver area to march on June 17, in the annual pridefest parade – alongside Keshet – an organization that supports Jewish GLBT issues.  I hope that you will be able to join with me as we march together in solidarity.  You will be hearing more about this in days and weeks to come.

Shabbat Shalom.

Invocation for Colorado State House - 4/19/12. Holocaust Remembrance

Invocation for the Colorado House of Representatives

Holocaust Remembrance

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Temple Emanuel – Denver, CO

April 19, 2012

Our God and God of all humanity,

At this solemn occasion when we commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, we turn our thoughts and prayers to memory:

The memories of those who perished in the monstrous Nazi machinery of death.

The Memories of those righteous ones who stood up to evil – at their own peril

The memory of our ability to hate

The memory of our ability to heal

The memory of our ability to learn from the past

The memory of our inability to learn from the past and, in our hubris and passion repeat the mistakes of our mortality again and again.

On this morning we search for healing and renewal.

As we gather in this sacred chamber, let us acknowledge that our leaders have the power to enlighten our community.  Let us also remember that, all too often, throughout history there have been those who chose to wield power to create darkness and chaos.

Guide these legislators, O God.  On this day that we honor, sanctify and grieve at the loss those who died at the hands of murderers who failed to see the humanity of their victims, help these elected officials to look beyond the minutia of legislation and see the faces of those who will be impacted by the laws they pass.

Keep them humble, O God.  Keep them focused on the good that they can and will do – in partnership and collaboration – regardless of race, creed, gender or political affiliation.

God, you give us memory - for even at times when You were silent, You remembered us

In times when we have seemed to forget You - we came back to you

In the shadow of our loss, let us find the ability to heal – to renew ourselves and our souls – to rededicate our lives to community building – with strength, with love, with hope.

We honor those who died for the sanctification of Your name.

May they be for an Eternal blessing.

AMEN

Opening Prayer for the Colorado House At Budget Time.

Opening Prayer for the Colorado House of Representatives

April 11, 2012

Rabbi Joseph R. Black – Temple Emanuel – Denver, CO

God – where can we find you?

Are you only in the sanctuaries of the faithful where ritual and rubric move in a carefully choreographed  routine of dedicated petition and praise?

Or, perhaps you reside in the rooms of the sick and dying - where fevered prayer cries out in desperation and faith.

Are you in the mountain top from which – newly melted snow flows into the thirsty valleys below…

Can we catch a glimpse of your presence in the majestic sunsets that fill our hearts with awe and our minds with wonder?

Is there any limit to your presence?

Surely – there is no place for you in the figures and the formulae that fill the pages of our State budget.

You cannot possibly be found in the amendments, revenue forecasts, cuts and proposals that have kept these lawmakers in these chambers late into the night.

And yet…. Each number, each column each redline and reshuffling reflects our values and our ability to make a difference  - to build, to teach, to heal – to tear down, to eliminate and to eradicate……

We are finite beings – O immortal Creator.  We can only work with the tools and the resources You give us. 

Help these legislators to see the souls of all who are impacted by the decisions they make. 

Let them understand the hope and fear of the vulnerable and infirm;

Show them the faces of the children and the teachers, the nurses and the social workers, the police and firemen and women  and so many more on whom we depend and who depend on these elected officials to ensure that they can do their sacred work.

Let them see that politics and party-lines serve no purpose other than to obscure Your presence from the sacred deliberations that take place in this hallowed hall.

Give these legislators the strength to do what is right and to honor the dignity of all of your creation.

Let them move away from partisanship and look to the light of compromise – of partnership – of mutual support and respect as they make the difficult decisions that will affect all of us.

You are here – God – now.  Let us feel Your presence. And let that awareness move us all to a higher calling.

AMEN

We've Arrived In Jerusalem!!! 3-28-12

March 28, 2012- Jerusalem
Dear Friends,

After a week of traveling together as a group, we have finally arrived in Jerusalem. Over the past 7 days we have covered a lot of geographic, philosophical, spiritual and intellectual territory. Our travels have taken us from the modern metropolis of Tel Aviv, to the pioneering spirit of the Negev, to the mystic streets of Tzfat and the beauty of the Galilee, to the majestic vistas of the Golsn Heights. We are physically exhausted, but spiritually exhilarated as we prepare to explore the holy city of Jerusalem.

