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Hints of "Queerness" from Our Ancestors, Our Sages, and Our God
Rabbi Lisa Edwards, of Beth Chayim Chadashim (BCC), offered these words last week as leaders from day schools across Los Angeles came together to discuss concrete strategies and tools for creating more LGBTQ inclusive institutions at the Keshet Leadership summit in LA.
We come together in the midst of our annual study of the Book of Genesis, with its many examples of the presence of LGBTQ people—of alternative family structures and gender non-conformity. I thought to mention a few examples, in the hopes you'll take opportunities to study these and others later on.
First, consider Sarai, matriarch of our people, who while unable to get pregnant, suggests that her husband Avram have a child with a surrogate (her handmaid Hagar). Our first alternative family structure—not only surrogacy, but one dad and two moms.
By the way, one of our Talmud sages, without a hint of irony or distress, amidst a discussion of the mitzvah of parenting, takes note of the long years of infertility of Sarah and Abraham, and suggests that our matriarch and patriarch appear to be tumtumim (people of indeterminate gender).
Later, and again without criticism, the Torah and our tradition show us there has always been gender non-conformity. Consider Rebekah when first we meet her in Chayei Sarah—how "butch" is Rebekah!—strong enough to hoist bucketful after bucketful of water to water many camels.
And then Rebekah and Isaac's sons, Jacob and Esau, whom we meet in Toldot, remind us that there have always been boys who present more "macho" and boys who present more "sissy"—consider the rough and tumble hairy hunter Esau—"a man of the outdoors" (25:27)—twin but certainly not an identical one, to his smooth, mild brother Jacob, who prefers to stay at home and try vegetarian recipes (red lentil stew, for example, 25:29).
Or, in the Genesis stories still to come, consider the children of Jacob:
How Dinah, Jacob's only daughter, "went out to see the daughters of the land" [34:1]. Did she "go out" to see the "daughters" or did she "come out"? We know nothing of what Dinah thought or felt or intended or did on her visit. She never speaks a word in Torah, and we don't know what eventually became of her. We do know that when she ventured forth, away from home, to visit other women, Shechem, the Hittite prince, "saw her, took her, lay her down and raped her." [34:2]
How many women and LGBTQ people today find themselves unsafe to venture forth alone anywhere in the world? And how many lesbians have been rudely told or violently "shown" that their attraction to women is only because they need a man to show them "how it's done"?
Why does Joseph's coat of many colors make his brothers so angry? Were they simply jealous that Jacob favored their little brother? What if something else was going on? What if Joseph himself favored the coat because he was drawn to different colors? Because he liked its length or it felt like a dress to him?
What if his brothers bullied him for being too feminine and his father's favor of the coat was a way of telling Joseph that, whoever he chose to be, Jacob would love him always?
It shouldn't be surprising that in our tradition we find hints and even discussion that "queerness" existed, as well as a certain comfort level with it on the part of our ancestors, of our sages and of God.
What should be surprising is that so many of us are still taken by surprise at these suggestions.
Recently, I sat around a table with seven other gay men and lesbians between the ages of 55 and 71, and told them about Keshet's Leadership Project. They all join me in thanking you for doing the work, for already understanding, already knowing, that a leadership summit like this one is necessary. We speculated a bit on what our younger years might have been like—how much better those years might have been (and later ones as well)—had our teachers and schools—especially religious schools—set LGBTQ inclusion as a priority.
"Do not oppress the stranger," one of them said, we're taught that over and over again but it doesn't always register with people that a stranger could be your own child or your own parent or sibling.
"Do not hide yourself from your own kin," we read in the haftarah on Yom Kippur morning, and when will everyone come to understand that hiding yourself isn't only what a person who is "in the closet" does, it's also what people do when they sense someone is in the closet but don't open the door and invite that person to come out into open arms and open minds and open hearts.
We are told, said another of my friends, DO NOT harvest all the way to the corner of the fields, but leave some there so that the vulnerable ones among us might come and find sustenance, might share in the fields of plenty, might glean nourishment for themselves and not just "depend on the kindness of strangers." This mitzvah is not only about physical sustenance, she said, though that's vital; it's also about spiritual sustenance—that's why there are Jewish day schools; and it's also about emotional sustenance—if you are asked (either subtly or outright) to deny or ignore a core part of yourself each time you enter your home or shul or school, how long before you'd stop trying to come in at all, much less stay in?
"Diversity is what we all have in common," someone said last night. Diversity is what God created and delighted in from the first week of creation and ever since, saying gleefully over and over—ki tov—how good is this, and even tov ma'od —how very good indeed! So shouldn't we, created in God's image, also embrace diversity and delight in it just like God does?
Indeed we should.
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Transgender Day of Remembrance and the Life of Sarah
This d'var Torah was given by Rabbi Becky Silverstein at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center on Friday, November 14th. We are privileged to share these words of wisdom in honor of the annual observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
16 years ago, Rita Hester, a transwoman of color, was murdered in her Boston apartment. The first Transgender Day of Remembrance was organized to remember her and protest her death.
