Orthodox rabbi “comes out” as LGBT ally [Jewish Journal]
In this compelling piece from the Jewish Journal, Orthodox rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz expresses his feelings on the “LGBT issue,” hitting some key points about the debate on sexuality and religion. Yanklowitz writes:
“I began to wonder if I was failing at making myself accessible enough to students with this struggle. This is more than just a human dignity issue, it’s a life-and-death issue.
Other panelists explained almost as a mantra that ‘G-d is love and so all forms of love are good.’ Judaism is more legally and philosophically complicated on this issue, but it is not so complicated that we should abandon our most basic moral compass. As a rabbi, the possibility of shunning another for not obeying the specific traditional Jewish prohibition against homosexual acts is far trumped by the imperative to value and affirm the sacred dignity of every person.
One of the most crucial roles of faith leaders today is to go beyond our comfort zones and courageously expand the size of the tent of who is included, or at least not harassed, in our communities.”
Liberal or conservative: is Judaism either? [Forward]
In this piece by Leonard Fein for the Jewish Daily Forward, the question is asked, “Can Judaism be described as inherently liberal or conservative?” Fein writes:
“Serious conservatives, of course, argue that their policies are not intended as rejections of the poor. They claim, instead, that liberalism has failed the very people it was meant to help, and that the policies they propose will offer more real benefits to those same people. They claim that theirs is not, as liberals charge it is, a politics of selfishness or a politics of exclusion. Those are claims that can be assessed, and Jews, along with other citizens, will each make their own assessment.
Most American Jews, having made their assessments, have concluded that both our interests (for example, social stability) and our values (for example, concern for social justice) point us in the same direction. So far, that direction is in an enduringly liberal one.”
Thoughts on Yom Ha’atzmaut [Haaretz]
Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz offers these thoughts on taking in celebrations of Israel’s Independence Day.
“If you are not part of the ceremonious barbeque culture it is no big deal, but when the feeling of being foreign extends to other significant days in our calendar, it certainly is. It was not until my fourth year here, when I began serving in the Israel Defense Forces, that the military protocol surrounding memorial services began to make sense to me. It was not until I experienced my first (and thank God my only) military funeral that the depth and power of the day began to open up to me. Today I view those moments as the true markers of my arrival in Israel.”
In-vitro fertilization on the rise in Israel [Jerusalem Post]
This one is pretty self-explanatory. The Jerusalem Post is reporting that the number of in-vitro fertilizations has gone up in Israel. Scroll below for the stats break-down:
“The number of in-vitro fertilization treatments to attain pregnancy in Israel has increased significantly during the past decade, the Health Ministry reported on Thursday.
About 25 percent of the treatments resulted in pregnancy, while 20% produced a live baby.
Between 2009 and 2010, 4.1% of all live births were the result of IVF, compared to 3.3% in 2005 and 2.5% in 2001.
The number of IVF cycles totaled 34,538 (women generally undergo several cycles to achieve a pregnancy) in 2010 compared to nearly 32,000 during the previous year and 18,000 in 2000. This figure represents 18.9 treatments per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 compared to 17.8 in 2000.”
