Celebrating the Feast of Freedom by remembering the 40th anniversary of the Freedom Seder

hat tip to one of my favorite people, Danya, who posted this on Jewschool



Let us all remember that there are still many people in need of liberation and redemption around the world. The work is not done, and we must continue to do it.
Read more!

Something to post about--President Obama appoints official envoy to Sudan

It's been a long, long time since I've written here. But I came home to an email that made me smile big. It reads like this:

President Obama has appointed retired Major General J. Scott Gration as special envoy to Sudan.

General Gration traveled to Africa with President Obama in 2006, visiting refugee camps in Chad. His experience, gravitas and close relationship with President Obama will contribute greatly to his effectiveness. It remains to be seen if he will have the mandate and authority to drive U.S. policy on Sudan.

The appointment of a special envoy is an urgently needed step forward—and it wouldn't have happened if we hadn't raised our voices together. But our work isn't over.

The Sudanese government's recent decision to expel 13 international aid agencies has left about 1.1 million civilians without food aid, 1.5 million without health care and over a million without potable water—threatening starvation and disease on a massive scale.

General Gration has his work cut out for him. He will need to hit the ground running and spearhead an urgent and sustained diplomatic push to establish unimpeded humanitarian access in Darfur, as well as sustainable peace in all of Sudan. And we'll need your help again in the days and weeks to come.

Again, thank you for raising your voice for Darfur. Our constituency of conscience has had a powerful impact on our leaders—and made a difference in the lives of Darfuris. We will continue our fight together.

Sincerely,

Jerry Fowler
Save Darfur Coalition

This is a major step in international efforts to end the genocide in Darfur. This move is incredibly important right now as the International Criminal Court in The Hague recently issued an arrest warrant for Omar al Bashir, the president of Sudan, which has caused some negative backlashes--including the expulsion of the aid workers mentioned in the letter above.

If you're able to help with your voice and body, click here and if you're able to also help with your pocketbook, click here. Mr. Bush famously wrote "Not on my watch," and ultimately let the genocide continue while in office; let's collectively urge President Obama to end this genocide.
Read more!

Obama makes landmark move on fuel efficiency

After announcing the planned closures of the prisons at Guantanamo Bay and secret locations in central Europe, the Obama administration has made another fabulously positive and noteworthy announcement.

President Barack Obama has directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

yes, that EPA, to reconsider an application by California and 13 other states to set stricter limits on greenhouse-gas emissions from cars and trucks and President Obama would also raise the average fuel economy to 35mpg by 2020.

While the second initiative is wonderful, the prior truly provides for some groundbreaking change in how our nation approaches pollution caps. Under the Bush regime states were regulated not in how much pollution they could emit, but rather how much they were able to cap what they emitted. That's right, the Bush regime made it harder for states like California to protect the environment from corporate irresponsibility.

President Obama's insistence that the EPA look again at these states proposal to self-regulate more strictly than federal regulations propose, whether it be his intention or not, is empowering states' rights. The two initiatives coupled together, the rising of the average national fuel economy and the rights for states to self-regulate beyond that level, sets a model for responsible movement towards more productive automobiles and also encourages states to determine for themselves in what capacity they would like to regulate their responsibilities.

When these 14 states set forth stricter guidelines, and are successful with positive results to show, other states will follow suit and we could see the active pursuit, nationwide, of better production and capability of our automobiles. Not because the manufacturers are telling us what we "need," but because consumer demand will call for it.

Yay, change.
Read more!

A Love Song to Islamic Fundamentalists

Amazing, funny and right on. I'm in! Amen.


Read more!

I just peed my pants with excitement...

Phish Summer Tour 2009

1. 6.04.09 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
2. 6.05.09 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
3. 6.06.09 Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA
4. 6.07.09 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
5. 6.09.09 Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, NC
6. 6.16.09 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
7. 6.18.09 Post Gazette Pavilion, Burgettstown, PA
8. 6.19.09 Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, IN
9. 6.20.09 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI
10. 6.21.09 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI

Yes. A ten show run, ending in two of my absolute favorite venues of all time, Deer Creek and Alpine (oh the memories, foggy they may be). Mail order starts January 17th, so get those money orders ready and start chasing those FedEx trucks, Phish is going on tour! I need a new skirt...

Read more!

