March 13, 2012 | 12:04 pm

An Evening with President Shimon Peres (Part 2 of 3)

Posted by Tera Greene

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This is the second blog post in a series of three, wherein I am highlighting Israel for the month of March.  Read the first blog, “Israel Makes Me a Proud Angelena (3-Part Series)” by clicking here.

The Honor, The Anticipation

I was one of the guests whom were honored to have been invited to sit and listen to President Shimon Peres speak at the Beverly Hills Hilton in the International Ballroom, on Thursday, March 8, 2012, two days after I watched Hazman Havarod (Gay Days), directed by Yair Qedar.

Since I knew security would be a bit much (i.e. secret service), I traveled lightly (only brought the essentials - lip balm, wallet, a small note pad and pen, keys and phone) and arrived 15 minutes before they said the check-in line would open at 5:30 PM PST. It paid off, because the check-in was actually quite organized, the secret service line was quick and I was fortunate to be done in a blink of an eye to save myself and three late-arriving friends seats two rows back from where we were able to sit outside of the VIP section. During my hour and a half wait before the program, I met the people next to me - we chatted about our professions, where we were from, how we got invited - you know, the normal schmoozing that goes on at an event like this.

Again, I was thankful to the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for another personal invitation to engage Israel for the second time in a week in such a diverse Jewish setting. The time between getting checked-in and the start of the program seemed long because of my anticipation of the insightful, poignant things that I would hear from President Peres on that historic evening.  However, it was not the first time I had had a brush with the President; in fact, the last time was in Israel, not even a full year before.

Third Annual Presidential Conference 2011

In 2011, I attended the 3rd Annual Israeli Presidential Conference in Jerusalem, hosted by President Shimon Peres by way of my participation in that year’s ROI Global Summit of Young Jewish Innovators*.  There were a multitude of fascinating sessions to attend, and being an innovator, you know I actively made my experience as unique as possible.

For example, I participated in a “Flash Mob of Consciousness” in solidarity with a project called Here’s My Chance (Israel Conversation Project). On my layover in Philly on the way to Israel, I’d met a couple of gentlemen heading to Israel for another innovator’s summit, and we clicked immediately and decided to work together in just a few minutes (and only minutes before it was time to board for Tel Aviv).  At the Presidential Conference, President Shimon Peres addressed attendees one of the days of the convening, and I helped kick off this flash mob with my personal pledge to support LGBTQ Human Rights with President Peres in the backdrop of my silent, statemented stance.  I’d also been invited to sit in a small, exclusive social media session with him during the Conference, but with jet-lag, I decided to sleep in my hostel instead, with a thought that I would run into him again next year.  A lofty goal, considering he was almost 90 years old, for pete’s sake.  I guess you can’t blame me for dreaming big.

So, you can imagine how humbled I was to get the chance to be in the audience as journalist Campbell Brown asked President Shimon Peres pertinent questions about his “vision for a strong Israel, a strong American Jewish community and peace in the Middle East.” Especially because this trip may, in fact, have been the last time President Shimon Peres would visit the United States ever again…

“Be Jewish. Don’t give up.”

Actor Jason Alexander (and his beautiful hair) opened the evening with a hilarious welcoming address after a lovely youth choir comprised of local Jewish day schools lead us beautifully in the United States and Israeli Nation Anthems.  They sounded so wonderful. I felt so filled up I am almost cried as I sang both Anthems with my fellow attendees. After we sat back down in our seats to listen to the rest of the opening by special guest, Mr. Alexander, he mentioned that on his recent trip to Israel he asked President Shimon Peres about how he stays so focused and positive when building a peaceful world, especially with all the muck one goes through in the process. He relayed to us that President Peres told Jason Alexander:

“Pessimists and optimists die the exact same death, but they live very different lives.” 

It was this insight that sparked the rest of the evening’s quotables that gave me pride as an Angelena for us hosting the President in such good fashion.  It also reminded me that my Hebrew name, which translates basically to, “I will sing/speak of good things” is so powerful and I should constantly stay grounded in being an optimist, no matter what.

You can Google and read all the different accounts and commentaries of the event, but I thought it would be more powerful to let the evening speak for itself. I leave you with all of the quotes I frantically jotted in my notepad from the evening - witty, insightful, and tangible quotes that really nudged my soul.  It was these quotes, the majority of which were delivered by President Peres, that put a perspective in my psyche and a pride in my step.  Israel and Israelis have a way of doing that for me, I’ve come to realize.

Many of these quotes gave me such pride in being Jewish, too, that it was no surprise to hear that President Obama will award Israeli President Shimon Peres with the Presidential Medal of Freedom this summer. Hearing a visionary like Pres. Peres speak illuminated me with a feeling that I control my destiny; that it is up to me, to us, to create the freedom in the world that we all deserve that includes coexistence, peace and the teaching of values to - and learning from -  our children.  More importantly, that it doesn’t matter where you start from as long as you get started and never ever give up.

