Saturday, June 23, 2007
Conservative Judiasm
Big Gay Jewish Wedding'Panelists look at Conservative stance on gay weddings (sorta), as LGBT group celebrates first year
N and I went with some other Jewbians last weekend to hear some local rabbis (and one Rabinical School Dean) talk about Conservative Judiasm and the changing religious laws concerning ordination of out gay rabbis. It was supposed to be about conservative rabbis and how they perform weddings/commitment ceremonies (now that they are "allowed" to by the movement) but the most interesting parts had to do with this really brilliant Rabbi Artson (the vice president of American Jewish University and dean of its Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in LA) and his battle through the years to decriminalize gay sex within the conservative jewish legal world. The Rabbi from the local gay synagogue, ordained as a conservative rabbi, but who left because it wasn't (at the time) gay friendly, was really really angry. There were also a few youngish orthodox men who were really, really angry. So my quote in this article that I've linked above is really about the old adage: Invite 5 Jews to a meeting and you'll have 8 different opinions. :) Of course, I love it.
Growing up conservative I laud the movement for making these changes (admitting out queers to Rabbinical and Cantorial School and performing gay unions (is this marriage? is this something else? the Rabbis/synogogues are allowed to decide- including deciding whether or not they're going to do it at all)). Yes, it sucks that for the last 100 years the movement has criminalized gay sex and yes, ofcourse this makes me angry. It sucks that Rabbis can refuse to marry queers. But consciously making a change for the better, a change that shows committment to human rights, should ALWAYS be congratulated. Even if it's not as big and revolutionary as one would hope- this is a great and forward and thoughtful change. Good Job Conservative Rabbis.
N and I went with some other Jewbians last weekend to hear some local rabbis (and one Rabinical School Dean) talk about Conservative Judiasm and the changing religious laws concerning ordination of out gay rabbis. It was supposed to be about conservative rabbis and how they perform weddings/commitment ceremonies (now that they are "allowed" to by the movement) but the most interesting parts had to do with this really brilliant Rabbi Artson (the vice president of American Jewish University and dean of its Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in LA) and his battle through the years to decriminalize gay sex within the conservative jewish legal world. The Rabbi from the local gay synagogue, ordained as a conservative rabbi, but who left because it wasn't (at the time) gay friendly, was really really angry. There were also a few youngish orthodox men who were really, really angry. So my quote in this article that I've linked above is really about the old adage: Invite 5 Jews to a meeting and you'll have 8 different opinions. :) Of course, I love it.
Growing up conservative I laud the movement for making these changes (admitting out queers to Rabbinical and Cantorial School and performing gay unions (is this marriage? is this something else? the Rabbis/synogogues are allowed to decide- including deciding whether or not they're going to do it at all)). Yes, it sucks that for the last 100 years the movement has criminalized gay sex and yes, ofcourse this makes me angry. It sucks that Rabbis can refuse to marry queers. But consciously making a change for the better, a change that shows committment to human rights, should ALWAYS be congratulated. Even if it's not as big and revolutionary as one would hope- this is a great and forward and thoughtful change. Good Job Conservative Rabbis.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Reuniting
We had a nice weekend up in Cambridge for N's 10th college reunion. I got to meet some of her rooming group friends, sleep in a Harvard Dorm (ooooh, man for a place with such a huge endowment, you'd think the beds would be a little more comfortable), and meet many a little kid. It seems that about 8-10 years after you graduate from college, you procreate. A lot. Whoa. I like kids and for the love of Pete, I work in an elementary school but this amount of 3 and unders in a tent? It was a bit scary. Birth control, actually... We had dinner at an overly crowded Spanish restaurant (can I say Spanish-themed since the waiter handed us our menus saying- uno, dos, tres and then spoke to us in english for the rest of the meal?) with the rooming group buddies (and three birthday gatherings and a bachelorette party, but that was unplanned). The next day we spent time at K and H's in Quincy with their two boys. I build a broken bridge with L (age 3) who was really the chattiest little kid I've ever met and had to have the 9 month old peeled from me. K's lucky she got her baby back : ) We ate amazing banana pancakes and the girls reunited. N had a nice time and so did I. I don't like Logan Airport and I don't like Air T*ran and I'm going to leave our reflight to your imagination. Except to say we got a set of free round trip tix in the deal. :)
This was the last week of school. I'm not ready to post about it yet but I will. I'm relieved, sad, excited and proud of myself. It turns out that I'm happy at my school but it's so so so complicated. I'm off this week before the crunch to end my cert happens next week. Here's a picture of the Charles River. It was the day of the Dragon Boat Races in Cambridge. Wish we'd have seen 'em.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Promised Pig and More Flowers
As promised, Eloise, wonder guinea pig
An orange lily appears!
My Takoma Neighbor's Bee Balm. Mine will look like this soon (I hope) for those of you in the neighborhood. This is from the house on Piney Branch that is like one big beautiful garden- even on the sidewalk. It is tended by the sweetest men ever. I aspire to be gardeners like them and my other gardening neighbors.
An orange lily appears!
My Takoma Neighbor's Bee Balm. Mine will look like this soon (I hope) for those of you in the neighborhood. This is from the house on Piney Branch that is like one big beautiful garden- even on the sidewalk. It is tended by the sweetest men ever. I aspire to be gardeners like them and my other gardening neighbors.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Harvesting
This is actually our second harvest. We had some baby rainbow chard and some radishes about two weeks ago. But look at these SUGAR SNAP PEAS!!!! I'm so excited! They must have appeared yesterday when it was raining buckets. YAY for peas! The square foot garden is doing sooooo well even though it looks like a jungle. The herbs are looking great, the borage and some flowers are ready to bloom. There are flowers on the eggplant plant and a baby yellow bell pepper. I'll take and post some pictures of the whole contraption tomorrow. Yippee for gardening!
And I realized there have been no pet pictures up on this blog. What kind of lesbian am I? So here are the cats- Rosie and Guildy (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, don't blame me for the names, I had nothing to do with 'em). Tomorrow I'll add a guinea pig shot as well. Eloise deserves as much airtime as her feline brothers.
Guildy (aka Shmern) on his way to a nap. Surprisingly he isn't kneading. Generally that's what he does.
Rosie on the prowl
Friday, June 01, 2007
Capitalism Done Right
http://goodstorm.com/index.html
Just found this storefront- note to self--- maybe useful for NJG Ts?
Just found this storefront- note to self--- maybe useful for NJG Ts?
