Tag: Tikkun Olam: Changing the World

My Take on California’s Prop 8

Some years ago, I wrote an article for our Divray Or Ami supporting Marriage Equality. In it, I argued that

We, the people who recall the words of our sacred Scriptures – You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of a stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt (Exodus 23:9) – seek to do justice. We, people of faith who try to love mercy, defend vigorously the dignity of every human being, consistent with the principle that each of us is created in the Divine image (Genesis 1:27). While we respect those who may be single, we uphold the values of marriage and family. Marriage, imbued with the values of exclusivity, permanence, intimate companionship, and love, provides fulfillment for each partner and adds to the common good of the community. Thus, in an attempt to walk humbly with our God, we affirm that every human being has an absolute right to such fulfillment, and that the loving, committed relationships of same-sex couples have the same potential for kedusha (holiness) as those of heterosexual couples. Read more.

Huge numbers of religious leaders from all faiths signed onto an AN OPEN LETTER TO RELIGIOUS LEADERS ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY.

A majority of California Rabbis have signed a letter opposing Proposition 8. Why? Watch this video.

In line with our Jewish tradition that recognizes that everyone was born b’tzelem Elohim (in God’s image), we work to ensure that gay and lesbian couples do not face discrimination by laws which forbid marriage equality.

So Little Time Remaining to Soften a Child’s Traumatic Experience

Somehow Or Ami became invested in the sacred work of helping foster kids. It happened slowly. A project here, a program there. Suddenly our calendar was filled with activities aimed at helping care for children who, removed from their homes to escape neglect or abuse, would really appreciate the support of people with extra love to share.

How Foster Kids Entered our Congregational Radar

Our Torah teaches “You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me” (Exodus 23: 21-22). Like the commandment in the previous verse, “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Ex. 23:20), these three categories of people – orphan, widow, stranger – are easily ignored. They have no power. They have no natural advocates.

Yet, God and Torah remind us, as Rabbi Philip Cohen teaches, that they are not anonymous, identity-less Others for whom we have no responsibility, but rather a fully enfranchised human beings, created b’tzelem Elohim (in God’s image) endowed with the same attributes of those of our own group and nation and therefore deserving of the same humane treatment. The stranger becomes a stranger by title only. The orphan becomes an orphan only by title. Because we are commanded to allow them the real human identity he or she possesses by virtue of, well, by virtue of being human.

Yet, God and Torah remind us, as Rabbi Philip Cohen teaches, that they are not anonymous, identity-less Others for whom we have no responsibility, but rather a fully enfranchised human beings, created b’tzelem Elohim (in God’s image) endowed with the same attributes of those of our own group and nation and therefore deserving of the same humane treatment. The stranger becomes a stranger by title only. The orphan becomes an orphan only by title. Because we are commanded to allow them the real human identity he or she possesses by virtue of, well, by virtue of being human.

Unique Relationships Lead to Special Caring

Through a unique relationship with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), fostered over the years by Laurie Tragen-Boykoff, Susan Gould, Debbie Echt-Moxness, Shari Gillis and others, Congregation Or Ami maintains a deep commitment to another category of faceless, nameless, powerless people, our community’s foster children. For years, our members have adopted DCFS Child Abuse Caseworkers and sponsored the children in their caseloads. The Adopt a Child Abuse Caseworker (ACAC) program pairs congregants with foster children for birthday celebrations and back to school preparations. Twice annually we participate in the annual Child-Spree programs – Back to School Childspree in July and Holiday Childspree in December – during which we help foster care children use donated gift cards to purchase new substantially discounted clothes and school supplies. Mothers and their younger daughters team up for Prom Prep 101, a mitzvah project designed to ensure that foster girls are able to take part in their High School proms. We have held information sessions for Jewish adults to explore the possibility of becoming foster parents.

But perhaps the centerpiece of our outreach to foster care children comes during Mitzvah Day in November when we create over 400 comfort backpacks for children who, in the months to come, will be pulled from their homes to safety.

“Finally, These Kids Have Something to Call Their Own”

When children are pulled from their homes to go into emergency foster placement, they leave with the shirts on their back and little by which to remember family and friends. Most are terrified and confused. At Or Ami, we have an opportunity to change their world, on Sunday, November 2nd from 11:00 am-1:00 pm.