This year Michelle Sherman, Jennifer Laude, Alejandra Leos, Mia Henderson, Tiffany Edwards, and Kandy Hall were all killed for being transgender. As was Aniya Parker, who was murdered only two miles away from my apartment in Los Angeles.
These are just some of the names of transgender people in whose memory I offer these words of Torah.
It is somewhat ironic that this week's Torah portion is called Haye Sarah, the life or lifetimes of Sarah, as it mentions her only in death.
א וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה, מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים—שְׁנֵי, חַיֵּי שָׂרָה. ב וַתָּמָת שָׂרָה, בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִוא חֶבְרוֹ—בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן; וַיָּבֹא, אַבְרָהָם, לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה, וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ. Sarah's lifetime—the span of Sarah's life—came to one hundred and twenty seven years. Sarah died in Kiryat Arbah—now Hebron—in the land of Canaan; and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah and bewail her.
The last we hear about Sarah's life is in last week's Torah portion, giving birth to Isaac and sending Hagar and Ishmael out into the wilderness—a mixed legacy indeed. Throughout the earlier chapter of Genesis, Sarah is more often the subject of objectification than a person with her own voice. Twice Abraham passes Sarah off as his sister without her consent. Her voice is heard only when she expels Hagar and Ishmael in chapter 16 and in last week's parashah, laughing at the somewhat strange way G-d has constructed her life.
Even these moments of voice only serve to narrow our picture of this matriarch, a woman tied to her ability to conceive. The text presents us with a caricature of a person, a part of a life, used as a literary tool.
Like Sarah, transgender people are often reduced to being only partially human, used as a canvas on which we displace our own fears about gender and society. Questions about our personal history, our medical transitions, our desire for equal rights; confrontations about our chosen pronouns, our chosen names, and chosen families: these all serve to dehumanize the transgender community. It is this dehumanization that allows for the separation and fear to grow in other human beings, and creates a scenario in which one human can possibly think it is okay to kill another because of their identity. Even in the time of Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, Orange is the New Black, and Transparent, the transgender experience is presented in limited ways that often serve to exploit or dehumanize. That both Janet Mock and Laverne Cox have had to explain on public television why questions about their medical transition are simply inappropriate is evidence of this trend.
As little as we know about Sarah's life, we know even less about her death.
ב וַתָּמָת שָׂרָה, בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִוא חֶבְרוֹן–בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן; וַיָּבֹא, אַבְרָהָם, לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה, וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ. ג וַיָּקָם, אַבְרָהָם, מֵעַל, פְּנֵי מֵתוֹ; Sarah died in Kiryat Arbah—now Hebron—in the land of Canaan; and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah and bewail her. Abraham rose from beside his dead…
Sarah's death is told only through the lens of Abraham's actions. Midrash Tanchuma helps a bit, typing Sarah's death to the Akeidah, the binding of Isaac. According to the midrash, upon hearing the news that Abraham had attempted to sacrifice Isaac, Sarah's soul departs from her. The midrash teaches that in the moments before her death Sarah cried out with the broken cries of the shofar, those broken notes the only sounds her body could emit, the only sounds adequate for her anguish.
Though Sarah's voice could not be heard, her cries continue to haunt us.
I wonder if this is how Sarah thought she would die. I wonder if being beaten and shot was how Michelle Sherman, Jennifer Laude, Alejandra Leos, Mia Henderson, Tiffany Edwards, Kandy Hall, and Aniya Parker thought they were going to die.
Let's move from Sarah's death to how she is treated in that death. The text does not tell us, but I imagine Abraham wanting to know why and how Sarah died, and that if Sarah died in the age of CSI that her death would be fully investigated. This is where Sarah's story and death depart from that of those we remember today: transfolks, transwomen, transwomen of color, whose life experience is ignored even in death—whose deaths are not investigated and whose burials are not noteworthy.
Our Torah portion continues by retelling Abraham's purchase of Ma'a'rat Ha'Machpelah, the cave of Machpelah from the Hittites. Abraham seeks to, and succeeds in, securing a burial place for his family, a place that will keep Sarah's memory alive, a touchstone for her in death and for her family in the future. Who creates these sacred places of memory and connection for those who are brutally murdered on our streets? For LGBTQ homeless people living in the shadows? Sarah has a family and a future, even in her death. Even today, people flock to Hebron to visit the burial place of our matriarchs and patriarchs, a trip that is its own sermon. In my first visit I marvelled at the ornate decoration and wondered what was actually in the coffins. Even I, a cyncial post-modern rabbinical student, was moved by the religious devotion. Visiting the grave of a loved one can be a powerful experience—the grave itself making concrete the death the visitor remembers and helping them to make concrete the memories.
The knowledge that one will have a place to be buried and those to look after them is a privilege. Those who are killed on our streets or in their homes because they are transgender are often wandering, disconnected from their families of origin, and they continue to wander even in their deaths.
They float from protest to memory, to newspaper story to Transgender Day of Remembrance. Very few have someone whose responsibility it is to say Kaddish for them. The community is their connection. The transgender voices who live make real their lives and experiences and stories, we tell them to ourselves so that we never forget. I, and now all of you, are part of that connection. So that we never forget that the world is stacked against those who dare to transgress what society expects of us—with respect to gender or other identities.