It would take more time than I have to write this blog to share every detail of every day of our trip. To give you a small taste of our travels, I will share what we did today with you.

We woke up early at our kibbutz guest house - Kibbutz Lavi - in the Galilee and drove to the Golan Heights. We travelled up to Gamla - the site of an ancient Jewish comminunity from the Roman period and gazed down at the beautiful site of the oldest synagogue ever discovered in Israel. We learned about its significance to the Revolt against Rome. We then travelled thousands of years in time to Tel Saki - where we met with one of the true heroes of the Yom Kippur War - Nir Atir - who, in 1983, commanded a small group of Israeli Tanks - the 188th brigade - and was given the impossible task of holding off the Syrian Army until Reservists could come to fill the gap in the IDF's vastly outnumbered forces. Nir's story of bravery, valor, courage and loss was very moving. From there, we left the North and travelled up to Maaleh Adumim - a neighborhood outside of Jerusalem. There we met with a family of Ethiopian Jews who told us the incredible story of their painstaking journey from Ethiopia to the Sudan and Israel in order to fulfill their ancient dream of returning to their homeland - Eretz Yisrael.

From there, we travelled to Har Ha-Tzofim- Mt. Scopus - to get our first glimpse of Jerusalem and then we went to the Kotel (the Western Wall) as a group to experience it for the first time as a group - this won't be the last time we journey to the Kotel - but it might be the most profound. After leaving the Kotel, we checked into our hotel and had dinner on our own.

Some of you have expressed concerns about the upcoming "March on Jerusalem" scheduled for this Friday. For those who aren't familiar with this , it basically is an event organized by a consortium of sworn enemies of Israel - as well as a few mis-guided leftist extremists. Their goal is to organize a march on Jerusalem in order to call attention to the plight of the Palestinians.

I find it ironic that some of the organizers of this march - representing Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, to name a few, are THEMSELVES responsible for more misery for the Arab populace than Israel could ever dream. At the same time that thousands of innocent men, women and children are being slaughtered in Syria - just across the border from Israel, these activists are organizing a march for the rights of the Palestinians. Why is the Arab world so silent when it comes to Syria and so vocal when it comes to the Jewish State?

I have no idea what, if any impact this day may have on our plans this Friday - we will see. One important thing that we, as American Jews, can do in response is to participate in "Buy Israeli Goods" day this Friday.

Right now, I need to get some sleep, so I will end this rambling post here.

Shalom M'Yirushalayim - Shalom from Jerusalem,

Rabbi Joe Black

Shalom From Israel: Reflections on the Toulouse Massacre.

March 20, 2012 - Kibbutz Tzubah - Near Ein Kerem, Jerusalem.

Dear Friends,

I write this post from Israel. I arrived last night - joining Sue at Kibbutz Tzubah - where she has been staying for the past week. As many of you know, our son, Ethan is participating in the Eisendrath International Exchange - a semester-long High School in Israel program sponsored by the Reform Movement. This past week has been "parents week." While I was not able to participate the entire week, Sue came to Israel ahead of me and I arrived for the last two days in order that we might see Ethan together.

On Thursday afternoon, our group of 45 Temple members will meet in Israel and we will begin our 10 day journey. I will try to post a few blog posts during the course of our trip for those who are interested in following our adventure.

I'm sure that by now you have heard about the tragedy that occurred in Toulouse, France. It appears that a racist gunman - as yet - unidentified - has murdered four Jews in cold blood at a religious school: 3 children and 1 adult. It also seems likely that the same gunman (or weapon) was used in the slaying of three "ethnic looking" French soldiers earlier this month.

Reaction here in Israel to this tragedy has been very public and very powerful. Two of the slain - children - have Israeli citizenship. But even if this were not the case, the cold blooded murder of innocent souls - merely because they were Jewish - would still be a cause of mourning and outrage. We have been there before.

Yesterday, Prime Minster Netanyahu blasted the United Nations because at the very moment that the world was digesting the horrible details of this tragedy, a representative of Hamas was addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaking of the Hamas representative, Netanyahu said: “He represents an organization that indiscriminately targets children and grown-ups, and women and men. Innocents are their special favorite target....”