Join us on as we assemble bags of comfort that will greet these children (ages 5-16 years) as they unexpectedly go into emergency foster placement. Our Or Ami community has once again committed to provide more than 400 bags filled with items of comfort and necessity. On Mitzvah Day, the synagogue is transformed into an awesome assembly line for compassion and caring. We create age-appropriate comfort bags complete with pillow cases personalized with messages of hope, clothes, toiletries, games, toys, journals, and an individualized card expressing love and caring.

Recently, an Or Ami congregant and attorney with a decade of experience in Department of Children and Family Services told us that we cannot imagine the true value these comfort bags bring to individuals pulled from their homes. When these children are handed one of Or Ami’s special comfort bags, personalized with reassuring and comforting messages, they have a moment of consolation and encouragement. They have something to call their own. We hear the same response from social workers who are responsible for these children. These children need us and are counting on each member of our congregation to make something wonderful happen!

Help! We Have Only 2 Weeks to Collect Items

Because the High Holy Days were so late, we have only two short weeks to collect enough supplies to help these children. We need up to 400 each of:

* coloring books, crayons, markers
* activity books (mazes,crossword,sudoku)**
* pens, pencils
* writing journals (for teenagers)
* small photo albums (don’t forget the teens)**
* books for 15-17 year olds (used ok if in good shape)
* night lites**
* small hand-held games/toys (for teens too!)**
* toiletries (deodorant, shampoo, conditioner)
* girls’ accessories (hair clips, head bands,etc…)
* t-shirts (youth large only)
* small stuffed animals

Do you know someone who owns a business, who can donate some of these items? Do you have a neighbor or a friend whose company can help us get ahold of any of these items from someone with whom they do business?

Of course, tzedakah is needed and welcome!! Send your check, payable to Congregation Or Ami, to the temple. Write “Mitzvah Day” on the memo line. Or donate online (scroll down to Adopt a Child Abuse Caseworker Fund).

So:

Help us collect the items in the next two weeks.
Then make time to help us assemble the comfort bags.

Questions? Contact our Mitzvah Day co-chairs Laurie Tragen-Boykoff or Shari Gillis.

Standing Tall: Israelis Help Paralyzed People Walk Again

A new Israeli invention is helping paralyzed people walk again.

Something of a mix between the exoskeleton of a crustacean and the suit worn by comic hero Iron Man, the device, called ReWalk, helps paraplegics—people paralyzed below the waist—to stand, walk and climb stairs.

One of these new ReWalk users is former Israeli paratrooper Radi Kaiof, who was injured in 1988 while serving in the Israel Defense Forces. “I never dreamed I would walk again,” Kaiof told Reuters. “After I was wounded, I forgot what it’s like. Only when standing up can I feel how tall I really am and speak to people eye to eye, not from below.”

ReWalk was invented by engineer Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli high-tech company. “It raises people out of their wheelchair and lets them stand up straight,” Goffer said of his contraption. “It’s not just about health, it’s also about dignity.”

When Goffer speaks about dignity, he understands all too well. He was paralyzed in an accident in 1997 but he cannot use his own invention because he does not have full function of his arms.

ReWalk, which requires crutches to help with balance, consists of motorized leg supports, body sensors and a backpack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries. The user picks a setting with a remote control wrist band—stand, sit, walk, descend or climb—and then leans forward, activating the body sensors and setting the robotic legs in motion.

The ReWalk is now in clinical trials in Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Centre, and Goffer said it will soon be used in trials at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute in Pennsylvania. Slated for commercial sale in 2010, ReWalk will cost as much as the more sophisticated wheelchairs on the market, which sell for about $20,000, the company said.

Click here to learn more about the ReWalk system.

Seeing Green in the Shofar and its Call to Action

Gotta love being Jewish. Seems like we are on the forefront of most significant (peaceful) movements that change the world. Jews are all over the Green movement (see COEJL among others).

Now we come to realize that Jews have long promoted one of the most Green, Wireless Communications technologies ever: The Shofar.