Why bring this Torah today? Because kavod hamet, respecting the dead, is one of the greatest mitzvot our tradition teaches. Because justice is a Jewish value and Transgender Day of Remembrance represents the intersection of gender, racial, and economic justice. Because the life and death of transgender folks is not outside of our community, and it is our obligation to stand with each other in times of joy and in times of sorrow.
Doing the work of deconstructing and consciously choosing our gender identities is work that is important for all of us. Consciously choosing to wear a dress or a tie or a relatively androgynous cardigan is empowering, and once we feel empowered in our own choices, we can better understand how others make theirs. Begin by doing the internal work and standing up for your own right to express your gender, fight the misogyny and gender essentialism in your own lives and the lives of your families. This can be a painful and difficult process, and it is also unavoidable.
More externally focused, respect everyone's right to choose their pronouns and names and decisions about their bodies, support them in those decisions in their company and when they are not around. One easy place to start is right here, reminding folks that I use he/him/his as pronouns. Try on correcting someone, see how it feels. And of course, there are plenty of opportunities for political action. In doing all of this, we will create a space for the memory of transgender folks, just as Abraham, by securing a burial spot, creates a space for Sarah's memory.
I want to end on a more personal note. Transgender Day of Remembrance is both about who I am as a transperson and not about me. Most of the names I read earlier are those of transwomen, and the majority of those transwomen of color. I do not have friends who have lost their lives because of their gender identity, and, thank G-d, do not feel that my life is at danger. And yet the night Aniya Parker was killed two miles from my apartment, I called my girlfriend crying, shaking, scared. That taste of fear is part of what places Aniya and I together in the same community. My identity as a white transman means that I privilege to use as an ally. And, I hope that my sharing words of Torah for you will elevate the stories of those who have died and continue to make their memories a blessing.
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Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20th. How will your Jewish community observe the day?
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What We Can Learn About Trans Allyship From Our Patriarchs & Matriarchs
In honor of the upcoming annual observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance we are devoting space in our blog to posts about gender. Be sure to check out other stories of gender in our Jewish community including: "Transgender 101," the personal reflections of two parents faced with the reality of gender roles at day care, and a Tachlis of inclusion post entitled "How to Hire a Transgender Rabbi."
When we first meet the Biblical figures Sarah and Abraham, they are not yet called Sarah and Abraham. When we first meet Abraham and Isaac, their bodies have not yet undergone a surgical alteration. We know our first Jewish family in the Torah both before and after these transitions. And the ways in which we know them can help us to be better allies to transgender folk within our current communities.
Abraham and Sarah were not always called "Abraham" and "Sarah." Born as Avram and Sarai, their names are changed by an encounter with the divine, and they each receive an extra letter (the Hebrew letter "Hey"). From then on, they are known as Abraham and Sarah.
We call the first Jewish couple "Abraham and Sarah" because those are their names. We do not reject these names because they were not given at birth. We do not refer to their birth names their "real" names. We understand that to insist on only referring to our Jewish foremother and forefather as "Sarai" and "Avram" would seem confused as best, and insulting at worst.
In short, we get it.
We understand the fundamental concept that names are important, and can represent significant identities. We get that names may be altered or changed during the course of a lifetime, and that names assigned at birth do not trump names taken on later in life. And, we can know it with those in our world today. Just as we know this with Abraham and Sarah, we should know how to relate to transgender folk whose name is not that which was assigned to them at birth.
We read that Abraham performs the act of circumcision on himself. He also performs it on Isaac. This surgical action declares them both members of the tribe. From this, we see that alteration to a body given at birth can be a method of enhancing holiness. It can represent connection to an identity—a physical manifestation of a metaphysical plane. We understand that this act is not represented as an act of mutilation, but of holiness. We further understand that not all Jews must undergo this change in order to be Jews. For some it makes sense, and for some, it does not.
Some transgender individuals choose to surgically (and/or hormonally) alter the body they were born in. We know that a physical alteration can interact with and support identity in significant ways. And today, we are seeing the many ways in which gender-affirming healthcare (which includes hormones and/or surgery) can lead to positive health outcomes overall. If we are to believe (as I was taught in Hebrew school) that our bodies are a gift from G-d, then hormonal and/or surgical alterations may indeed be a tool for some to use in order to be a proper caretaker, and thereby sanctify the body they were given at birth.
Our first Jewish family can show us how to be a better support to transgender folk in our communities.
The ways in which we know with Sarah and Abraham and Isaac show us a path towards love, support, respect, and affirmation for transgender folk in our lives. We know and love Sarah, Abraham, and Isaac through their transitions. We can do the same for those in our communities today.
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- Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20th. How will your Jewish community observe the day?
Note: The opinions expressed here are the personal views of the author. All comments on MyJewishLearning are moderated. Any comment that is offensive or inappropriate will be removed. Privacy Policy
Is Your Hillel Inclusive?
As students return to college campuses, now is a great time to be thinking about how LGBTQ inclusive your Hillel can be. Here are several suggestions to make your Hillel more inclusive, welcoming, and a safe environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning individuals and families. Even if your campus doesn't have a Hillel, you can adopt these practices for any student group. A special thanks to Keshet educator Suzie Schwartz Jacobson for helping to compile the original version of this guide—which can be found on the Keshet website.
