genesis
In April I saw an interesting series of question sent out via the JQYouth e-mail list-serve. I did not notice any responses to the message at the time but made the conscious decision of responding by...
View ArticleA Guest Post: Human Nature
A friend of mine recently relayed a story to me, one that he had not previously told anyone else. I asked him to share it on this blog. He agreed and, after some editing on my part, which still does...
View ArticleKidas Moshe ViYisroel
I have written on this topic in the past, but it bears reconsideration. Between 1996 and 2001, 47% of Jewish marriages were intermarriages. These numbers are especially true amongst individuals with...
View ArticleNot far from the apple tree . . .
On Rosh HaShana we read the story of Akeidat Yizhak– the Binding of Isaac. This title begs the following question: If this was a test for this father, Abraham, why is called “the Binding of Isaac”?...
View ArticleRest in Peace
During the autumn of 2010 the world witnessed a stream of isolated but tragic events: the suicides of gay youth around North America. These teenagers, truly children, took their own lives because they...
View ArticleThe Key
It’s been a while since I’ve written. I don’t have time for a lengthy post. However, November marks the 1 year anniversary of this project and I feel that I must leave you with some thoughts.As a...
View ArticlePsychology Today
In my last post I mentioned that I wouldn't be writing for the rest of November, and that was the plan. Plans change. Furthermore, I rarely promote things on this blog and when I do it is with good...
View ArticleSome much needed Mussar
I had earnestly hoped that that when I had the time to post it would be a Dvar Torah filled with inspiration and warmth. Thanks to a bit of commotion in the Jewish world (and a bout of insomnia) I’m...
View ArticleOn a LIGHTer note . . .
Gingerbread lattes in visually seductive red cups, Michael Bublé crooning renditions of classic holiday songs and the joy on the faces of cheerful gentiles . . . it’s all enough to sweep even the most...
View ArticleSynagogue: A Prayer House or a Prayer Home?
Since coming out I find myself searching for a shul that I feel comfortable in. My attitude towards davening (praying) is a result of my upbringing. I expect a very solemn, serious service with...
View ArticleOverlooked
With every movement there is an unspoken, unwritten history that tends to be forgotten. The gay rights movement—and specifically the movement for recognition within the Orthodox Jewish community—is no...
View ArticleTo Haters, with love.
I encounter homophobia in writings, speeches etc. on a fairly frequent basis and, when I do, wonder how I should react. Obviously I disagree with the content of these statements, but what attitude...
View ArticleWatch. Learn.
Occasionally, when I find myself without enough time to write a post, I post a poignant point.The emotionally depth expressed in this video is magnificent.Edit: March 23rd, 10AM. IThis website that...
View ArticlePersonal Redemption?
I’m writing this post a few weeks later than I intended, but it remains relevant in the weeks closely following Pesach. On Pesach we recount the tale of the four sons: one wise, one wicked, one...
View ArticlePulpits Consumed in Flames.
We gays confront bigotry on a daily basis. We gays start new jobs with trepidation, unsure of how and when to come out. We gays don’t hit on guys unless certain that he “swings” the same way, because...
View ArticlePersevere.
I abstained from writing for the past few months because I could not find the words to describe the emotions and thoughts running through my heart and head. I think I finally possess the perspective...
View ArticleAround the table
I met the gaze of each the six men and women staring at me. I carefully considered what I would say next. And then, for what now seems like the umpteenth time, I jumped off that proverbial cliff.A...
View ArticleElection Day: Religion, Politics, and Sexuality.
Like shepherds leading flocks, religious leaders attempt to regulate the practices of their believers. It is understandable that the men and women herding the faithful would want their constituents to...
View ArticleForwarded
The post below first appeared in Tribe Magazine on Nov. 22, 2012. I am neither the author nor do I know his identity. Growing Up Gay in an Orthodox World: My Final Game of Tag...
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Attention Parents and Family Members
Though I'm super busy and don't have time to write, other people are very active. For those of you who are parents or other family members of LGBT Jews, be sure to attend the event listed in the flyer...
View ArticleFive people who made me understand my faith.
As I'm sure you're all well aware, last week five members of the United States Supreme Court found that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. Five of the justices, a simple majority...
View ArticleLast Year's Mazal
Suzanne Curchod, the 18th Century Parisian salonist, is attributed with having said that "fortune does not change men, it unmasks them."Had you asked me a year ago where I would be today or what...
View ArticleThat dream
Have you ever had one of those mornings where, while waking up, you desperately try to cling to those last few minutes of sleep and those final moments of your dream because it was so . . ....
View ArticleThe Moth
Great clip from The Moth.http://themoth.org/posts/stories/faith-in-love-between-the-lines"The G-d that we believe in can be present in a gay relationship just as much as He can be present in a straight...
View ArticleAll this happened!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shmuly-yanklowitz/orthodox-rabbi-gay-marriage_b_4452154.htmlA modern orthodox rabbi "comes out" in support of gay rights.Gay marriage becomes a possibility in...
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