JTA, in Seeing Green in the Shofar and its Call to Action, offers:

Is green the theme of the shofar this Rosh Hashanah season? In a year of sustainability and carbon footprints, high gas and hybrids, the shofar is the simplest, most eco-friendly method of reaching the Jewish community with a vital message.

The shofar, if you pause to think about it, is a rhapsody in green. Lightweight and easily transportable, it sports no moving parts — the shofar blower, or ba’al tekiah’s, own mouth becomes the mouthpiece. Yet it’s dependable enough to deliver the complex musical message required to begin a new Jewish year.

A totally natural product, its availability is a byproduct of an already ongoing ancient enterprise — sheep herding.

Powered by one human, and empowered by a congregation, the shofar requires no batteries, power cord or transformer. When we hear it, we are the ones who become transformed.

Support Team Sophie: For Universally Accessible Playgrounds

Amazing people do amazing things to transform themselves and the world. My congregants Jeff and Kellie Singer support Shane’s Inspiration, an organization which works to create Universally Accessible Playgrounds and programs that integrate children of all abilities socially, physically and emotionally, fostering acceptance, friendship and understanding. They helped vision Calabasas’ Brandon’s Village.

Jeff and Kellie invite people to hear their story. Our Brandon Kaplan Special Needs Program urges us to support their Team Sophie in the Shane’s Inspiration walk. Read on:

As many of you know, our daughter Sophie was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia when she was 5 months old. It is a very rare disorder which is the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment in children. We did not know whether she would be able to see, walk, or talk and so many of the other normal things that we all take for granted each day. Sophie has spent the past 8 years going to physical, occupational and speech therapy up to five days per week. She has worked so hard and achieved so much. She has inspired everyone in our family to reach higher than we thought we could, to work harder than we thought possible and be more compassionate than we knew how to be. Sophie is now in third grade; she attends Hebrew school, spent a week this past summer at sleep away camp, does gymnastics, karate, plays baseball and played in her first soccer game this weekend. We are so proud of Sophie and all of her accomplishments. Shane’s Inspiration came into our lives almost 8 years ago and has given my family so many gifts; the gift of sharing, acceptance and love. The gift of embracing a world without bias and barriers. And most importantly, for Sophie, the gift of laughter and the joy of play. Shane’s Inspiration makes that lesson possible for all children by building “Integrated Playgrounds”. Playgrounds that your children can enjoy alongside a child that may not be able to put themselves on a swing or walk across a play bridge, but can roll with a wheelchair alone or with the aid of their parent or another child and be able to laugh and enjoy a day in the park. The vision of Shane’s Inspiration is to eliminate bias against children with disabilities. The mission of Shane’s Inspiration is to create Universally Accessible Playgrounds and programs that integrate children of all abilities socially, physically and emotionally, fostering acceptance, friendship and understanding. Over the years, we have been so honored to have so many friends join Team Sophie at the annual Walk & Roll. We would like to invite you to join us on Sunday, September 28th at 7:30 AM at Griffith Park for the 11th Annual Shane’s Inspiration Walk & Roll. We are proud to say that Team Sophie has been the top fundraising team for the past 7 years raising more than $100,000. We have set a goal to raise $25,000 in 2008. We appreciate any donation that you can make. We have set up a Team Sophie Fundraising website . All donations are secure and sent directly to Shane’s Inspiration by Firstgiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation. Or if you prefer to mail a check, just send the check payable to Shane’s Inspiration to 15213 Burbank Boulevard, Van Nuys, CA 91411, and acknowledge TEAM SOPHIE. Contact Jeff with questions.

Joon: Reveling in the Rich Flavors of Persian Jewry

Editor Rob Eshman, in the Jewish Journal, wrote Joon, an explosively honest essay about the integration of the Persian Jewish community into the LA Jewish community. Wrote he:

For as long as I’ve worked in the Jewish community — 14 years — I’ve heard insults leveled at Iranian Jews.

They’re pushy, acquisitive, flashy, nouveau riche, cheap. They’re grasping, insincere, clannish, suspicious, old-fashioned. “They’ve ruined Beverly Hills High.” “They’ve invaded Milken High.” “They’ve taken over Sinai Temple.”