Create Inclusive Policies:
Both current and potential LGBTQ students, as well as LGBTQ staff and faculty members, need to know that your Hillel values equality, and is committed to protecting against discrimination and harassment.
By mentioning this commitment in your existing policy documents or creating new language, you will communicate a commitment to equal treatment for all. For example, you should have a comprehensive anti-bullying statement for students and also inclusive anti-harassment Human Resources policies for staff. Click here for sample language for different anti-harassment policies and inclusivity statements. The statement should be easily available on your website, printed marketing materials, or other communications where fit.
Let the Campus (and the World) Know About Your Commitment to LGBTQ Inclusion:
Even if you think it is obvious, explicitly state in marketing materials, on your website, and other communications that your Hillel welcomes LGBTQ students. This will go a long way in letting potential students know that Hillel is a safe space for them, and letting all other constituents know the values of your institution.
Educate Yourself and Others on LGBTQ Terms:
Oftentimes one of the greatest challenges for non-LGBTQ people in talking about LGBTQ issues is uncertainty regarding language and vocabulary. As many terms are new, or are used differently by different people and in different contexts, people are sometimes uncertain and embarrassed to enter the conversation for fear of being wrong or of inadvertently hurting someone's feelings. Click here for a list of LGBTQ terms and definitions.
When Planning Icebreakers or Small Groups, Do Not Automatically Group Students by Binary Gender (male or female):
It is sometimes an impulse of staff and students alike to group students based on binary gender (male or female). However, this is problematic for several reasons:
- It renders gender non-conforming or transgender students invisible, by assuming binary gender and categorizing students without consent;
- It encourages students to view gender as an either/or category, which reinforces stereotypes; and
- It discourages students from branching out and exploring friendships and experiences beyond their assigned or assumed gender.
Consider asking students to count off, or divide them alphabetically or by birthdays instead.
Create Programming that Addresses Jewish LGBTQ Issues:
Our commitment to the inclusion of LGBTQ Jews is not just a secular value, but a Jewish value. When appropriate, integrate LGBTQ issues and topics into your programming in order to demonstrate how inclusivity is essential to our Judaism. Going beyond the prohibitions in Leviticus, Judaism says much about positive sexuality, gender, and how to treat all people with respect.
- When discussing Jewish ethics around love and sex, do not just refer to heterosexual dating and marriage, but include a full spectrum of relationships and ways to experience human love.
- When studying Torah, understand the text using an LGBTQ lens. One way to do this is to use our book Torah Queeries, which provides an LGBTQ reading of each parasha or our Torah Queeries online database. You can also introduce or bring in LGBTQ scholars who interpret Torah from an LGBTQ perspective (Here is an example from Dr. Joy Ladin, and one from Rabbi Steven Greenberg.)
- When studying Jewish history, include the history of LGBTQ Jews.
Another tangible and easy way to start a conversation about LGBTQ inclusion at your Hillel is to share Keshet's Seven Jewish Values for Inclusive Community poster or handout with your students. Hillel and Keshet partnered to create this special, co-branded version in the hopes that every Hillel will display these posters on their walls and use them in student programming. This resource can be printed and included in materials for new staff and student leadership, encouraging the issue of LGBTQ inclusion–and what it means to be a welcoming and inclusive community more broadly–will be emphasized on your campus right from the start.
These are just a few examples of the many possible ways to teach about LGBTQ and Jewish topics. What steps are you taking to make your campus a safe and inclusive one?
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A Conversation on Being Champions of Memory
Last week our Boston community sat down for a conversation with Ayala Katz, mother of one of the victims of the 2009 Tel Aviv LGBT youth center shooting. Jayne Guberman, a founding member and mentor for the Keshet Parent & Family Connection, moderated the conversation with Ayala about their shared experience parenting LGBTQ children, Ayala's fierce LGBTQ rights activism in response to her son Nir's tragic death, and the strength she and her family draw from one another.
The program opened with a d'var Torah from Rabbi Matthew Soffer from Temple Israel of Boston. We know you will find his words inspiring.
On behalf of our Temple Israel community, and our Equality and Inclusion Team here, I'd like to thank Keshet and Idit Klein for the honor of hosting this gathering.
I'm not one to think that spaces are inherently holy… as people who have davvened (prayed) in bars with me know full well. Synagogues are only as holy as their actions and impact prove them to be.
I'm a rabbi at this congregation, but I'm also an individual who was raised as a little brother to someone who grew up in a Jewish community in which he couldn't share his identity until he left.
If only he could have found a time machine and flown back to future to the present, because of Keshet, he wouldn't have had to play "catch up" on all the love that he lost from the Jewish community.
A teacher of mine (the great Jewish liturgist Dr. Larry Hoffman) taught me to think of Judaism not just as a "religion" or a tribe, not even just as a people, or a people – but as a conversation. Judaism is a Conversation.
I wanted to just open this Conversation with a word of Torah, from our Scripture – because I think it has everything to do with why we're here. The word of Torah from this week's portion pertains to memory.