Israel is a very politically divided nation. It is rare that everyone here is in agreement about any issue - except this: Those who legitimize terror in any form are deceiving themselves. The only difference between that gunman in Toulouse and the agents of Hamas who fire rockets into Southern Israel is the fact that, in Israel, it is difficult, if not impossible to find easy targets due to the security measures that she has been forced to employ to keep her citizens safe.

Too many people around the world refuse to acknowledge this truth. Adding insult to the Hamas speech at the UN was the fact that the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton appears to have compared the actions of this murderous racist in France to Israel's defensive operations in Gaza. At a conference Monday in Brussels on Palestinian refugees, Ashton reportedly said, "When we remember young people who have been killed in all sorts of terrible circumstances -- the Belgian children having lost their lives in a terrible tragedy,and when we think about what happened today in Toulouse, we remember what happened in Norway last year, we know what is happening in Syria, and we see what is happening in Gaza and other places -- we remember young people and children who lose their lives."

This kind of obscene comparison cannot and will not be tolerated. The Israeli army is one of the most moral defense forces in the world. The fact that Israel is forced to defend herself against armed aggressors who will stop at nothing to kill her citizens means that occasionally unintended casualties occur during the course of operations. Hamas and it's compatriots deliberately place women and children in harms way in order to maximize the potential for innocent life to be lost. Time after time, when such casualties do occur, the IDF takes pains to investigate whether proper procedures were followed. If they were not, then those soldiers responsible are punished. What other Middle East nation takes such pains to ensure that justice is served? What other country is so concerned with due process? Israel is the ONLY stable, democratic state in this region. To compare the State of Israel to those who kill because of their hatred for Jews and Zionism is an obscenity.

It is for this, and so many other reasons, that we, as American Jews - as lovers of Democracy - must stand firm and show our support for the State of Israel. While I do not always agree with the policies of every Israeli government, I respect and defend the rights of Israel to live as a free, Democratic and Jewish state. Those members of our congregation who will soon be joining me and Sue will have a wonderful, life-changing experience. But we will also be showing our support and solidarity by our presence. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you - on this page and when we return.

Shalom M'Yisrael - Shalom from Israel.

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Report from Jerusalem

Dear Friends, Shalom From Jerusalem! As is always the case with Rabbinic missions to Israel, our days haver been filled to the brim with briefings, classes and meetings. We have been in Israel for about a day and a half. Already we have done more than most people do in a week. Here's a brief rundown: Upon arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, our group travelled to the Ministry of Defense where we received high level briefings from Major General (res.) Udi Shemi - Director General of the Ministry of Defense and Amos Gilad - Director of Policy and Political-Military Affairs at the Israel Ministry of Defense. While I cannot share all of the information we received at this briefing due to space and security constraints, one of the key messages we left with was that Israel is currently in the midst of a period of strength and safety. On many fronts, things are going very well. BUT - the forecast for the future is shaky. The reality of a Nuclear Iran looms large on the horizon. This was not news to any of us. What was very interesting, however, was the fact that, in the list of all of the security challenges that Israel is currently facing: - Iran - the "Arab Spring," - Syria, - Military Aid, - changing relationships with Turkey - attempts to delegitimize Israel around the world - to name a few For the first time, in a long time, the Palestinian issue was not on the top of the list. This doesn't mean that it is not important or that facts on the ground might not change, but it would appear that, from a strategic point, the IDF feels that the greatest threats that Israel are facing are more global than local. While the situation is difficult, we left our meeting feeling that Israel is prepared for whatever contingencies might arise. After our briefing, we travelled to Jerusalem where we met with JErry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America. He gave us a progress report on the impact that Jewish communities across the United States are making on addressing the many issues that confront the JEwish people - in America, Israel and around the world. The fact that we had just witnessed first-hand the challenges and triumphs of rebuilding Jewish life in Hungary helped us to re-connect with why it is so vitally important for Jews around the world to dedicate ourselves to ensuring a Jewish future for ourselves and those yet to come. Rabbi Foster and I will be speaking about this soon. We began our day today with a briefing on attempts to delegitimize Israel through an organized campaign of Boycotts, Sanctions and Divestments (BDS). These campaigns have had mixed results - but we need to remain vigilant to ensure that the true story of Israel and Zionism is told. We then went to a center in Jerusalem that deals with the critical issue of unemployment among young Israeli adults. We also learned more about the efforts of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in the Former Soviet Union. Following this briefing, we travelled to Bet Shemesh a fast-growing community located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Some of you may have read about the incidents that took place recently between a minority of Ultra-Orthodox radicals who were terrorizing a Modern Orthodox Jewish girls school. We visited with the head of the school, Pirchiya Nachmani (see picture) as well as students and parents. Pirchiya was inspiring in her description of how parents, teachers, students and community leaders all came together to fight hatred and extremism. They were determined to prevent this explosive situation from derailing their mission of teaching tolerance, faith and Zionist ideals to their students. This truly was a highlight of the trip so far. After visiting the school, we had a luncheon with leaders of the Bet Shemesh community and learned about how a rapidly growing community was dealing with the complexities of meeting the needs of multiple ethnic and religious groups - all of whom are competing for space, power and influence. We then travelled to the Kiryat Ya-arim Youth Village where we learned about a special program for high school graduates who chose to postpone their army service for one year so that they can volunteer in a social service capacity. WE met with some of these students to hear how they felt that they wanted to give back to Israeli society prior to entering into the IDF. These 17 and 18 year olds felt that they needed to revitalize the Zionist ideals of their parents and grandparents. Once again, we were moved by their passion and commitment. Tonight, we will have a panel on The State of Religion in Israel - led by leaders of different religious movements. Tomorrow, we will meet with Natan Sharansky - the Chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel. That's all for now. I look forward to the luxury of being able to sort through all of my thoughts and experiences and sharing them with you soon. Shalom! Rabbi Black