I repeat the invectives by way of making one point: Enough already.

Eshman continues:

As for the established Jewish community, I’d like to believe we have become 100 percent accepting. I’d like to believe that on the occasion of this 30-year anniversary, those of us who still default to — I’ll be blunt — racist generalizations, take the time to learn the remarkable recent history of Iranian Jewry — a story as compelling, frightening and death-defying for those who lived it as any our own relatives experienced.

I’d like to believe we’ll come to understand that there was exactly no — zero — difference between our antagonism of this greenhorn community and the cold-shoulder with which established German Jewish communities in America greeted the waves of our Eastern European ancestors 100 years ago.

At Congregation Or Ami, we have a handful of Jews of Persian descent. They are some of the warmest, most expressive, wonderful members of our congregation. Two became Adult B’not Mitzvah last year and gave Divrei Torah that captured so vividly the love of Torah and Judaism that they brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the sanctuary. They represent the best of our Jewish people. I cannot imagine Or Ami without these two or their relatives.

My kids went to school elsewhere and had wonderful Persian Jewish friends. Michelle and I loved experiencing the rich Persian Jewish culture, food, and family. We supported those friendships wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same way. The level of animosity – stereotyping bordering on racism – by Ashkenzi Jews toward the Persian Jews was astonishing. At times, I recall responding to someone’s borderline racist comment about “Persian Jews” by saying sarcastically “they’re almost as bad as [insert racist slang for another group here]”. It was the only way to show them how offensive their comments were.

We take pride in Or Ami’s acceptance of the multicultural, multiethnic, multiracial uniqueness of many of our families. Each brings delicious new flavors to our smorgasbord; each weaves colorful threads into the tapestry we call our community. We even have a page on our website devoted to our openness to this uniqueness. We can only hope that the rest of the Jewish community follows suit too!

Rain as Reward? Reward and Punishment in the Torah

How do we modern Jews understand reward and punishment? My colleague and friend Rabbi Jocee Hudson, Director of Education at Temple Beth Sholom of Santa Ana, CA, reflects upon this question, which arises in the Torah portion Ekev (Deuteronomy 11:13-21):
This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Eikev, includes the theologically troubling second paragraph of one of our central Jewish prayers, the Sh’ma. In fact, these words are so challenging, the Reform movement long ago removed them from our liturgy. And, while the words are preserved in our TBS siddur (Or Ami keeps only , we don’t often recite them. What are these words that cause us so much worry? Deuteronomy 11:13-21 reads: If, then, you obey the commandments that I enjoin upon you this day, loving Adonai your God and serving Him with all your heart and soul, I will grant the rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late. You shall gather in your new grain and wine and oil — I will also provide grass in the fields for your cattle — and thus you shall eat your fill. Take care not to be lured away to serve other gods and bow to them. For Adonai’s anger will flare up against you, and He will shut up the skies so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will soon perish from the good land that Adonai is assigning to you. Therefore impress these My words upon your very heart: bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a-symbol on your forehead, and teach them to your children — reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up; and inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates — to the end that you and your children may endure, in the land that Adonai swore to your fathers to assign to them, as long as there is a heaven over the earth. What can we, as Reform Jews, do with such a firm theological statement of reward and punishment (a theology that our movement long ago rejected)? This way of looking at the world (i.e. good behavior = rain) clearly no longer fits with our ethics and morals. I believe we must look past the simple (p’shat) meaning of these words and explore their relevance in our world today (d’rash). I believe that God, through the words of Torah, is speaking to us today. God is saying to us: If you continue to burn fossil fuels for your benefit today, without exploring alternative technology, you will feel the ramifications of your actions, as your weather patterns will change (droughts, hurricanes, floods, and mudslides). And, you will feel the consequences of worshipping the gods of “convenience” and “progress.” God is saying to us: If you continue to produce “new seeds” and use dangerous, poisonous chemicals and fertilizers, planting without concern for native environments or the needs of local populations, you will experience hunger and create inarable land. And, you will feel the consequences of not researching the possibilities of locally grown produce, organic growing, subsistent farming, or alternative theories of agriculture. God is saying to us: If you continue to strip the land bare of old growth trees and pay no heed to your efforts at deforestation, you will experience mudslides and climate change. And, you will feel the consequences of not treating the land with respect. I fear that we, as a world collective, have begun to believe that we are no longer subject to the Divine laws of the elements. We have begun to imagine that we are no longer intimately connected to the land and her rhythms. We have begun to believe that the intricate, Divinely controlled relationship between human actions and needed rainfall no longer apply to us. We have begun to believe that we no longer need God’s commandments. This year, as we read these timeless words of Deuteronomy, let us return to our God — to the cautions we were long ago commanded to impress upon our hearts. We learn in this week’s parashah that we cannot compartmentalize our actions. The way we treat our planet is the way we treat our God is the way we treat ourselves. On this Shabbat, let us hear Torah anew. On this Shabbat, let us recommit ourselves to enduring — and even thriving — in our land.