It's in this week's parasha, parashat Ki Teitzei, we encounter a famous and disturbing mitzvah. Deuteronomy 25:17 reads: "Zachor eit asher asah l'cha Amaleik baderech b'tzeitchem mitzrayim…" "Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt. How, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear."
Our parasha is saying to us: remember what happened to your people, at the very point at which you were most vulnerable! And when are we supposed to remember this horror?
Our text continues: "V'hayah b'haniach Adonai Elohecha l'cha mikol oy'vecha misaviv…" "When the Eternal your God grants you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Eternal is giving you as a hereditary portion you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!"
When are we to remember? When we are… home. Safe.
This space, Temple Israel, is as safe a space as any. And still it's mandated that when you're feeling safe, when you're protected, THAT'S precisely when you are to remind yourself about your vulnerable past. Perhaps that's because we know that if just "sit back and relax" and let the story of today happen without our voice and our past, then ignorance and hatred will start growing like weeds.
In Judaism, we don't have a word for history. Today the Hebrew word for history: HISTORIA. (The first phrase I learned in my year of study in Jerusalem was "zeh lo big deal!"). History is what happened in the past and it remains in the past. It's passive. In Judaism we have ZIKARON, memory. Memory is something entirely different. Memory is ACTIVE. What distinguishes memory from history is that it's wedded to responsibility.
Memory is how we carry our story into the future. Memory enables us to hold and preserve a tragic past in our heart and then with our hands build a future that changes the story, that adds healing and wholeness to the narrative that will be read about us in ages to come.
Simply put, we are at our best when we are champions of memory.
I'd be remiss if I failed to mention that we – Temple Israel and Keshet – are currently in a state of mourning. Just yesterday we observed here a funeral of a beautiful human being named David Passer. A champion of Keshet, a leader at Temple Israel, and the Executive Director of Shir Tikvah in Weyland. David and his husband Marc made history – and memory – when they courageously became the first same-sex couple in our Commonwealth to join a Temple community as a family.
Many of us sat Shiva yesterday or today at Shir Tikveh. I lift this up because if it weren't for David's memory, the Conversation that is Judaism here in Boston and the Commonwealth might still be years behind where it is now. That's because David was a champion of memory. Keshet is a big open tent filled with champions of memory; folks embracing memory to transform the world as it is into the world as it should be.
Ayala Katz is a champion par excellence of memory: thank you for being our teacher on this day. This space is blessed to have you here.
We are blessed to be having this Conversation – a conversation about equality and inclusion, about what love really looks like, a conversation about hope.
Thank you.
A special thanks to Temple Israel Boston for partnering with Keshet for the event and to our cosponsors: ADL New England, CJP – Greater Boston's Jewish Federation, Congregation Kehillath Israel, Eshel, Family Equality Council, Gann Academy, GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders), Greater Boston PFLAG, JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School, Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston, Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston, New Israel Fund, Prozdor & Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston.
Visit www.keshetonline.org/supportfamilies for more info about our program for parents and family of LGBTQ Jews.
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Parashat Ki Tavo: Fine-Tune Your Spiritual Hearing
Jews read sections of the Torah each week, and these sections, known as parshiyot, inspire endless examination year after year. Each week we bring you regular essays examining these portions from a queer perspective, drawn from the Torah Queeries online collection, which was inspired by the book Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible. This week, our reflection comes from Maggid Jhos Singer, who shows that standing up as a Jew takes guts and deep self-knowing.
This week's Torah Portion, Ki Tavo, reads like it might have been penned by Jimmy Swaggart
and Charles Bukowski with just a little editing by Stephen King.
It is the original 'Hellfire and Brimstone' rant to which all others pale in comparison. Its images of damnation know no bounds; It is one of those bits o' Bible that has fueled the hateful lust of bigots and fundamentalists for centuries. I would go so far as to call it scriptural porn. It's the stuff that
usually makes folks like me, a genderqueer Berkeley liberal Jew, run screaming from Judaism,
so it's kind of odd to admit that I love this portion. It's scary and exciting and makes me feel like
I'm watching a really weird piece of performance art.
The trick with this portion is staying cool, not reacting to the surface level ugliness and instead tuning into the God in it. When I read it I try to imagine that I'm hearing a song on a static-ravaged transistor radio, I'm standing amidst a huge noisy crowd, I'm getting jostled around, nearby some wild-eyed preacher is raving into a microphone, "Cursed are you sinner, you will burn for Eternity, you are a perversion," people are yelling back, I hold the radio up to my ear straining to hear and little by little the song cuts through the din and a big smile spreads across my face… Welcome to this week's parasha.
In brief, this portion tells us that if we are obedient we will be blessed, with the blessings described in one short paragraph. However, if we are not obedient we will be cursed. The Torah then unloads pages of orgiastic curses that we will endure for our transgressions, laid out in graphic, gory detail. It is grating and provocative, and I don't mean in a nice way. Everything about it is repulsive on the surface. One has to wonder why the Torah would include such ugliness.