2009, Let's make it Divine--Partners in Creation

My resolution this year is that I will be pro-peaceople. That's right, not pro-peace, pro-people. We cannot know peace until we know justice, and we will never know justice until we know people.

As 2008 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the Divinity of humanity. According to Jewish mysticism, a world of metaphors, the universe was created by means of the shvi'rat ha'keilim, the 'shattering of the vessels.' The Torah says that when the Holy One set about to create the universe, the first step in the sacred act of creation was that of light. Not the light of the sun or stars, but rather the Supernal light of existence. Yet the keilim, these vessels, could not contain the intensity of the emanation of the Divine Spirit... and they shattered. The shards of the shattered vessels descended from the Supernal realms and became the matter that is the foundational material of the universe.

I recently learned according to our current understandings of astrophysics, all physical matter that is not hydrogen or oxygen inevitably originates from the destruction of a star. That is to say that when a star reaches the end of its life and it implodes, the matter that results from the death of that star expands into the universe bonding with other matter to create new life. In other words, you and I, even the computers we're looking at, are stardust. We are made of the same Supernal Light that allows for the physical stars to shine. We are all emanations of the Divine Light, and in that we are all One with the Unity of Divinity.

We have seen another year of ravaging wars, another year of criminal corruption, another year of environmental degradation, another year of political manipulation, another year of starvation, another year of genocide. He have reasons, and excuses, we have other things to do. We know other people who could do it better, and things that we would rather being doing ourselves. The key, though, to our survival is you, yes you. And, yes, you are me. Oh, and, yes, you're her and you're him. You are people.

Every step each of us takes, reverberates around us sending waves of intention and thought through the ether, which is then absorbed and experienced by all those around us. Why is this so? Because we are created in the image and likeness of the Divine.

The word 'Holy' means separate, different, other than--because it is 'other than' something mundane. So much so that when the Holy Blessed One set about to Create the Universe, there was no space within the infinity of the Divine Existence. When the Holy One did manage to create space within the infinity, it was only by means of tzim'tzum, the Divine contraction. The infinite contracted to make room for the finite space. As the Universe expands, the Holy One contracts.

The lesson of the shvi'rat ha'keilim, the 'shattering of the vessels,' is tikkun olam, 'repairing the world.' This entails gathering the shards of the shattered vessels to reconstitute the emanation of the Divine Light. But remember, it is those shards that are the fabric of the universe, therefore their restoration means the end of Creation. Creation is inherently separate from the Divine because of tzim'tzum, the 'Divine contraction,' therefore the restoration of the vessels represents complete and utter Unity with the Divine, if there is pure Oneness there is no holiness, as holiness only exists in distinction.

Just as the Holy Blessed One exists in contradiction, needing to contract in order to create expanse, and just as our material existence is a contradiction, that our life is by virtue of the death of a star, so too is the contradiction of tikkun olam, of 'fixing the world.' That our complete Unity with Divinity is our material destruction. But along the way, in our path to live, seek and establish holiness in the world we must find the balance. We must find the reality where we live in a balance of contraction and expansion, between Hesed and Gevurah, between completely open and endless lovingkindness, and between the loving embrace of firmness, in other words, soft love vs. tough love.

We must find it in ourselves to balance not only our own personal needs and desires, but also the needs and desires of those around us. Because ultimately we are all of One Source, be it stardust, or the Divine Emanation of Light that brought the stardust into being.

And regarding all of this, the Torah says we are created in the Divine image and likeness. This does not mean that the Holy Blessed One, the Master of the World, is a person, looks like a person, has thoughts or feelings like a person. Rather, it means, that people are like the Divine. By virtue of being a product of the Supernal Light, the true essence of Divine Emanation, we are Divine. The mystical tradition teaches that the Holy One emanates an outpouring of sustenance that we all exist by means of. In that same way, by virtue of our acts, our thoughts, and our intentions, our Divine spirit emanates through the world effecting and infecting those around us. How many times have you encountered a group of people laughing, you have absolutely NO idea why they are laughing, and the sound of the laughter alone infects you to the point that laughing emits from your belly.

When we see each other as equal, and when we interact with one another as if we're interacting with Divinity, when we can truly see others in ourselves and ourselves in others, then we can begin to discuss justice. Only then can we begin to discuss peace. Right now, on this day, we need to begin with people.