Food For Thought

- “Nice to have you in town, sir!” (Jason Alexander to Mayor Villaraigosa)
- “You personify all that is good of Israel, the Jewish People and Humanity.” (Council General of Israel, David Siegel, to President Shimon Peres)
- “There can’t be any peace without security… and I’m proud to say L.A. stands with Israel.” (Mayor Villaraigosa)
- “Peres is truly a Prince of Peace.” (Mayor Villaraigosa)
- “Be Jewish. Don’t give up.”  (Shimon’s grandfather who was highlighted in the tribute video for President Peres.  Shimon’s grandfather couldn’t board their train to Palestine from Poland in the early 1930s because of illness.  Those were his last words to his grandson.  He was to die at the hands of Nazi Germans invading Poland shortly thereafter.)
- “There are those who live and those who live to make a difference.” (David Ben Gurion to a 20-something year-old Shimon Peres, who thought of Ben Gurion as his hero.)

The following are quotes by President Peres.  I must say that what I found the most inspiring were his references to children and how to engage them, especially the youth in my demographic via Facebook.  He is like the V’ahavta personified, if that makes sense.  I was also sparked by his references to education and risk-taking, as an innovator and entrepreneur who values these principles at the core of my being.

 

‪President Shimon Peres - Be My Friend For Peace (Noy Alooshe Remix Video)‬

- “Peace is not a political choice.  It is a basic, historic and moral choice.”
- “I lived in hope and I shall die in hope.” 
- “I don’t think we have to make it a public debate ahead of time.” (Peres answering a question by Campbell Brown regarding what will happen if Prime Minister Netanyahu moves forward unilaterally without the US in dealing with Iran.)
- “It became great by giving, not just by taking… by helping others.  They are the Guardians of Civilization.” (Peres on the United States and its early rise to power)
- “The problem of the Middle East isn’t political, it’s poverty. It’s really serious.”
- “Since we can not change the world, we have to change our minds.”
- “…not just the technology, the science, but the day we realized we had nothing. The nothingness made us great.” (Peres on Israel)
- “A true Jew can never be satisfied.  Once a Jew is satisfied, he is no longer Jewish.”  (Peres on what he felt the greatest gift Jews have given to the world - dissatisfaction.)
- “Work hard, think hard, take risks and be nonconforming.”
- “Iran is not the [enemy].  The Iranian government is the threat to Israel, the United States and the Iranian People.”
- “The women are a majority.  That’s a silent protest in the Middle East.”
- “If you have difficulty, it is not the excuse to give up your dream.”
- “Don’t try to be a leader, be ahead.”
- “In the next decade, we’ll [shift] from the right to be equal to the equal right to be different.”
- “In order to learn more, you’ll have to work less.”
- “Economy is global.  Science is individual. And science is unpredictable.”
- “Educate our children to not remember so much, but dream more… dreams are more important than memories.”
- “They think a short SMS is better than a long speech.  You gotta speak their language.”  (Peres on his new FB viral video and why he did it - to engage the youth.)
- “The Jewish People used to be the People of the Book… now they are the People of the Facebook.”
- “We all face enough weaknesses, we don’t have to write a biography about them… speak of the great things about a [person].” (On his biography of Ben Gurion.)
- “If you want to be great, serve a great cause.”

and finally…

 

“Even if it’s difficult, even if you are being criticized.  Do it.”

Part three of this series continues tomorrow (click here) as I highlight films from the forthcoming 26th Annual Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles, March 15-29, 2012.  Thank you for your readership.

————

*The ROI Community is a global network of Jewish innovators created by Lynn Schusterman. ROI members connect and create to transform Jewish life.

March 12, 2012 | 2:36 pm

Israel Makes Me a Proud Angelena (3-Part Series)

Posted by Tera Greene

I often struggle with loving or disliking Los Angeles; however, this past week I felt so proud to be an Angelena.  I’d like to thank the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and more so, the visiting Israelis whom I engaged with, for helping me to feel this pride that often I grapple with feeling in my own city usually.  This is a three part blog, which continues tomorrow with a recap about the recent visit of President Shimon Peres that I was honored to attend.

The LA - Israel Network

If you’ve been to both Israel and Los Angeles, you know that in many ways, they mirror each other.  The first time I traveled to the Holy Land, I felt like I was home.  I noticed immediately that Tel Aviv was like Los Angeles - it was vibrant, youthful and modern.  Plus, the beaches were like the ones here in Southern California (though much more clean).  Above all, it was home to gays and lesbians, many of whom walked hand-in-hand in couples and wore LGBTQ paraphernalia, much like many of us here in West Hollywood, Long Beach and the East Side of Los Angeles.  The gayness of Tel Aviv was truly what made me fall in love with the place even more.

On Tuesday, March 6, 2012, the LA-Israel Network of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles*, hosted a film screening and discussion of the documentary, “Gay Days”, which aimed to highlight LGBTQ pride and inclusion in Israel. The event was in partnership with the Israeli Consulate of LA and A Wider Bridge, which aims to build LGBTQ connections with Israel, and in collaboration with JQ International, Beth Chayim Chadashim, Congregation Kol Ami, the 2wice Blessed Project and the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation. 