But read it carefully, and you will first note that the Torah tells us explicitly that the orators here are not God, but Moses and the Elders: "Moses and the Elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, 'Observe the entire commandment that I command you this day.' " (D'varim 27:1)
Perhaps it is simply that Moses, and his cohorts, are on a proto-Pentecostal roll, taking the law
into their own hands, so to speak. To his credit, even in the midst of this diatribe, Moses manages to sputter out a key spiritual concept. He says that it is God's voice that we should be listening to (28:15), that we must hear the commands that God is giving us (in spite of Moses' interpretation).
Might Moses have been trying to tell us that we have to fine tune our spiritual hearing so that we can know what it is that God wants from us, rather than what other people want from us? Similarly Moses seems to be implying that God speaks to us as individually and if we let someone else do our channeling for us the price we pay will be high. Additionally, in the midst of describing the litany of ills that will befall us if we don't follow Moses's commandments, there is a sweet dose of wisdom slipped in. Moses says, "You will be mocked and starved, diseased and blighted. You will be so bereft and so debased that you will become the supreme example of human depravity to all other peoples, Because you did not serve your Source of Being with gladness and with a full heart when
everything was abundant." (Deuteronomy 28:47)
I experience this line as God getting in a word edgewise.
There is much to learn from this raw scripture. Coming out as homo-, bi-, or trans-sexual takes steel and faith. It takes tuning out the hate mongers and spiritual terrorists, and overriding the din of ignorance and fear to find God's message and lock on. Standing up as a Jew, whose faith and ways have been seen as "queer" since we began, takes guts and deep self-knowing. Queer folk, of every stripe, cannot afford to loose our balance. Is it any wonder then, that the Torah includes an opportunity for us to practice listening to the ugliness of degrading threats while training our ears to hear the personal word that God whispers to each of us? After all, didn't our communal revelation on Sinai begin just like this, in the sound and the fury? So we stay calm, focus our hearts and minds and – "Shema" – we listen.
And there, in the bang-clanking cawing of curses, we hear some of the most loving words of
Torah: "Yea, verily I saith unto you: That you will be destitute, crazed and destroyed if you don't
give your self to gladness when times are good." I hear this line being spoken with love and
compassion, I imagine God cradling my head in Its big soft hands and whispering, "Aww now
pun'kin, why so angry? Look around, you are healthy, loved, smart, blessed and cute as a bug's
ear. Lighten' up and enjoy it baby."
Indeed, the LGBT community has survived, and even thrived, in some part because we know
how to party and be glad. We know how to show up with bells on and bring color and music
into the world. Every community that has instituted a Pride Parade was initially met with
resistance. The megaphoning morality meisters have shown up again and again, bellowing out
their messages of loathing and disgust — but they have never been able to drown out Sylvester z''l, or Sister Sledge or Barbra or Judy z''l, who have told us in whispers in the dark: Come on get up and dance because somewhere over the rainbow we are a family of the luckiest people in the world. We have listened to them and we have danced and we have been glad and we have known that we are not cursed, but so very blessed.
Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav said, "Mitzvah g'dolah l'hiyot b'simcha tamid." (It's a great mitzvah to insist on gladness.) As this week's teaching reminds us, we must practice being glad when there is something to be glad about. We cannot take a single blessing for granted, peh peh peh, lest the challenges and difficulties of being our true Self become overwhelming. We must be astute enough to know who God created us to be, no matter what the imperfect human authorities in our lives would say about it. Even great human leaders sometimes try to scare us into submitting to their ideas of who we should be. But remember: God relies on each one of us to manifest in this world our own unique aspect of It. Be brave, choose life, choose blessing. Tune out the static, listen hard and I'm sure you will hear a still small voice boldly singing "Eheyeh Asher Eheyeh"— "I am what I am" (Exodus 3:14/Jerry Herman by way of Gloria Gaynor).
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Back to School: What Does Your LGBTQ Jewish Lesson Plan Look Like?
With Labor Day in our rear-view window, summer is officially over. Now that school is back in session, here are a few LGBTQ inclusive lesson plans for your Jewish classroom.
Check out our suggestions for inclusive lesson planning with our easy-to-use collection of educational resources. You can find LGBTQ-inclusive lesson plans, resource guides and best practices for creating LGBTQ-inclusive camps, youth groups, and classrooms, as well as samples of educational programs created by other educators, youth professionals, and Jewish youth leaders.
If this is the first time you're introducing LGBTQ inclusive material to your classroom, start by taking a look at how to include LGBTQ experiences and perspectives in your curriculum for all age levels.
Here are a few of our picks for each age group:
- Family Portraits and Bible Stories for pre-K through 1st grade will help students explore and affirm different family structures as they appear in the Bible and in students' own experience.
- Take a look at What Does It Mean to be an Ally for middle school and high school students. This activity begins withashort text study of Talmudic teachings about communal responsibility. Students then explore together the role of an "ally" in creating change.
- For high school students, check out the First Adam. This lesson plan will guide participants towards being able to identify ways that they push traditional gender norms as they explore how how ancient and contemporary Jewish texts understand the first Adam to have had an ambiguous gender identity.