So many of our actions and our thoughts stem from ego, stem from the I. Not the Unity that we all experience as a collective existence, but the aloneness of the sole experience. That is not Unity, or Oneness; when we come from a place of only concern for ourselves, for our needs, that is loneliness. This is especially interesting, because according to the Hasidic understanding of the shvi'rat ha'keilim, the 'shattering of the vessels,' The Holy One broke them intentionally on accident, you know, like a child breaking something 'on accident' for attention. Why would the Holy One break the vessels that contained the true essence of Unity? Loneliness. The Creator desired a partner in Creation.

I would like to be your partner in Creation. I would like you to work with me, her and him to be partners in Creation. As partners in Creation we can opt out of destruction and consumption.

All the wars we've witnessed, all the destruction and the damage. All the crimes we saw committed, all the unjust laws we saw legislated, all the greed and the hate, it all comes from ego. If you and I work with her and him, and she and he work with you and I, we not about ourselves or yourselves, we are about each other. We recognize that we ARE each other.

So I ask you to join me in making one of your resolutions for 2009 to join one another in being partners in Creation, and be pro-people.

This is what I see as the 7 key points in how I will be pro-people, and do my part to make 2009 feel Divine:

• I will engage, rather than dismiss
• I will listen to hear, rather than listen to respond
• I will think about your needs as I consider my own
• I will seek to see yourself in myself, and the Divine Self in ourselves
• I will consider how my actions contribute to your actions, before I act on my own
• I will reflect on your experience as it might be my experience
• I will recognize that I am capable of loving myself no more than I am capable of loving you
  

Read more!

Food Democracy Now!

Between my own busyness and the world's crises, it has been challenging to find positive things to post... until now!

Our food systems are broken and monopolized by special interests. Let's take them back. Let's hold Obama accountable to the change he promised us all, let's make him deliver.

Go to FoodDemocracyNow.org and tell him that you want to change the way our government does agriculture, sign the petition for change, and for a sustainable USDA and a healthy future for America.

Here's a sampling from the petition:

We believe that a new administration should address our nation’s growing health problems by promoting a children’s school lunch program that incorporates more healthy food choices, including the creation of opportunities for schools to purchase food from local sources that place a high emphasis on nutrition and sustainable farming practices. We recognize that our children’s health is our nation’s future and that currently schools are unable to meet these needs because they do not have the financial resources to invest in better food choices. We believe this reflects and is in line with your emphasis on childhood education as a child’s health and nutrition are fundamental to their academic success.

click here to sign and demand real change.
Read more!

Change is in the air...and it's pretty funny

Yay for Stephen Colbert.


Read more!

Dear President-elect Obama--a message from SaveDarfur.org

Dear President-Elect Obama

It’s official. The U.S. has decided who its next president will be.

The inauguration of a new president promises to provide new opportunities to bring protection and peace to the people of Darfur. Even better, these promises are supported by strong statements of commitment from President-elect Obama:

“I will make ending the genocide in Darfur a priority from Day One. It is a collective stain in our national and human conscience that the genocide in Sudan, now starting its sixth year, has gone on for far too long.” (April 2008)

“We can’t say ‘never again’ and then allow it to happen again. As President of the United States, I don’t intend to abandon the people or turn a blind eye to slaughter.” (April 2008)

President-elect Obama’s opportunity to turn his promises into action is coming soon. And our opportunity to hold him accountable has already begun.

Send a postcard urging President-elect Obama to make Darfur a day one priority. Together, our combined voices cannot be ignored. Together, we can help end a genocide.
Read more!

Change

Votes have been tallied, results are in, the people have spoken and history was made. America wants change.

The enormousness of what we have just witnessed, the election of a black man as the President of these United States, cannot be underestimated. My fiance expressed something incredible last night as we watched President-elect Obama address the world; he was positive, he did not resort to fear-mongering--change has truly blessed our nation.

We have been stifled for years in the fear and the threats, in the warring and the unilateralism. Now we have the prospect for a different future. We have been worn down by militarism and exclusivism, and now we hope for a different future. All the fear, all the threats, all the extremism has numbed our populace, and we are now rubbing our eyes and awaking form the slumber that has entrenched us in apathy and complacency. But, as a nation, we joined together and said "enough is enough." We decided to vote for change.