Per the event page, the Israeli activist panelists included:  Avner Dafni (Director of Israel Gay Youth), Irit Zviely-Efrat (CEO of Hoshen), Iris Sass-Kochavi (a Tehila parent), and Adir Steiner (Pride Coordinator, Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa).  All the aforementioned organizations represented are part of the new Alliance of Israeli LGBTQ Educational Organizations (AILO). 

Not mentioned on the website was Executive Director of A Wider Bridge, Arthur Slepian, who did not moderate like I’ve seen him do so well before; instead, he jumped in to share a few poignant thoughts here and there that helped to create a cohesive flow to the dialogue.

Music on the Road to Equality

I’d seen “Gay Days” before at OUTFEST’s 28th Annual Los Angeles Gay + Lesbian Film Festival in 2010 (see also Outfest.org).  It baffles me that it’s been almost two years already.  I loved it then, but for some reason, it took 2012 for my mind to glean a lot more perspective into why I loved the film in 2010. 

Hazman Havarod (Gay Days), directed by Yair Qedar, is a political film, which is a big impetus for me liking it now, as I’ve taken more of an activist role in recent months lobbying in the Senate on the Hill and being involved with a social justice fellowship program.  However, what I really “got” was how the culture and language of music spearheaded and impacted the Israeli gay community in the 80s and 90s. Sure, film and written publications played pivotal roles, but as I re-watched “Gay Days” this time, I found myself more moved by the music that permeated the scenes as the Israeli gay community came alive - in discos, in town squares, and in life, in general.

The Sense of Pride

As one anonymous writer wrote to summarize the story of “Gay Days” on IMDB, “in 1985, there were three gays who were out of the closet in Israel. By 1998, there were 3,000.”  That alone moved my soul.  But, I also felt pride as the panelists discussed similarities, differences and influences of the LGBTQ movement in and between the United States and Israel. 

In both Israel and the US the Orthodoxy is being more engaged, which is huge when it comes to building a more inclusive LGBTQ community that welcomes and supports even the minorities within the minorities of the population.  I felt pride in hearing that the Israelis have adopted the Gay-Straight Alliance model in their schools.  I felt pride to hear that even though tragedy struck in 2009 in a Tel Aviv gay nightclub shoot-out, Israeli activists, many of them our panelists, saw it as a wake up call that the work is not done yet; that just like in the USA, the movement can’t be left to hope, but to action, to insure the equality, well-being and longevity of the LGBTQ community. 

I felt pride in hearing that Israelis are engaging the youth more actively, which is such a critical time for anybody, LGBTQ or not. 

And I’d forgotten, but it was mentioned by a panelist that Tel Aviv was declared the world’s best gay travel destination by GayCities.com recently.  That, for sure made me go, “Yes!”

Though still a young moment, the Israeli LGBTQ community is hitting strides, not with loads of violence, but with dialogue, expression and the sheer will to be in action to create change.

If you’ve not seen “Gay Days”, I highly recommend you rent it and enjoy. 

Tune in tomorrow for my blog post recap, “An Evening with President Shimon Peres”.

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*The LA - Israel Network: Two Places. One Community. Shared Values.  Through The Jewish Federation, LA Israel Network Offers a platform and network to actualize and grow personal connections to Israel.  This is an opportunity for individuals to create and participate in a network of likeminded people, to learn more about Israel and promote her a s a vibrant and democratic country. 

LA Israel Network programs and events connect individuals and groups on topics and causes that highlight Israel as a world leader such as: Start-Up and Innovation; The LGBTQ Movement; Global Humanitarianism; and Environmentalism. 

For more info and to stay up to date, please see the LA Israel Network Facebook Page by clicking this link.

 

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March 9, 2012 | 4:45 pm

How I Define Mensch: Seven People on Unique and Holy Paths

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

When all is said and done, holiness and wholeness and any other elevated idea of the spiritual goal come down to a simple Yiddish notion:  you are supposed to be a mensch, which means “a decent human being.”  That one Yiddish word conveys the full measure of the integrity, honor, and respect that a person can hope for in this life.  In the words of the Chassidic teacher, known as the Kotzker, “Fine,” he says, “be holy.  But remember first one has to be a mensch.” 
- Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar by Alan Morinis

Here are seven individuals that I truly believe to be mensches.  They all have inspiring messages, whether through their legacy or through the impact they are making today.  They bring holiness into the community…

Gregory Metzger- Greg is a rabbinical student at the Academy for Jewish Religion, and the Program Manager at Jewish Committee for Personal Service.  He visits with Jewish inmates in jails and prisons all over California, to help them re-align or remain aligned, with their divinity.  He leads Shabbat services, teaches Torah study and meets one-on-one.  These individuals have lost their way, and Greg goes into the darkness with them, to help them search, face and understand themselves.  He has empathy and understanding about what it is like to trudge through great darkness.  Although he has not done time in prison, he was definitely imprisoned by an addiction to drugs and alcohol, and had to see his world come crashing down.  Greg had a very successful career in the business world.  For three years, he was a featured presenter at Wharton’s Symposium for business professionals from Harvard, Chicago, MIT, Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia, etc.  He was the National Practice Leader for DC pension consulting at Ernst & Young and Watson Wyatt.  After he lost everything, he chose to change his ways by truly facing himself.  Today, the world that Greg has rebuilt around and within himself illuminates the sacred truth that no matter how lost one may be, we all still possess an innate holy essence and have the potential to bring greatness to the world.  He walks on a path of truth, and sees the holiness in living through loving actions.  I genuinely love and respect Greg.  We have both been blessed to witness one another trudge through and transcend our darkness.  Gregory Metzger is a mensch.