Climate Change: What’s the Jewish Take?

Shabbat. The day of rest. We refrain from acting on the world, so as to take pleasure in it. We thank the Holy One for the world in which we live.

But it seems that we never stop acting on the world. And often in very detrimental ways.

Once again Thomas Friedman (NYTimes, 8/5/08) poignantly and articulately sounds the alarm (speaks the truth) about the effects of Climate Change on our world. Writing from Greenland he notes:

And my trip with Denmark’s minister of climate and energy, Connie Hedegaard, to see the effects of climate change on Greenland’s ice sheet leaves me with a very strong opinion: Our kids are going to be so angry with us one day. We’ve charged their future on our Visa cards. …
That’s how I learned a new language here: “Climate-Speak.” It’s easy to learn. There are only three phrases. The first is: “Just a few years ago …” Just a few years ago you could dogsled in winter from Greenland, across a 40-mile ice bank, to Disko Island. But for the past few years, the rising winter temperatures in Greenland have melted that link. Now Disko is cut off. Put away the dogsled. There has been a 30 percent increase in the melting of the Greenland ice sheet between 1979 and 2007, and in 2007, the melt was 10 percent bigger than in any previous year, said Konrad Steffen, director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado, which monitors the ice. Greenland is now losing 200 cubic kilometers of ice per year — from melt and ice sliding into the ocean from outlet glaciers along its edges — which far exceeds the volume of all the ice in the European Alps, he added. “Everything is happening faster than anticipated.”

It occurred to me that scientists have made clear that Global Warming and Climate Change are facts (not theory). Businesses and some politicians are starting to see the light. What about Jews? What is the Jewish take on Climate Change?

Head over to the Jewish Climate Initiative to read their blog and check out their website. Dedicated to illuminating the Jewish ethical and philosophical response to Climate Change, they write about a Jewish theology of climate change, Midrashic narratives, and a thoughtful article on Halakha and Climate Change: Because the Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions. Clearly Jewish thought and teaching makes clear that we are responsible in big and little ways to protect the earth, a gift from God.

Head over to Shma Magazine and read its August 2008 issue. The issue focuses on environmental issues from a Jewish perspective. Or check out COEJL (Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life), which is chock full of articles on Jewish values as it relates to climate change.

It is Shabbat. Today, up here during our jaunt in Northern California, I shall refrain from acting on our world and just schepp nachas (share the joy) at the beauty that surrounds me. Nonetheless, I shall be thinking about what we are doing – on non-Shabbat days – l’takein haolam, to fix this broken world.

Maintaining the Bible as Inspiration, and Science as… Science

Rabbis across the country are joining with Christian and other clergy to “affirm our commitment ot the teaching of the science of evolution.” In a world where various fundamentalists want to mix religious teachings (so-called “creationist theories”) with bone fide scientific theory in science classes, we raise our voices to challenge this religious indoctrination. Our Union for Reform Judaism passed a policy statement on “The Politicization of Science in the US“. I signed onto the Rabbis Letter today. Read about the project here.