The future only knows how history will judge George Bush's rule in office. But it is clear that now we have expressed that whatever mandate he believed he once had, and those who think governance in his form is a virtue, that mandate has been revoked. A new mandate has been issued by the American people, and even the world, a new mandate to seek understanding and dialogue. A new mandate to rely on hope, rather than fear. A new mandate to go into the world with pride, and not with hubris.

Individuals may disagree, politically, with Obama's election, but we all need to stand together and honor and recognize the greatness, and the importance, of the moment. History was made November 4, 2008. America stepped out of the closet of its past and into the wide-open field of its future.

In the Jewish tradition, the ability to repent, in Hebrew to make "t'shuva", is sacrosanct. It is believed that every person, no matter how wicked or misguided, has the ability to repent, to return to a more balanced and upright life. Our nation has made a major step towards collective repetence. When the United States acknowledged that freed slaves deserved compensation, they were promised forty acres and a mule. That compensation was never awarded. When descendents of slaves in America stood up to begin the conversation about reparations, few took those conversations seriously. Mr. Barack Obama has gotten his forty acres and mule, and in achieving the unthinkable, he has symbolically received forty acres and a mule for all of black America.

We all have reason to be proud, irrelevant of politics, at the shear enormousness of the historicity of the event. But the black community in America has all the more reason to elate right now. An office once thought reserved only for the powerful, rich and white is now going to be occupied by a black man, with diverse upbringing, who until four years ago was virtually unknown to anyone outside his immediate surroundings. Now, he is a household name worldwide.

The world will surely look upon our nation with new, bright eyes. Eyes filled with hope for the prospects of progress and togetherness. The world looks to America now and sees a nation that is possibly beginning to right its wrongs. The world looks to America now and sees a nation that stood up and has demanded change.

Let's deliver.
Read more!

An Election Day story from '04

While standing in line to vote in 2004 I was reminded what makes democracy special. In ‘04 I lived in in the Allston neighborhood of Boston. I went to the polls before work. At the time, I wore a white Breslover style kippah (the big, cranium sized ones). I was standing behind a middle-aged black man who I learned was named Jerome. He turned around, and upon seeing my skull-cap, he said, “Asalaam Aleikem.” I pulled back my trenchcoat, revealing my tzitzit, and responded “Aleikhem Shalom.” We proceded to have a wonderful, uplifting conversation about the Qu’ran and Torah, the democratic process and the first four Bush years.

Over the next six months, until I left Boston for LA, I would see Jerome around the neighborhood, and we’d stop and chat. Were it not for that election, a Jew and a Muslim would never have forged that friendship. In my mind, THIS is what democracy is all about, and why Election Day is such a special and meaningful time. It allows all of us the opportunity to see who lives in our neighborhood, and to forge bonds that might otherwise not be formed.

No matter who wins at the end of this election, let us all hope and/or pray that the true victor is the democratic process. After two questionable elections, our country deserves to see true democracy in action. Let’s all make that a reality and get out and vote! When you’re in line, talk to your neighbor for a minute–that is community, and THAT is what democracy is made of.

Read more!

Conservative Movement appoints woman to chair Rabbinical Assembly

cross-posted to Jewschool

Last Wednesday the Conservative Movement announced Rabbi Julie Schonfeld will succeed Rabbi Joel Meyers as Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Assembly--she has previously been functioning as the Director of Rabbinic Development for the movement. Rabbi Schonfeld is the first woman to be appointed to the head of a rabbinic body--she said to the Forward, “I think that my rabbinate is really defined by the ideals that I share with all of my colleagues and with all Conservative Jews worldwide, regardless of my gender.”

This announcement, to me, is a welcome surprise. Some personal thoughts after the jump... (click below)

I did not grow up in the Conservative Movement (or any movement). I did not grow up in a synagogue; and when my family did join a synagogue it was a breakaway shul with 80 families and no synagogue--monthly Kabbalat Shabbat potlucks were held at the rabbi's home, which was also used for B'nei Mitvah lessons and ceremonies and perhaps a wedding or two; high-holiday services were at the JCC, and featured the aging male rabbi and a middle aged female part-time cantorial soloist, part-time Opera singer (in my imagination). My female Jewish role models were my mother, grandmothers, great-aunts, aunts... and I guess Bette Midler and Barbara Streisand...