Let Our Hearts and Minds Not Be Fooled By Subtle Forms of Slavery…Written by Greg Metzger
http://beittshuvah.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/let-our-hearts-and-minds-not-be-fooled-by-subtle-forms-of-slavery/

The Call from the Rainbow… A Parshat Noach written by Greg for The Academy for Jewish Religion.
http://ajrca.org/parsha-of-the-week/parshat-noach-4/

Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross:  She was a pioneer when it came to acknowledging and addressing the topic of death and dying.  She relayed her insight and wisdom surrounding a subject that society often does not want to talk about, or understand how to cope with.  Her work empowered those who were in the process of dying in a tremendously beautiful way, by helping to mirror the patient’s dignity and autonomy back to them.  I admire the compassion she had for a population that is so often tucked away and hidden out of fear.  Even years after she has passed away, her legacy continues to help others cope and understand the process of death and dying.  A quote of hers that I find to be very poignant, and speaks to my own experience with death is “For those who seek to understand it, death is a highly creative force. The highest spiritual values of life can originate from the thought and study of death.”  I have managed to tune into that creative force she speaks of, regardless of how painful the process was for me to walk through.  I am currently a hospice volunteer and find it so incredibly powerful and rewarding in my spiritual journey.  Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was a mensch.

Here is beautiful example of the autonomy, dignity and purpose that she used to help empower a patient and their family members:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIZ97OALEfE&feature=relmfu

Asher Gellis:  Asher is the executive director of JQ International, which is a Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgender (GLBT) Jewish movement founded to serve as an infrastructure and community building space for GLBT Jews.  JQ helps GLBT Jews to feel more whole, as they get the chance to integrate their sexual orientation and spirituality.  When coming across any GLBT programing in the Los Angeles area, Asher Gellis has had something to do with it, whether directly, indirectly or on a collaborative level.  He is a pioneer in bringing a GLBT voice to the Jewish community.  He also trains clergy, educators, and administrators on what it means to be an inclusive Jewish community for the GLBT population.  These days, raising funds is not an easy task for any non-profit, but I admire Asher because getting funding and support for his cause has been an incredibly tough uphill battle that someone could easily feel defeated by, but for years he has continued to fight for a population that is often voiceless and invisible.  I recently did a paper on identity building for GLBT youth, and I came to understand that peer-mentoring programs are such powerful resources.  I view Asher as a mentor to me, who has made such a huge impact in my life that I almost can’t even wrap my head around.  I am so grateful for Asher.  He is kind, and immensely thoughtful, sweet and extremely bright.  Asher Gellis is a mensch.   

JQ International in collaboration with Hebrew Union College’s Institute for Judaism & Sexual Orientation, created a GLBT Haggadah that integrates GLBT Passover traditions within the spirit of the traditional Passover experience.
For an online copy of the Haggadah go to: http://www.jqinternational.org/haggadah.php

Craig Taubman:  I feel like I don’t need to mention who Craig is, because I have observed the tremendous presence that his music has in the Jewish community on a global level.  Plus I kind of find it hard to describe him because his work is so dynamic.  A “Jewish folk singer” doesn’t cut it.  I have a special place in my heart for Craig.  I know that I am not alone.  Craig has helped bring healing to my life, not only through his music, but also through his kindness.  I had the opportunity to work for him on the 6th annual “Let My People Sing” event.  It was called Ashkenafard, and the theme of the festival was “Reuniting the Diaspora.”  As you can imagine, it was a big project that took a great deal of outreach, and one of my big tasks was to get sponsorship.  The truth is that I have struggled with asking for money, and found myself lost in fear and doubt.  I knew that a very painful pattern of mine was being triggered, where my fear gives the wrong impressions and I loose my voice, and ultimately self-destruct.  One day, Craig had asked my opinion about something, and after I responded he told me that he wanted to sit down and talk.  I figured I had destroyed the opportunity to work with him.  Instead, he said that the opinion I had given him the other day, reminded him of how I am a very bright and sensitive person who feels things very deeply, and I needed to use it to empower myself and not forget who I am.  We would check in with each other to make sure that I was on track and not feeling lost and disconnected.  I can’t even tell you how much that meant to me.  While working with Craig, I witnessed a tremendous amount of people from all over the world, relay with such sincerity, the value and special meaning that Craig had brought to their life.  I was told about the kind acts he had done for others, that were profoundly meaningful for them.  I also know that Craig truly appreciates the loving feedback that he receives, because as a super busy person, the love helps to keep him going strong.  It is a reciprocal relationship.  Craig Taubman is a mensch. 