An Open Letter Concerning Religion and Science From American Rabbis As rabbis from various branches of Judaism, we the undersigned, urge public school boards to affirm their commitment to the teaching of the science of evolution. Fundamentalists of various traditions, who perceive the science of evolution to be in conflict with their personal religious beliefs, are seeking to influence public school boards to authorize the teaching of creationism. We see this as a breach in the separation of church and state. Those who believe in a literal interpretation of the Biblical account of creation are free to teach their perspective in their homes, religious institutions and private schools. To teach it in the public schools would be to assert a particular religious perspective in an environment which is supposed to be free of such indoctrination. The Bible is the primary source of spiritual inspiration and of values for us and for many others, though not everyone, in our society. It is, however, open to interpretation, with some taking the creation account and other content literally and some preferring a figurative understanding. It is possible to be inspired by the religious teachings of the Bible while not taking a literalist approach and while accepting the validity of science including the foundational concept of evolution. It is not the role of public schools to indoctrinate students with specific religious beliefs but rather to educate them in the established principles of science and in other subjects of general knowledge.

Olympics: A Candle for Those Oppressed

Olympics are coming. The athletes will shine. But…

This from my colleague Rabbi Andy Koren (Director of Religious Education at Temple Emanuel in Greensboro):

A Candle for Those Oppressed

This Friday, the attention of the world will turn to Olympics. Extensive media coverage will be given to exceptional athletes: the talented swimmers, gifted gymnasts, Dream Teams, and so many others. Let’s hope that in our amazement at the pageantry, we do not forget to remember those who will not be on our TV screens. They are the people who have suffered from Chinese human rights abuses. They are those forced into exile by China or who suffer due to Chinese support of tyrannical regimes. They will not be running in races, but rather running for their lives. They will not have Olympic villages, since, for many of them, their families and villages are no more. Their stories will certainly not be mentioned as China is celebrated on opening night and likely will not be chronicled in the interest stories which are regularly featured during Olympic broadcasts. China is an enormous country which boasts a rich history and culture as well as a large and diverse population. It is also notorious for being a totalitarian regime and abusing its citizens’ human rights. It was only nineteen summers ago that we witnessed the protests in Tiananmen Square and the brutal crackdown on those calling for democracy and freedom. At that time, this was one of the more widely viewed examples of the Chinese government’s abuse of the human rights of its citizens. In 2001 as China was being seriously considered to host the summer games, the world expressed its concern about this abuse. Chinese officials did everything they could to assure the International Olympic Committee and the world that this would be their country’s opportunity to show the world a new respect for their own people’s human rights. As abuses, censorship, and other oppressive measures have continued, it is clear that the Chinese government has broken its moral agreement with the world. Like so many other oppressive regimes in modern times, it is banking on worldwide distraction or amnesia, or worse, on silence and apathy. China’s record at home is bad enough. On the world stage, China is entangled in some of the most serious problems now facing humanity. Many believe that were China, as the largest consumer of Sudanese oil and the largest supplier of weapons to the Khartoum government, to use its leverage, the horrors of the genocide in Darfur would come to an end. Instead, China has blocked world efforts to stop the genocide and has fully enabled the Sudanese government and their allies in the janjaweed militia to kill hundreds of thousands and exile millions. China also has supported the oppressive military regime in Burma and, not long ago, stood solidly behind it during the violent crackdown there against peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks. China remains the main support for maniacal Kim Jong-Il in North Korea. China’s record in Tibet has included the denial of all Tibetan appeals for autonomy and the refusal to speak or negotiate with the Tibetan spiritual leader in exile, the Dalai Lama. During the Olympics, it is difficult to imagine that any of these issues will be given more than a mere mention, if that. Instead, the media will talk about sports and goodwill, both of incredible importance. It will be sad that those whose voices need to be heard now more than ever will be squelched. It was not so long ago that whenever the Soviet Union wanted to talk with the US, human rights would be the first issue on the table. What is happening now? Why are we so silent? Why are we turning a blind eye? Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Jewish people begin their Sabbath on Friday night by lighting two candles. This Friday, all who cherish human freedom should light a candle in honor of those who will not be represented by the fireworks and songs in Beijing. Let us light a candle for the Tibetan people and the Dalai Lama, for the people of Burma and Darfur. As we light this candle, let us resolve to work for the time when they too will experience the light of freedom. Oppressed people need more than our good intentions. They also need us to be involved. In the immortal words of Hillel the Elder: If not now, when? If not now, when? May it be our prayer that blessing should come to those who should not be forgotten. As athletes gather for competition, may we also work on behalf of those denied the rights we sometimes take for granted. May the abuses of the powerful soon and speedily give way to freedom, justice, and understanding for all.

