Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem, 2010. Photo: wiki commons.
Haaretz – Israel’s Masorti (Conservative) Movement decided to approve the ordination of homosexual rabbis, in a dramatic vote on Thursday.
The Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, affiliated with the movement, will admit gay and lesbian students for training as spiritual leaders as of the upcoming school year.
Writer Jonathan Ames, creator of the HBO television series “Bored to Death,” is known for his fearless and exhibitionistic persona. One can find YouTube videos of him eating herring and boxing at the same time, having knives thrown at him by a person called “Throwdini,” and ranting drunkenly at an awards ceremony. And when it comes to writing, Ames’s essays tend to cover racy topics. Given these exploits, it’s a bit surprising to learn that Ames’s recent trip to Israel [...]
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The Jewish presence and identity in the contemporary world of art is one truly worth noting. At the 3rd annual conference of “Jewish Arts & Identity in the contemporary world” in Baruch College’s Jewish Studies Center, at a panel entitled “Jewish Ways of Seeing: The Visual Arts and the Jewish Tradition”, the Jewish impact on the creative world is exemplified through the discussion of artist Audrey Flack and her various works. Flack was born in 1931 to a fairly Orthodox [...]
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At first you may be skeptical of Isaiah Richardson Jr. He doesn’t look like somebody who would be playing Hava Nagila for passengers waiting for their train in the subway. Firstly, he seems too young, and secondly, he’s a black kid from the Bronx, dressed sharply, derby hat and all. But when upon meeting Isaiah, the 32-year-old ticked off “Hevenu Shalom Aleichem,” “Bashana Haba’ah,” and “Zum Gali Gali” as some of his favorite songs to play passing crowds, I knew [...]
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This Mother’s Day, the music of opera singer Sharon Azrieli Perez will integrate the varied threads that have made up the fabric of her life. Perez, in a Mother’s Day concert May 12 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, will weave a musical experience that brings together intimations of Israeli independence, Giuseppe Verdi’s use of Jewish melodies, medieval Ladino music, and modern Jewish show music. These musical elements are particularly personal for Perez, whose Juilliard education has [...]
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Famed film producer Harvey Weinstein presented Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel with the Algemeiner newspaper’s ‘Warrior for Truth’ award at its recent star studded 40th anniversary ‘JEWISH 100’ Gala. “My mother, the Miriam of Miramax […] was so thrilled when she heard that I was presenting to Professor Wiesel,” Weinstein said as he called on the professor to accept the award. “I am happy to be here on the Algemeiner’s 40th anniversary and to celebrate their top 100,” Weinstein added. Commenting [...]
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Israeli soccer star Yossi Benayoun, who currently plays for FC Chelsea in the English Premier League, was recently the victim of anti-Semitic abuse on Twitter. After thanking his Twitter followers for sending him birthday wishes, Benayoun, who many consider to be the greatest Israeli soccer player ever, was sent the following message: “f***in Jew a**hole.” Benayoun posted a response, saying, “Some nice people in the world.” His team has called on the police to investigate the matter, according to the Britain’s [...]
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This weekend, a retrospective of the works of Gary Baseman titled The Door Is Always Open, opened, at the Skirball Cultural Center. ‘Door’ recreates the artists’ childhood home filled with famous Baseman characters and Jewish subjects peppered about. Baseman has had a long and successful career with iconic characters and big clients to fill his CV, but recent works are the first time he is dealing directly with his Jewish identity and the value that it holds for him now. [...]
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3:51 am
Bad decision. Any community, region or nation that legalises same sex marriage is cutting its own spiritual throat. Homosexuality is a result of traumatic conditioning in early childhood, most often repressed, and poor later life choices. There is no “gay” gene. A little history lesson for the readers. Ancient Rome, Athens and Gomorrah were full of urbane, chic, intellectual, cultured people…
9:46 am
Wow Adam, you really don’t know much but it’s cool that you don’t let that get in the way of your insane opinions.
>Any community, region or nation that legalises same sex marriage is cutting its own spiritual throat.
Why is that? I assume it’s because your god hates fags and will destroy any nation that doesn’t’ express that hate?
There’s a good point there but you being a bit of a twit don’t quite get it. This guy is becoming a representative of a god that calls him an abomination and demands his death. That’s a bit weird isn’t it?
>Homosexuality is a result of traumatic conditioning in early childhood, most often repressed, and poor later life choices.
Uh, no it’s not. While trauma can certainly shift a person’s sexual orientation those a rare cases. For instance I knew a girl who was a lesbian because she was gang raped as a teenager. Kind of turned her off men. She certainly wasn’t “repressed” and not sure if it was a poor choice considering.
Hey another fun point, your god hates fags and wants them dead but doesn’t seem to have an opinion on rapists, which do you think is worse?
>There is no “gay” gene.
Really? Well Doctor can you show your work? I think there are many of your colleges in the medical and biological sciences who disagree. They’ve even published and everything but I’m sure you can take their quackery apart with no effort… unless you just say that there is no “gay” gene because that statement is convenient to your bigotry?
So I guess you think people just wake up one day and decide to be gay? Other decide to be straight? Does that sound possible to you? Certainly doesn’t to me but I’m not a insane idiot so that could be clouding my judgment.
>. A little history lesson for the readers. Ancient Rome, Athens and Gomorrah were full of urbane, chic, intellectual, cultured people…
Uh yes, and Rome and Athens were two of the most successful cultures in ancient history. You don’t know that they both conquered and controlled Israel throwing your god out right? You don’t seem to know a lot of stuff.
I find it fascinating that you equate “urbane, chic, intellectual, cultured people” with the gays that you hate. So I guess that makes you an suburban or rural, out of touch retard with no culture?
Please try to imagine my surprise.
3:08 am
To Salvage,
Sorry for the late reply. I am a little busy at the moment. It will be impossible to answer your objections here adequately. Internet forums have their limits. This issue brings up such anger in many people because it deals with fundamental and intrinsic issues of identity and sexuality which are core components of all human beings. I can explain my points to anyone in the right forum. Give me an open space with certain rules in place, i.e. no abuse, undermining, lies or silencing and I will present the case for the points I outline above. I am not in the habit of making statements about crucial issues without first doing great and in-depth research. Unfortunately denial is such a pernicious state of affairs in individuals and collectives. It is vital to intervene however when a person, group or nation may be about to make a terrible decision. I hope and pray that the State of Israel does not go down the same sex marriage path. The country of my birth, Australia, is pivoting on this issue, and bizrat hashem, wise heads will prevail there. If you love humankind you must take a stand on important issues by leading. If this involves making an unpopular and possibly dangerous stand whilst sacrificing much, so be it.
P.S. Many people hated Moses because he told the truth. Also I do not “hate” people who make poor choices. All behavior is a result of mindset and setting so if a person’s thinking is askew then their choices may be poor. Re. past cultures that decayed, if a nation creates laws that facilitate poor behavior they will lead their people into a downward spiraling vortex. All organizations must have the correct worldview and philosophy if they are to develop, prosper and thrive.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
3:07 am
Actually, that G-d does have an opinion on rapists. If the rapist rapes an unbetrothed girl, the only way to salvage her reputation is to pay her father 50 silver shekels and then marry her. I think that’s a pretty clear (and despicable) position on rape.