http://www.craignco.com/

Performance of Holy Ground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XltwsKCAq-M

Esther Kustanowitz:  Esther wears many many hats…she is a Jewish blogger, a social media consultant, works for the Los Angeles Jewish Federation as the Program Coordinator for NextGen Engagement Initiative, and does Jewish innovation consulting for the ROI Community.  Esther has a list of really fantastic titles, but the titles will not give her justice in relaying the impact of these different roles. The level of impact that Esther is making within the Jewish community on a macro-level is tremendous and will be reverberated through generations to come.  Because Esther is so humble and down to earth, I don’t know if she even truly knows the gravity and beauty of the impact she is making.  If someone were able to step back, and truly be able to understand and grasp the magnitude of the mark she is making on the world, they would be so amazed and proud.  Esther is a part of the leadership at some of the most influential Jewish programing found around the world, and is helping to create spaces where Jews can discover and decide what being Jewish means to them, find connection with fellow Jews while also discovering and respecting our differences, express our individuality and creativity, and figure out how we want to integrate our Judaism into our everyday lives.  Her captivating wit and intellect, can not help but make us want to stick around and be a part of the Jewish scene.  I am proud and honored to be able to call Esther my friend.  She is definitely someone I look up to.  Esther Kustanowitz is a mensch.

Esther was named one of the Top Ten Jewish Influencers by the National Jewish Outreach Program.
http://njop.org/resources/social-media-for-synagogues/jewish-treats-top-ten-jewish-influencer-awards/

Her achievement was also covered in the Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-ephraim-buchwald/top-10-jewish-social-media-influencers_b_1276790.html#s695736&title=Esther_Kustanowitz

Other websites to check out:
http://www.estherk.com/
http://jdatersanonymous.com/
http://estherkustanowitz.typepad.com/

Rabbi Sarah Bassin- When I initially tried to describe what I believe to be so powerful about the work Rabbi Sarah Bassin does, I was having a tough time, and I realized that it was because the very nature of her work lies in existing in the “gray area,” and non-linear thinking…where black and white thinking cannot thrive (and fortunately so).  Rabbi Bassin is the Executive Director of NewGround, which is a successful organization that brings Muslims and Jews together to establish a new relationship.  Rabbi Bassin demonstrates how to live a life with conviction, through the belief that there is an intrinsic therapeutic value in the process of establishing a new relationship, such as new beginnings, new perceptions, new allies and friends.  I respect her conviction, but also her ability to manage remaining balanced and grounded while in the “gray area.”  It truly takes a lot of skill to remain open-minded, flexible, and be able to see all the different sides within polarized situations.  The tumultuous relationship that often happens between Muslims and Jews has a harsh reality to face, but I can tell you from my own personal experience with NewGround, that allowing myself to be vulnerable and transparent around those I may have stigmatized or demonized, is so powerful and healing, and has opened my life up.  Through NewGround, Rabbi Bassin is a guide that invites others to be all that they are, in a safe and transformative space, where wisdom can manifest liberation and love.  Rabbi Sarah Bassin is a mensch.

NewGround:
http://www.muslimjewishnewground.org/

Erica Mandelbaum, a.k.a Momski:  When I say that my mom is my hero, I am not just saying that because she gave birth to me and I love her.  Separate from the fact she is my mother, she is an extraordinary human being, whom I feel embodies the love and liberation that I continue to strive for on a daily basis.  The way she chooses to handle the adversity and challenges in her life, has taught me what it means to be a spiritual warrior.  At the age of 39, my mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.  Before my mom was diagnosed, she was an avid and successful runner that never thought twice about whether or not her body would be functional enough to run in the next race.  She was extremely proactive in the community at large, and was seen as an incredibly sharp and eloquent go-getter, and never thought that there would be days where she would find herself waiting in her car for an hour in the parking lot across from the building she worked at, praying that her medication would just kick in and the tremors would stop.  The entire meaning of your life can change in a moment, and for her it was with a diagnosis.  I saw my mom go through a period where anger and sadness held her hostage, but one day she decided that she had enough with feeling sorry for herself and that she was going take charge of her life, and not let the disease take control.  My mom is a spokesperson and role model within the Parkinson’s community.  She has helped to put together major fundraisers for Parkinson’s research, bringing speakers on board such as Rasheeda Ali-Walsh, who is one of Muhammad Ali’s daughters, the American political commentator and journalist Morton M. Kondracke, and the former Los Angeles Times editor and reporter Joel Havemann.  She has received two major brain surgeries on both lobes of her brain, called Deep Brain Stimulation, with both lasting over seven hours while remaining awake.  The implanted device is pretty much like a pace maker for the brain.  Only two months after her first surgery, she went from struggling to move, to running in a 15K race, and her story ended up on the front page of the Tampa Tribune.  People with Parkinson’s all over Florida reached out and contacted her because they felt empowered and hopeful through her bravery and strength.  I have seen my mom deliver many speeches, and have felt so proud, as I watched the audience be incredibly moved by her story.  She has received awards and recognitions for her bravery and impact, such as the Medtronic Global Hero Award.  People feel honored to engage with my mom.  Although the illness is progressive, and when my mom turns off her brain stimulators she is debilitated by severe tremors, when she does have them on, she continues to reach for the stars.  In May, my mom, who is a rock star, will be at her graduation receiving her Masters diploma in marketing from the University of South Florida College of Business.  My mother is a free woman.  She is incredibly witty and has a spirit that exudes a state of openhearted wisdom, innocence, trust, simplicity and joyful wonder.  She is my ultimate hero.  I have the most exquisite role model of strength.  My mom is the mensch queen.