Today I have many female Jewish role models in my biological and spiritual families, including many rabbis whom I am blessed to have as guides and teachers. I remember a discussion my first semester of rabbinical school in my halakhah class (taught by one of said rabbis who have been instrumental in shaping what will be my rabbinate). We were discussing the practice of including the imahot (the Matriarchs--Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah). We were maybe three weeks into school, and I built up the hutzpah to ask this rabbi why she did not include the imahot when she was the shlihat tzibur (prayer leader). Her response was unexpected and it has helped me understand the movement which I chose to affiliate with. She said, more or less, that it gave the appearance that something had changed and been fixed, when in fact it hadn't.

What I understood her to be saying was that adding the imahot may be enhancing to one's prayer and a beautiful act (albeit questionable in Jewish law, in my opinion) it does not help bridge a very wide gender gap which manifests itself in name (we have "rabbis" and "female rabbis," it is a bizarre and uncomfortable phenomenom which can only be remedied by having "male rabbis" and "female rabbis" or, preferably, "rabbis"), in pay, in appearance, opportunity and so many other ways.

Rabbi Schonfeld's appointment as Executive VP of the RA is a much more meaningful testament to working towards gender equality in the Jewish establishment. As I've been writing this article, I've been thinking about how gender has played into my rabbinical school experience as I enter my fourth year, and I am surprised to be feeling (maybe I'm candy coating it) that I don't feel like the school I attend has "female rabbinical students" and "rabbinical students." (Ladies, gentlemen, what do you think? Am I nuts?) I'm thinking this may be, in the likes of homosexual inclusion and minority inclusion, a generational issue. That progress towards this end is inevitable in the near future.

As Rabbi Elliot Dorff, of whom I'm proud to have as a teacher and role model, said in the Forward that "It’s 23 years after the first woman was ordained in the movement. That’s a generation, basically. We’re finally at the point at which woman could be appointed to a major administrative post within the movement.” Likewise, it was around as long ago that the issue of homosexual inclusion was first brought up and it took around as long to begin to make meaningful change.

As I think of those that I have met who, in the next 1-10 years, will make up the field of American rabbis across the movements (beyond the "three"), I think we are in for a lot of progress in American Judaism. We love to shower ourselves with a dismal outlook on the future of our people in its spiritual expression. We bemoan intermarriage as our death, and in the wake of tears, we forget that people desire to be moved and engaged. We go back and forth over "legal" minutae for months on end, as if the title "rabbi" gives us true jurisprudence to dictate people's lifestyles. Again, maybe I'm looking through rose-colored glasses, but I want to believe that as this current generation of new rabbis grows and evolves into leadership positions amongst the administrative wings of the movement there will be much progress in our spiritual expression towards melting some of these cultural barriers that tend to erode and divide community.

I don't know Rabbi Schonfeld, or anything about her, but I look forward to meeting her, which I suppose is inevitable either in her capacity as Director of Rabbinic Development or otherwise. I trust that she can guide the Rabbinical Assembly for the next 20 years as ably as Rabbi Meyers has done for the previous two decades. Obviously, having a woman functioning as the chair of the RA does not mean that gender issues in the Conservative Movement will disappear. Nonetheless, it is a powerful symbol of the advancement of women in the Jewish establishment. I think it is also representative of a sentiment rising for more substantial moves towards justice and equality issues (a la Hekhsher Tzedek and Uri L'Tzedek).

It's not that I expect Rabbi Schonfeld to wave a feminine wand and fix everything, but I hope her appointment holds true as an example of a shift towards more true egalitarianism, "beyond the bima," so to speak.
Read more!

It's like Facebook for Social Justice and Green Living

Hat tip to my mother on this one!

World Index for Social and Environmental Responsibility, which is the spelled out version of WiserEarth.org

According to their website,

WiserEarth serves the people who are transforming the world. It is a community-editable international directory and networking forum that maps and connects the largest movement in the world – the hundreds of thousands of organizations and concerned individuals that address social justice, poverty, and the environment.

WiserEarth provides the tools and a platform for organizations, businesses funders, social entrepreneurs, students, organizers, academics, activists, scientists, and citizens to find each other, make connections, build alliances and share resources.

Signing up is quick and easy so you can join 18,000+ others who want to network and learn about all the great stuff people are going in the world to make it a more sustainable and just planet.
Read more!