Report From The Rabbinic Mission to Budapest and Israel 1

February 27, 2012 9:00 AM Dear Friends, I am writing this blog post at the El Al Departure lounge of the Budapest airport. Rabbi Foster and I, along with 38 other Reform, Orthodox and Conservative Rabbis have just concluded the 1st leg of our trip to Budapest and Jerusalem. The past 3 days have been overwhelming. Our group, sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), has been given a crash course in post-Communist Hungarian Jewry. We have also visited with the US and Israeli Ambassadors to Hungary, had a VIP tour of the Hungarian parliament, studied and prayed at several synagogues in Budapest, observed first hand how the Hungarian Jewish community is preserving and celebrating their heritage while, at the same time, dealing with the precariousness of living in a society that is seeing a disturbing rise in anti-semitism and far right politics. We participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Raoul Wallenberg memorial along with a US congressional delegation, attended a special reception at the US Embassy hosted by the Ambassador and her family, learned about a unique program that brings together Holocaust survivors and Hungarian young people, visited holocaust memorials and celebrated Havdalah with a group of young Hungarian Jewish Youth who embody the concept of "Celebrate Being Jewish." ....and that's just a small taste of what we have done. This afternoon, after landing at Ben Gurion airport, we will begin the Israeli half of our trip by visiting the Ministry of Defense where we will receive a special briefing on the security situation in the MIddle East. One of the key themes that we encountered during our stay in Budapest is the way in which many young Hungarian Jews have discovered their heritage. Over and over again we heard the same story: young people discovered that they were Jewish almost by accident. Parents who wanted to shield their children from the history of oppression and persecution that was inexorably linked to Hungarian Jewish history kept their identity a secret. Often it wasn't until they were in their teens that these young people learned the truth. But what happened next was truly inspirational. Rather than allow the fact of their religion to become a burden, increasing numbers of young Jews are actively seeking out avenues to learn about and express their Jewishness. From summer camp, to religious schools, jcc's and Israel cultural centers, the Hungarian Jewish community- with the help of agencies like the JDC and JAFI - is revitalizing itself. Our group witnessed first hand a burning hunger for knowledge and a love of Judaism that neither the Nazis, the Fascists or the Communists could extinguish. Rabbi Foster and I will share our impressions soon from the pulpit. I will write more about the Israel portion of the trip when I am able. I the meantime, "Shalom M'Yerushalayim"- shalom from Jerusalem. Rabbi Joe Black.