- If you're looking for a lesson plan for college and adult students check out Exploring the Rabbinic Sodom. This lesson plan was developed for Keshet by Rabbi Steve Greenberg, author of Wrestling with God and Men. This lesson takes a look at the "sin" of Sodom in the rabbinic tradition, using Sanhedrin 109b, Middat Sedom, and Ramban (Rabbi Moses ben Nachman) on the verse Genesis 19:5 as a way to engage participants in this exploration.
Let us know how you bring LGBTQ inclusion to your classroom!
Check out our resource library for additional lesson plans and resources.
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Parashat Shoftim: Building a Just Society
Jews read sections of the Torah each week, and these sections, known as parshiyot, inspire endless examination year after year. Each week we bring you regular essays examining these portions from a queer perspective, drawn from the Torah Queeries online collection, which was inspired by the book Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible. This week, our reflection comes from Rabbi Rick Brody. Rabbi Brody first wrote this piece in 2006, so the time-line might feel a little off. We still think this is a relevant look at Parashat Shoftim and the idea of a just society.
It is amazing how procrastination affects one's work. I began drafting this d'var Torah several days ago, but with the whirlwind of summer classes and make-up-work (Rabbinical school is not as glamorous as it seems) I hadn't finished it by my "goal" date.
I had begun to write about the work of Citizens to Restore Fairness (CRF), a group in Cincinnati, Ohio, dedicated to protecting the rights of GLBTQ people in their city. In 2004, CRF successfully led a campaign to repeal a 12-year-old ordinance that outright denied gay people protections from discrimination. In March 2006, the Cincinnati City Council approved an anti-discrimination law, which would protect GLBT individuals from losing their jobs or being denied housing just for being queer. However, an anti-gay group, disguised as one committed to values, blocked the ordinance by petitioning to have the issue on the ballot. This summer, equality activists from across the country descended on Cincinnati to prepare for the November 7th election and to fight this anti-gay ballot measure. Uniting people across lines of race, class, gender and religion, this diverse group of people was working to bring justice to their community.
Then, this morning, the phone call came. "We won!" my girlfriend yelled, as she came running into the room. "What???" I replied, confused. Was this the Hebrew Union College softball team with its two-win record? No. "Citizens to Restore Fairness won!" she exclaimed.
As it turned out, the people so devoted to "community values" felt that signing the petition with fraudulent names, such as that of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, was an honest way of achieving their goals. With the petition proven corrupt the organization proposing the ballot measure withdrew and accepted defeat. We had achieved our goal: justice for the residents of Cincinnati; fairness for GLBTQ people in the city.
How does this relate to the d'var Torah I was writing? This week's portion, Parashat Shoftim, or "magistrates," is about creating a just society. It is part of Moses' closing speech to the Children of Israel. The Israelites are standing and waiting to go into the Land, but Moses is unable to go with them. Because of Moses' bad behavior in the desert, he will be left behind as the Israelites go on to the promised land.
In Moses' speech, he provides ethical and administrative norms to be followed by the community. A dominant word within this parasha is tzedek, "righteous" or "justice." The word occurs six times in the Torah and 68 times in the entirety of the Tanakh.
What is justice? Many modern Jews, myself included, take pride in our faith's commitment to social change. "Social justice" has become a sort of buzzword for young Jewish activists working in a variety of fields. As a Reform rabbinical student, I take particular pride in my denomination's leadership role in certain areas of social justice. The idea of a just society is rooted in our most holy text, the Torah. According to W. Gunther Plaut, a leading commentator on the Torah, "no people gave as much loving attention to the overriding importance of law equitably administered and enforced as did Israel."
What, then, does a just society look like for LGBTQ people? This week's Torah portion says "they shall govern the people with due justice" (Deuteronomy 16:18). Plaut suggests that this roots the ultimate administrative power in the people, rather than the king. This leads us to ask questions of our own lives. How can our leaders lead justly? How can we be leaders in our own community? How can the people create their own just society?
In Parashat Shoftim we are commanded "Tzedek tzedek tirdof" ("Justice, justice, you shall pursue," Deuteronomy 16:20). The verb tirdof is in the imperative, commanding us to engage in the work at hand. Why does the word tzedek, "justice," repeat twice? There is a Chassidic teaching that the word justice is repeated because "in matters of justice one may never stand still. The pursuit of justice is the pursuit of peace. Do justly so that justice may be engendered."
We all must take a stand for justice wherever we see injustice taking place, not only for our own communities, but also for those in need of our support. The work of Citizens to Restore Fairness was accomplished through the work of people of all races, of many religions and across the entire spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity. It is through embracing our diversity that we have the power to create change.
The words of Moses, whom the sages call Moshe Rabbeinu, or "Moses our teacher," are instructive to all of us. Our Torah is our guidebook. Each year we read the text again, and each year it appears in a new light. Even though we have heard the stories before, they meet us where we are this year. Just as a parent lovingly guides a child towards the correct path, so too does our Holy text teach us. May we all be able to glean from its words the messages that will help us live our lives as better people and build a more just society: Ken yehi ratzon, may it be your will.
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Silencing Abominable Language: Parashat Re'eh
Jews read sections of the Torah each week, and these sections, known as parshiyot, inspire endless examination year after year. Each week we bring you regular essays examining these portions from a queer perspective, drawn from the Torah Queeries online collection, which was inspired by the book Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible. This week, Rabbi Seth Goren examines Parshat Re'eh and takes a look at the meaning behind the word "abomination."