Sustainable Housing Project Underway in Savannah, GA

It sure has been difficult to find positive news recently... But here's a great one!

According to treehugger.com construction has commenced on Savannah's first housing project, and why is that positive? Because it is sustainable and it's called Sustainable Fellwood.

The plans call for 220 home units, 40% public housing, 40% for low- to mid-income families and 20% at market rate. The community features an organic garden and large green common space.

Having grown up near Chicago, I have seen projects, their failure and their destruction. This provides an amazing alternative to the public and mixed income developments I've seen because it allows for a community to grow with a closeness to food, natural surroundings and decreased utility expenses. This provides amazing educational opportunities for children, and the chance for cross-cultural and cross-class encounters.

Taking a look at the Development Team of the housing project, one can see that this is different off the bat--the most important members of the team are local Savannah business and organizations. Over the years, in Chicago, both Cabrini Green and the Robert Taylor Homes were often administered by the Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) because the Chicago HUD board was so inept at their job, but this didn't bring good tidings to the now demolished housing projects in Chicago.

Chicago's story should be a lesson that when embarking a public housing projects, the tenants must be provided with adequate and efficient housing. Just as importantly, they should be provided with a means to establish and grow a healthy and safe community.

Hopefully Sustainable Fellwood can be a model of a new variety of housing project that will have a different story and experience than Chicago.
Read more!

Synagogue to house Mosque

cross posted at jewschool.com

I just stumbled upon this lovely piece of news from a local Virginia newspaper (thanks to the wonders of Google):

Synagogue Lends Space to Mosque

By Julia O'Donoghue
Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) has found a new home for its weekly prayer services in Reston in an unusual place, a Jewish synagogue.
The Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation has agreed to rent its multi-purpose room to the Sterling mosque, which has operated a Reston "branch" for several years, in the early afternoon on Fridays.

"Many people [in the congregation] don’t know yet because I just wrote the newsletter article about it," said synagogue president Hana Newcomb. She accepted an award from ADAMS on behalf of her congregation for its efforts in promoting interfaith dialogues and peace Sept. 27.

"The Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation has opened its doors to our prayers," said Rizwan Jaka, an ADAMS board member, during the ceremony.

The mosque also honored United Christian Parish, which has hosted its Friday prayer services in Reston for the past seven years. The parish sold one of its facilities and no longer has the extra space to share with ADAMS, said parish board moderator Kay Rodgers.

"We don’t have the space anymore but United Christian Parish is totally committed and dedicated to the interfaith experience we have," said Rodgers.

Wow. Just wow. This is a beautiful and amazing show of interfaith relations and co-existence. The shul is a Reform congregation of near 500 families, the ADAMS Center serves 5000 families in seven communities in the DC area. What an amazing opportunity not only to embark on some very real and concrete interfaith work, but to also set an example of using the synagogue in the 21st century for applications that have a unique place in our era--this gives a whole new meaning to beit k'nesset (house of gathering).

Plus, in my minimal experience with Muslim-Jewish dialogue it is difficult to get down to discuss the intricacies and structure of our respective traditions because politics (i.e. the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) loom so large. This seems like an incredible opportunity to engage in joint worship and study in ways that have probably not happened much between our communities in, at the very least, the last half-century.

According to Jewish law, we can pray in mosques (not the case with churches, according to tradition) and as far as I understand, Muslims can eat kosher meat (while kosher Jews cannot indulge in halal meat). The Rambam's brother, David, would practice dhkir, an Islamic meditation on the Oneness of God with Muslims. If we could only put politics aside, we could connect deeply on a religious and spiritual level. The opportunities that have arisen between the All Dulles Area Muslim Society and the North Virginia Hebrew Congregation are endless and provide a great opportunity for the Jewish and Muslim communities of America (and perhaps beyond).

May 5769 continue to bring such blessings.
Read more!

The Divided Highway Merges Once Again

Wow, I actually have goose bumps.

After hoofing around the country to see one band at least 60 times, and swearing that I would never go to another show (at least three times), I am riveted with excitement to hear that Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman, Page McConnell and Trey Anastasio are jumping back in the game, for better or worse. Anyone that cares already knows, but thank the Good Lord, I just had to write about it.