Article about my mom running in a 15k race after brain surgery:
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/16/Citytimes/Outpacing_Parkinson_s.shtml

Article written by USF Oracle about my mom going back to college:
http://www.usforacle.com/walking-with-parkinson-s-1.2109032

My mom honored as a Medtronic Global Hero:
http://www.medtronic.com/2011globalheroes/2008_heroes.html

I hope that you can feel the brilliance and beauty being reverberated through every single person I just wrote about.  They all shine such bright lights, and bring such profound messages through the work they do.  Do not miss the opportunity to engage and be touched by the holiness that these individuals bring forth. 

 

 

 

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March 9, 2012 | 10:48 am

Where were we 10 years ago?

Posted by Naomi Goldberg

In one week, Keshet, an organization working for the full inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life, will host its annual Keshet Cabaret – a chance to come together, dress up, and celebrate leaders in the LGBT Jewish community. This year’s honorees including Idit Klein, Keshet’s executive director.  Idit has been at Keshet for 10 years – a lifetime in terms of change in the Jewish LGBT world.

Think back to ten years ago when Idit first got involved with Keshet. Gay and lesbian couples could not marry anywhere in the U.S., and only one state prohibited discrimination based on gender identity in the workplace. The Conservative Movement of Judaism hadn’t yet issued its teshuvot affirming gay and lesbian Jews or its statement on transgender Jews. Trembling Before G-d hadn’t come out yet. Idit worked out of a home office. Fast forward to today, when LGBT Jews around the U.S. are finding new and innovative ways to celebrate rituals (and they can legally marry in eight states and the District of Columbia), the two largest streams of Judaism ordain openly LGBT rabbis, and the nation’s Jewish youth groups make videos to combat bullying. Keshet has offices in Boston, San Francisco, and Denver and a diverse, growing staff.

My, how far we’ve come.  And, LGBT Jews around the U.S. owe much to Keshet and Idit’s leadership. You may not have had a Keshet staff member speak at your congregation, meet with your clergy, or train teachers in your community, but chances are through workshops at conferences for clergy, Jewish educators, and youth, the idea that Jewish communities can be inclusive of LGBT Jews and the tools to help them become inclusive have been developed and shared by Keshet. The film Hineni has been shown around the world and has given communities a way to talk about LGBT inclusion through one girl’s story. Posters celebrating LGBT Jews hang in classrooms around the country.

Join me in saying “kol ha kavod” to Idit and Keshet!  Thank you for all you’ve done, and all you continue to do for LGBT Jews around the U.S.

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March 1, 2012 | 6:42 pm

Thanks, No Matter What

Posted by Tera Greene

Here’s to the day. Here’s to you making your way.  Here’s to being Brave.

How are you being today?

I am happy to be me.  I am.

Be thankful, no matter what.  Even for the times when you are frustrated, angry and feel slightly lost.
Be thankful, thankful, thankful…

No matter what.

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February 14, 2012 | 1:27 am

[[[OPINION]]] Creating Change One Proposition at a Time

Posted by Tera Greene

Creating Change One Proposition at a Time.

Much to the chagrin of Romney and Gingrich, Prop 8 has been overruled here in California.  Yup, that means the state’s ban on gay marriage was deemed unconstitutional by the Ninth Circuit Court on February 7, 2012. Romney, whom I officially am calling a jackass, and not even because of this following statement, stated, “Today, unelected judges cast aside the will of the people of California who voted to protect traditional marriage. This decision does not end this fight, and I expect it to go to the Supreme Court. That prospect underscores the vital importance of this election and the movement to preserve our values. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and, as president, I will protect traditional marriage and appoint judges who interpret the Constitution as it is written and not according to their own politics and prejudices.”

See that right there is why so many youth have no clue that they can be (insert race/religion here) and LGBTQ.

And why does everything always have to be a fight? Is not the true meaning of competition “to strive/work together”?

And, for that matter, is not Mitt Romney interpreting things according to his “own politics and prejudices”? Aren’t we all?

And furthermore - while I’m on this soapbox-, if I may ask, what are “our values”? I know my values, I know some of my close friend’s values, but what are “our values”? Preserve my tuchas.

Is fighting against people who want to illustrate love how they deem it part of that value system? Is fighting against people who want fair and just taxation a part of that value system?

Have we even taken the time to define our values as a Nation? As individuals?