Kosher Can Mean Socially Responsible and Environmentally Friendly Too

And the Ethical Kosher discussions keep coming! (Read my previous post on Ethical Kashrut or the Chicago Sun Times article.) A colleague, talking with a major health foods provider, is involved in a new organization that addresses issues of ethical kashrut.

One World Kosher it is called. I’m not endorsing anyone, but this is fascinating. Being marked as Kosher should transcend the ingredients contained therein or the way the animal is slaughtered. It should reflect that the products and their production are done in ethical, socially responsible, environmentally compassionate, thoughtful ways. Here’s another attempt to move in that direction. One World Kosher’s website explains:

One World Kosher certifies products that meet the highest levels of kashrut and environmentally friendly and socially responsible production.One World Kosher supports consumers concerned with healing our world by ensuring a viable and sustainable future for ourselves and our children.One World Kosher recognizes that people seek certified kosher food for many reasons including religious beliefs and an assurance of third party supervised production. Though kashrut is based in Jewish teaching, we believe that the value of keeping kosher extends beyond religious labels and truly has the power to unite all peoples of the world. We also affirm that the true meaning of kashrut transcends the ingredients that go into our food and the manner in which animals are slaughtered. This higher level of kashrut demands that we look at how food is grown and how workers are treated, thus bringing true sanctity to our tables, our homes and our lives.One World Kosher certified products are:

  • Dairy or Pareve;
  • Produced in ways that respect and protect our environment;
  • Produced by companies that see their human resources as “human”
  • first and “resources” second.

But does it taste good?

Or Ami’s Dina Kaplan Receives Award at Dodgers Game

A crowd of Or Ami supporters gathered at Dodgers Stadium to cheer as our own Dina C. Kaplan took to the field to receive the EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award for her work with people with special needs. I had the pleasure of nominating Dina a few months back, when congregant Brad Gore brought the award to my attention. Through Brad’s support, members of our Support Group for Parents of Children with Special Needs (and other supporters) were able to enjoy a complimentary Dodgers game. We all know that Dina is an amazing woman, a powerful advocate for people with special needs, and a cherished member of the Or Ami family. An inspiring parent, lawyer, and advocate, Dina shines the light of Or Ami so brightly in this world.