Phish, simply put, is possibly the best quartet of its kind to ever ensemble. I've said it before and I'll say it again, anyone who says otherwise is deaf, soulless or has not heard enough. Well, they're heading out to one of their favorite venues and one of the sources of some of the best shows in their 25 year history, at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA. They are playing a three show run in early March and will soon announce further tour dates.

I can remember the days of chasing FedEx trucks down the road hoping and praying that they were coming to my house with my mail-order tickets. I remember hoping that I would get assigned seats so I could trade them for lawn tickets--I never understood the people who liked the seats, but they sure seemed happy to get them!

The last time they took a break and came back, the results weren't so much to my liking--they downright sucked. But I have very, very high hopes for the prospects of what some growth and maturity could bring to this group of gentleman. I know that traveling up and down, back and forth across the country put a wear on me and my friends, I can only imagine what it did to the four of them. That being said, I can only imagine they're a bit more chilled out, a lot more experienced, and the only reason they would do this is because they love each other, they love making music together, and they love making music for their fans--I can remember a time when that was true in the past, when it was about the love of the music and the fans, and it poured out to create some amazing grooves and incredible and memorable moments.

I'll tell you this much, I will do everything in my ability to travel far and wide to hit a show if they throw down a summer tour. You can find me dancing my tail off (which I just may have to bust out for the occasion. Yeah, that's right, I wore a tail on Phish tour, you got a problem with that? I wore a skirt, too!) in the best spot in the place, UPS (Upper Page Side).
Read more!

Because it's hysterical

"The Great Schlep" is now infamous and Sarah Silverman's video is satirical political comedy at its finest--offensive as can be and completely on point. Have a look, even if you have.



The fact is that people, for whatever reason, are afraid of things they do not know. Sarah Silverman's video brings to light so many things that are wrong with how people think. "You don't have to use facts, use threats." The plain truth is that in order to overcome the hurdles to break into a positive way of thinking and a positive way of life we must laugh. The video says nothing of any political value whatsoever. Its not supposed to, it's comedy, so while its points are irrelevant in a political sense, its comedy reveals ridiculous things that clog and muddy our political reality. Its mission is comical in itself, albeit relatively important. I think she's right, I think that I could convince my grandparents to change their minds if I had to (I'm pretty sure I don't have to...) I think that it could be possible that this could put the Jewish vote behind Obama in Florida. But let's really put this into perspective.

Overall Jews make up around 2% of the population and 4% of the electorate. In Florida there are around 650,000 Jews who vote out of a total population 18 million. If polls are accurate, this race is close enough that such a small percentage would matter significantly.

But that's not what is positive about this video. This is a farce to the finest degree. It uncovers reasonless barriers which we construct by fantasizing stories about the unknown. Voting is not a joking matter, and is quite serious in fact, but the charades and drama that revolves around elections is a shonde (shameful) and is, frankly, and impediment to the democratic process and, in my opinion, intentionally so. In order to see more clearly the ridiculousness of the whole ordeal, we need to laugh. And for that, I thank you, Sarah Silverman.
Read more!

New (old) fridge design prevents environmental damage

Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard invented a fridge in 1930, that has been rebuilt by scientists at Oxford University, which runs without electricity.

Refrigerators waste incredible amounts of energy contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere which is one of the main culprits of climate change.

Einstein's design uses ammonia, butane and water and takes advantage of the fact that liquids boil at lower temperatures when the air pressure around them is lower.

Check out the full report at the Guardian
Read more!

Vote Green (energy)!

I just got an email about PowerVote.org, a non-partisan grass roots effort to support green energy candidates and initiatives in the upcoming election cycle. Join over 100,000 (and growing) Americans who want to see country, and our world, make the necessary turn.

The platform is six simple pillars:

The Platform

1. GREEN JOBS NOW

Invest in millions of new green jobs, strengthen the American middle class and create new pathways out of poverty for millions more. By retooling our factories, revamping our schools, and rebuilding our communities, we can create a sustainable, just, and prosperous future for all.

2. INVEST IN A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY

Unleash American ingenuity and launch a new wave of affordable clean energy technology. We need more federal and private investments in public transit, ultra-efficient vehicles, and renewable energy like wind and solar.

3. CUT GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION NOW

To ensure our health, prosperity, and security, scientists tell us we must rapidly drive US global warming pollution towards zero. We can and must accomplish this transition to a clean energy future in an equitable and just manner.