By the way things look for many people, no matter the side of the coin they reside, I’d say we’ve not really sussed out our core values.  As a collective people we are not acting in the image of good that I personally feel we are capable of, regardless if on the one hand I also feel there’s not even really good or bad in the first place and on the other, I do see small, progressive shifts in consciousness happening.

Look, the people of CA, many of whom were people of color, alongside the Mormon Church and others, were committing actions based on values, too, when they voted so bigotedly in 2008. I even have a caucasian friend whom I respect that voted Yes on Prop 8.  But overtime they came to see that their actions weren’t matched to their core values, which I doubt 100% align with what Romney thinks are his or “our values”, for that matter.  Everything starts within. You can’t change the past.  But, you have the ability to open your eyes to new perspectives - yes, to even change course altogether… so what’s the big deal?  Why does a person like Romney feel this new decision on this issue is the worst thing that’s happened since (insert really bad thing here)?

Could it be that this gay marriage business (and really, it kinda is when you think of it) is the answer to all our Queer problems and therefore everyone is in a fuss because it’s like Wonka’s Golden Ticket in value to anyone who owns it?

Well, that’s like people saying (insert your belief about Israel and Palestine land equity here).

It’s one thing to one, another thing to another.  And gay marriage is no different.

It’s complicated.

Check out one great perspective from fellow blogger, Kalil Cohen (@KalilCohen) by clicking here or watching him on Democracy Now! below:

Though I’ve marched, protested and rallied alongside this fight since 2008, I personally don’t think gay marriage is our holy grail of magic fairy dust to which all things fair and just seemingly start to show their presence in the lives of LGBTQ folk.  That would be too easy.  It’s a cause to believe in, to advocate for, but to think of it as the end all to create a more harmonious world? Silly.  I’ve known many LGBTQ folk who’ve been together - “unofficially” married - for 14, 15, 17 years, even met two women together for 50 years once.  I have also heard of many straight folk who were divorced in less than 3 months, though painful it may have been. I personally am in a committed relationship with someone I definitely see in my future, but marriage isn’t the sole impetus for either of us being together in the present.  There are so many issues that facilitate progress, once they are allowed to be discussed, and that rings true for interpersonal relationships and communities at large, such as that of the LGBTQ community.

Creating Change By Tackling Deeper Issues

I spent a day lobbying on the Hill in D.C. a few weeks ago as part of a historical Day Long Institute via The 24th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change (http://www.creatingchange.org/).  This Lobby Day was the first ever, and I was so grateful to be a part of it. About 300 other Creating Change Conference participants from various states and I showed up bright and early on a blustery Thursday in lovely host city Baltimore, MD in order to be shuttled with boxed lunches over to Washington, D.C. to speak up against oppression to our senators and senator staff. As a representative from California, I know personally that our groups didn’t lobby for gay marriage (good on Californians to show up in such force that we needed to form two groups to accommodate all of us this historic day).  Sure we probably could all say something about the issue, but instead we shared stories about being LGBTQ human beings with needs and basic rights, like access to a discrimination-free workplace and school system free of bullying.

The day before, I attended the Creating Change Conference’s Day Long Institute entitled “Building an Anti-Racist LGBT Movement”. In one of my live tweets, I put forth the intention that we had set in our working group of about 300 people, many of whom would not also attend the Lobby Day.  We were there to “Deepen the level of authentic conversations about + across race. #racialjustice #CC12”, because as facilitator Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington stated, “How do we show up in 2012 and still have this conversation?”

Well, for one, everything is trumped by the notion of gay marriage, which he also stated, “is not what’s going to help us solve all our issues”.  I paraphrase because the way he said it in the moment had my head abuzz with intellectual engagement that I forgot to write in my notebook or tweet before it was impressed and the thought went into the ethers.  Washington, the “engagement specialist”, indeed.

Which brings me to the larger question of “when did the notion that gay marriage would solve all our issues within the LBGTQ community and the global community come into our psyches?”  Was it in 2008 or was it simmering for far longer, since so many LGBTQ folk have been together in loving, committed relationships for more than a 10 year period - many even with children. That’s a whole different conversation unto itself, though, especially when the issue of fair taxation comes into play for LGBTQ parents and families, so I’ll stuff those worms back in the can for now.

I suppose the takeaway from attending this year’s Creating Change Conference and hearing from the governor of Maryland say that his state was going to go forth and support gay marriage in 2012 (to be the 7th state to do so), and then not too long afterward hearing about the Prop 8 ruling and then Washington state adopting gay marriage (and actually becoming the 7th state to do so - too slow, Maryland!) when I landed back in Los Angeles, is that at least there’s something that is helping to advance the queer movement towards human rights equity.

It’s like gay marriage is our gateway drug to achieving more vitality and lifeblood in society. And the more it’s talked about, people share stories, create space for dialogue (#realtalk), and raise awareness of even deeper rooted and often more glossed over issues that usually don’t get discussed until someone takes their life or another’s, like internalized oppression, bullying, victimization in the workplace and racism.

  As Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington proclaimed, “It’s important to share, first, from where you are.” Because, as he also stated, “we can’t leave the racial justice institute without being able to say ‘white’”.