My nomination is below:
It is my pleasure to nominate Dina C. Kaplan for the EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award. Dina is by profession an attorney specializing in special education law, by avocation the creator of many life changing opportunities for children with disabilities throughout her community, and by love the parent of a child with special needs. She creates, motivates and inspires. Dina has improved the lives of tens of thousands of families and inspired countless others to seek equal access for people with disabilities. BACKGROUND In 1994, Dina C. Kaplan had a son who was born with multiple physical and developmental disabilities. Her son, Brandon, has inspired her to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs. She refocused her law practice to special education law and civil rights for children with disabilities. Currently, her practice consists of representing children with disabilities in Individualized Education Program meetings, Mediation, Resolution Sessions, Due Process Hearings and State Level Complaints. She also represents and advises families in matters concerning Regional Centers, California Children’s Services, Medi-Cal and private insurance. CREATING THE K.E.N. PROJECT (Kids with Exceptional Needs) Ms. Kaplan’s journey advocating for her son made her realize how difficult it is to access services for children with special needs. As a result, in 1996, Dina started a non-profit organization, The K.E.N. Project which is dedicated to providing information, support and advocacy training to parents of children with special needs and professionals who work with children with special needs. The K.E.N. Project provides three ongoing monthly support/advocacy groups for parents and professionals. It also does trainings for many organizations and groups, and provides speakers at conferences. FOUNDING THE LAS VIRGENES SPECIAL EDUCATION, PTA In October 2003, Dina, and several parents started a district-wide Special Education PTA in the Las Virgenes School District with the mission of facilitating parents, school and community working together to enhance the lives of children with special needs. Dina served as the President for three years. LVSEPTA provided parent education programs, fundraising for special projects, including a universally accessible playground, and awards for exceptional educators. BUILDING BRANDON’S VILLAGE, UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND Dina spearheaded efforts to build the first universally accessible playground in the city of Calabasas, CA. This playground is over seventy percent accessible for children of all abilities. The City of Calabasas, The Friedman Charitable Foundation, The Las Virgenes Special Education PTA and the Talbert Family Foundation, combined their efforts to create this special place. Bruce Friedman, the founder of the Friedman Charitable Foundation, gave an unprecedented ONE MILLION DOLLAR gift to the City of Calabasas to build this playground. As a result, he was given naming rights and decided to name the playground after his nephew, Brandon Kaplan. The Friedman and Kaplan families received the 2006 Humanitarian Award from the City of Calabasas in honor of their achievement in bringing this wonderful playground to the city. On the first Saturday of every month, Dina works with the K.E.N. Project to coordinate play dates at the playground. They are called Brandon’s Buddies and they provide an opportunity for disabled children to play with their able-bodied peers and engage in arts and crafts projects, face painting, entertainment, snacks and goodie bags. DEVELOPING THE BRANDON KAPLAN SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAM Following a warm welcome for their son Brandon at a synagogue they visited (Congregation Or Ami of Calabasas, CA), Dina and her family immediately became active members. Dina partnered with the synagogue creating a Support Group for Parents of Children with Special Needs, which she facilitates. The Support Group provides emotional support, advocacy strategies, and for those interested, spiritual guidance. Her son’s Bar Mitzvah ceremony ,once again reminded everyone that children with special needs can and should have access to all aspects of religious life. Brandon’s Bar Mitzvah inspired the Congregation to create the Brandon Kaplan Special Needs Fund. This Fund has launched a webpage explicitly inviting Jewish families with children with special needs into the heart of the synagogue, supported numerous families through the sometimes expensive process of becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah, trained religious educators to provide mainstreamed Jewish learning, and created a special caring community outreach for such families within the community. CONCLUSION Dina has touched the lives of tens of thousands of families with children with special needs throughout the Greater Los Angeles County. Because of her efforts, they have greater access to special needs advocacy and education support. Because of her enthusiasm, they have a universally accessible playground in the West San Fernando/Conejo Valleys. Because of her dedication, their children have fully included play dates once a month. Because of her inspiration, they have an open invitation to become more deeply involved in religious life. Through her many projects and organizations, Dina has demonstrated inspirational leadership in an effort to expand awareness about how people with disabilities can be productive citizens in our society. As such, I wholeheartedly encourage you to award Dina C. Kaplan with the EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award. Respectfully Submitted, Paul J. Kipnes, Rabbi

The Green Rabbinical Student

When two people I admire – one a newly minted rabbi (former intern) and the other an HUC Joint Master’s student/Or Ami intern – both point to the same blog and tell me “I gotta read it,” I gotta read it.

the green rabbinical student is a great blog which looks at the world through Shomray Adamah (protect the earth) lenses. Its opening quote is motivational enough, from a Midrash which has God speaking to Adam: “See my works, how lovely and praiseworthy they are, and all that I created, for your sake I created it. Put your mind [to this], that you don’t ruin or destroy my world, for if you ruin there is no one who will repair after you.”

Check him/it out!

PS. The picture, one of many beautiful shots on his blog, is of “Mud Lake: His favorite place in camp.”

Two Great Quotes: On Silence and on Activism

This first quote from Rabbi Rafael Goldstein’s Thoughts for Today (a daily SHORT email with thought-provoking quotes and questions). Get his daily quotes and spiritual questions by emailing Rabbi Rafael Goldstein directly.

So often my words precede my thoughts, and I feel humiliated. I am a fool more frequently than I am a sage! O G!d, show me how to keep quiet more often, at least until I have something real to say and someone who wants to hear it. (Rabbi Chaim Stern)

This second quote from an article by Rabbi David Saperstein in this month’s CCAR Journal. It informs our work against genocide in Darfur as well as so many other social justice activities:

Whoever is able to protest against the transgressions of the world and does not is liable for the transgressions of the entire world. (Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 54b)