4. END OUR DEPENDENCE ON DIRTY ENERGY

Enact an immediate moratorium on new coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear plant construction and infrastructure, while phasing out existing plants and fossil fuel extraction and ensuring a just transition for the workforce and communities

5. RE-ENGAGE AS A LEADER IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Global warming requires a global solution. We must shift the focus of American foreign policy from military intervention to international cooperation and join the world in pursuing peace and international development, thereby offering assistance to vulnerable and impacted communities.

6. TAKE DIRTY MONEY OUT OF POLITICS

It's time to make government accountable to "We the People." Put voters first and refuse campaign contributions from dirty energy interests.

This election is important for so many reasons. Top amongst them is the prospect to significantly impact the manner in which we embark, collectively as a nation, in this new chapter of American history. There is a phrase often employed by both Palestinians and Israelis to describe the other, in that they "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." The same can be said about the American voter. How blind can a nation be until we wake up and simply establish our democratic right to say, "Enough!"

The waste and grandeur which goes into the election process is sad. In an era where people cannot afford healthcare, education or basic necessities, is it prudent for a candidate to amass over $60 million of the electorate's money? In an era plagued by media distortion and shameful lack of transparency, is it honorable to employ outright lies and baseless rhetoric in the pursuit of supposed leadership? And moreso, is it in the spirit of freedom and liberty that we abide by it and stand idly? There's a reason Thomas Jefferson believed regular revolutions were necessary to keep this nation healthy.

Well, the least we can do, I suppose, is vote green. And how refreshing that we actually may have something to come together as a nation, not because we want to but because we need to. This chance for a non-partisan effort not in the name of parties but in the name of people.

Read more!

Big boost for third-party politics

I can remember my first protest like it was yesterday. One moment in particular stands out in my memory and has shaped my understanding of the American electoral process in very concrete ways. It was October 3, 2000--Boston, MA at UMass. It was the first presidential debate of the 2000 election. Despite having collected all the necessary signatures and so on and so forth, Ralph Nader was not able to debate. That's not so surprising, but at the time it was something important--the end of the Clinton era provided an opportunity for the US to expand its political horizons and incorporate multiple views, especially considering the staggering similarity between the candidates in the 2000 election. I'll spare you the recollections of grotesque police brutality, as this is a positive place. But the moment I mentioned that is seared into my mind is when the audience began to arrive. We gained word that Ralph Nader had been gifted a ticket by a student from Northeastern University to be in the audience at the debate. His bus came up, and we showed him our support. The police then stopped the bus, and asked a brought a few people off the bus, amongst them Mr. Nader. We then watched in disbelief as they confiscated his ticket to be a spectator and turned his bus around. As we chanted, "This is what democracy looks like," I asked myself, are we telling them democracy is dissent, or are we asking them if democracy is arbitrary policing... I still haven't made up my mind.

Ron Paul, the former Republican candidate for his party's nomination, has endorsed not John McCain, nor Barack Obama. Mr. Paul announced today that he would not endorse Mr. McCain despite requests from his campaign. Mr. Paul stated, "I don't like the idea of getting 2 or 3 million people angry at me."

The candidates who received Mr. Paul's endorsements are: independent candidate Ralph Nader, Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney and Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin, according to the LA Times.

What gets me is Mr. Paul's statement that 2-3 million Americans don't want to vote for either party's major candidates--I know I am amongst them, you might be too.

We have relented to the notion that we only have two choices, and it is a false notion. Democracy endows us with the ability to determine what parties are elected to represent us. The reason so many Americans call themselves "independents" these days is because neither party represents Americans any more. It is time that we demand an end to the two-party electoral system. It was designed to bar others from politics and legislature--to assure a plutocracy and ignore the visions of the federalist republic, that the elected officials are not of the professional variety, but an infrastructure of civil servants.

Ron Paul garnered quite a little movement in the early stages of the 2008 election, and electoral politics will not forget it. His little burst of fame after 30 years of representing his district in Congress illuminated to much of the country that their feelings of discontent with the "same old, same old" were not misplaced and were not alone.

I am not going to tell you who to vote for, but when we enter the voting booth in two months time, at least ponder what this (or any other) election might look like with an option on the ballot reading "NOTA"
Read more!