Nor should we be able to live without being able to say “I’m gay”, just as much as we should have the right to be married, or not, without having one sole issue wash over even more pressing issues that way more people can identify with.  There’s gotta be balance.  But, again, at least this issue is raising awareness, which is leading to dialogue, even if it’s on the backbone of this larger issue that is built on the backs of even smaller issues like class and race.  Even though gay marriage is seemingly overshadowing other issues, this avenue is welcome in my opinion, because dialogue is happening. And the more we share, the more compassion shines through and the values of loving thy neighbor and being made in the image of G-d (Beselem Elohim) reemerge.

Oh, you don’t remember those?

I guess gay marriage got in the way.

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February 8, 2012 | 11:02 pm

Prop 8 Elation Tempered By Frustration

Posted by Kalil Cohen

Amidst all the news coverage of yesterday’s ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that California’s November 2008 Proposition 8 is unconstitutional as well as Washington State’s passage of a marriage equality bill, I wish to nuance the excitement of these events with a critique of the narrow focus of the LGBTQ movement in recent years.  I have personally participated in marriage equality activism through organizing voter phone banking against Prop 8 as well as the 13LoveStories project.  In addition, as someone who works with queer youth, I think that this is an important decision that will impact LGBTQ youth self-esteem and self-acceptance.  However, there are many other civil rights issues affecting LGBTQ folks that have been completely usurped by the marriage debate.  By focusing so narrowly on this one issues, activists have created a mainstream agenda for queer rights that does not address the root issues of inequality.

The institution of marriage as maintained by the state is a means of enforcing private property, wealth inheritance, and individual, rather than societal, safety nets.  The money and energy that has been dedicated to this narrow civil rights fight has compromised LGBTQ activism as whole by channeling the bulk of community resources towards an issue that will largely benefit affluent, mostly white, gay and lesbian folks. For queer folks who are poor, immigrants, gender variant, and/or people of color, civil rights issues around educational access, housing, criminal justice reform, and health care are much more pressing than the right to marry.  All of these issues also lend themselves to coalition building with many other diverse groups, while marriage equality does not.

In addition to channeling community resources away from more basic survival issues that affect queer folks, the focus on marriage equality has served to only further enshrine the notion of the nuclear family, which in today’s society is largely a myth rather than a reality.  With 50% of marriages ending in divorce, and a clear breakdown in our society of the nuclear family, why do we as queer folks wish to partake in a broken institution?  While I am married and feel blessed to have had my ceremony during the months that all marriages were legal in California, I do not believe that the state should play a role in marriage, or that there should be rights and privileges for married folks.  Queer communities have pioneered alternative family formations through our history of caring for one another in times of need outside of traditional, state sanctioned familial relationships. For example, the queer community’s response to the AIDS crisis is a demonstration of our ability to form alternative family structures that function effectively to support and care for each other.  If the amount of funding, focus, and political will that has been dedicated to marriage equality were funneled into redefining the state’s notion of what makes a family and who is considered a caretaker, we would see a much larger coalition of groups involved including immigrant rights activists and health care activists.  No one should have her or his immigration or healthcare status depend on being married, for example.  Continuing to use narrowly defined identity politics as a basis for organizing leaves us more vulnerable to backlash, to being defeated by the majority, and to overlooking the root causes of our oppression.

I do believe, however, that this ruling and the marriage debate in general has created a much larger space to discuss LGBTQ issues in the mainstream media, in the classroom, and in families.  This has had a significant and noticeable impact on the comfort level of many people when discussing queer rights, because being seen as loving family members humanizes us.  I am grateful for the significant change that has occurred in peoples’ attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals in recent years, and I think that this ruling will continue moving us forward in the right direction.  At the same time, it is important to temper our elation with an analysis of the pieces that are currently missing from the puzzle.  If we do not address the root causes of LGBTQ oppression, the issue of marriage equality is likely to suffer the same fate as that of legalized abortion – a right that is continuously being challenged and restricted through legal action.

Follow me @KalilCohen

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January 24, 2012 | 1:20 am

Creating Change Conference 2012

Posted by Tera Greene

Time to Create Change!

I’m just a few hours away from the first leg of my travel to this year’s Creating Change, the 24th National Conference on LGBT(Q) Equality in Baltimore, Maryland.  Fellow “Oy Gay"ers, Janelle Eagle and Kadin Henningsen will be in attendance, as we head up the constituents creating change around faith-based organizations during the Practice Spirit, Do Justice Sessions and various other plenaries.  I am honored to be representing JQ International, and am so grateful to Southwest Airlines for their generous flight arrangements to get us all there.  The schedule is jam-packed for all of us converging on Charm City and I, for one, am already feeling the energy and inspiration…  I’m especially looking forward to the Day of Lobbying on the Hill in DC.

For more on this year’s Creating Changing Conference, point your browser to this link, and keep your eyes peeled here and on the interwebs for various blogs and commentaries on all of the action that will transpire during and after this next week of community building.  “Action is hot; Power is sexy”, the National Gay + Lesbian TaskForce states on their website.

I agree.

View the Schedule at a Glance here.

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