Creating Change, a national LBGTQ movement building conference hosted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force took place in Baltimore this past week, and I was lucky to be able to represent CBST as part of the Practice Faith, Do Justice track, as well as a participant in the Jewish Movement Building working group. A few brief dispatches from a conference in three steps: reflect, teach and build together.
Step 1 - Reflection: We are part of a broad and deep movement for justice, both racial justice & queer liberation. On the agenda? Access ...
On Friday, January 20, CBST's Shabbat service kicked off the Shelter of Peace Weekend of Prayer and Learning. That Friday night, we welcomed many of our partners from the Campaign for Youth Shelter. We heard moving words from Rabbi Kleinbaum on our connection to homelessness and diaspora as Jews and our responsibility to take action. We also invited Jeremiah Wright, an Ali Forney Homeless youth advocate, to the bima to share some words of inspiration. He sent us home with the message to “keep spreading the love,” and to keep signing the petition!
Across across the ...
Parsha Vayechi, is the last parsha of Genesis. I find this parsha interesting, because it continues and ends the story of the families of our tradition…largely dysfunctional. I consider this good, because it reflects real life, and gives us a lot to discuss. Some of this is reflected in Vayechi, as well as forgiveness and destiny.
I want to focus on something else in the parsha.
Vayechi, means “he lives”… referring to the fact that Jacob lives in Egypt. What is interesting is that much of what is discussed in the parsha is the deaths of both Jacob and Joseph. Jacob asks ...
This past December I had the pleasure of attending the World LGBTQ Youth Leaders Summit, hosted by Israel Gay Youth in Tel Aviv. This was the first summit of its kind, a conference to focus on young (20 to 30 years old) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth from all around the globe. We shared our personal advocacy experiences, participated in workshops, watched a debate about whether courts or legislatures were the best course for advancing LGBT rights, and met members of the Israeli government at several different levels, including the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Ron Huldai, who hosted ...