I have to confess that this week's portion, almost through no fault of its own, kind of annoys me. It's not the command to put false prophets to death or the requirement to tithe crops to the benefit of the priestly caste, both of which strike me as problematic, to say the least. My thoughts and frustrations are triggered by Parashat Re'eh's mention of an abomination of significant proportions. No, not that abomination. That's back in Leviticus 18:22. But it's something that's presumably just as bad. Yep, you guessed it: the camel, which, along with a whole host of other "unclean" animals, is dubbed an "abomination" smack dab at the start of Deuteronomy's Chapter 14.
Go figure, right? Who'd have thought that the camel, even with its bad breath, rank odor and penchant for expectorating, is sufficiently revolting as to be classified as abhorrent? It certainly isn't something that I remember being taught in Hebrew school. But lest the camel feel singled out, the list of biblical abominations is a lengthy one. The word often slogged through translation and dragged into English as "abomination" appears biblically no fewer than 105 times in one form or another, denoting anything from a deceitful merchant to intermarriage, from a "haughty bearing" to a person who incites siblings to argue with each other. Biblical "abominations" like these are merely one thread in a broader tapestry of ancient purity laws, and the actions, events and objects that potentially run afoul of these laws are many and varied.
To be clear, I have nothing against camels specifically. Rather, my frustration stems largely from our present-day "abomination" amnesia and how all talk of biblical "abominations" has been condensed in modern religio-political discourse to one specific act alone: gay sex (which apparently also encompasses lesbic intimacy even though the Bible overlooks lesbian sex completely). Many anti-gay crusaders essentially take a censor's pen to the Bible and black out portions they'd prefer to ignore, leaving a document that looks more like a Guantanamo hearing transcript than a holy book and hoping the rest of us don't notice the difference. As an upshot, we find the Religious Right and other religious conservatives enjoying a perceived monopoly when it comes to interpreting a foundational text of American society, while those who have non-dogmatic perspectives have largely been silenced.
The irony, of course, is that those who would blind us to all but specific verses in the Bible, are precisely those who so often cry out as being the victims of "political correctness," hate speech codes and the "thought police." The rallying cry that "I can say whatever I want, whenever I want" is all too commonly heard from individuals who have little regard for the liberty of others.
Let's set aside the proverbial "fire-in-a-crowded-theater" hypothetical and address this more practically and directly: to some degree, bristling at being told what types of language are unacceptable is understandable. As much as we can appreciate the importance of living in relationship with others, the thought of abdicating our chosen mode of expression is a latter-day abomination in and of itself, at odds with so much of what we treasure. The chilling effect from limiting certain types of speech has the potential to make us all come down with a case of the censorship flu. That said, comments about political correctness frequently aren't, at their core, about free speech, free thought and free expression. For the sake of argument, I'll concede that yes, a non-specific "you" generally may be entitled to call me an "abomination," if "you" so choose. You can say that I'm a "fag," a "sodomite," a "faygele" or even the tamer, more clinical "homosexual." You can say that I'm partially responsible for the 9/11 attacks, as the late Rev. Jerry Falwell did, or that I'm a causal factor in the death of thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, as the late Rev. Fred Phelps rants. You can say that I shouldn't have the right to get married or that it should be OK to fire me because I'm gay. As a rule, you may have the right to say all of those things.
At the same time, I have the right to think that you're a big jerk for doing so, to articulate that opinion and to react with some choice words of my own.
I feel pretty comfortable in holding this way. Having the freedom to say something doesn't bring with it the right to control how others hear it. It doesn't mean that we make pronouncements in an echo chamber or that there are no consequences for what we verbalize. It means that each of us has a far-reaching right to say and think and feel autonomously, independently and individually; it applies as much to those who hear and respond as to the initial commenter.
This thinking is no less applicable in the context of our biblical examples. The voices of religious homophobia and deceptive reasoning may be deafening at times, but we have it within our power, to a greater or lesser extent, to manage our own reactions to them. Some may elect to engage in intellectual debate, consistently jumping to highlight the camel and other biblical "abominations" or leaping at every chance to demonstrate the hypocrisy inherent in a Leviticus 18:22-centric world view. Others are simply exhausted from having the same conversation over and over and over, feeling nothing but apathy for this discussion. Most of us live somewhere in the middle, periodically challenging misconceptions, at other times hitting the debater's equivalent of a snooze button. Regardless of where we end up on the spectrum of possible responses, those who've imparted their biblical tunnel vision to the rest of us can't restrict how we choose to express ourselves.
So maybe this week's mention of the camel and other "abominations" can serve a more positive purpose. True, the passage can trigger the realization that certain verses of the Torah have been wiped from public consciousness. At the same time, it can also remind us that we can elect not to be silenced and that we have some choice in how we respond to others' attempts to pull the (camel) wool over our eyes.
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VeAhavta: And You Shall Love
Jews read sections of the Torah each week, and these sections, known as parshiyot, inspire endless examination year after year. Each week we bring you regular essays examining these portions from a queer perspective, drawn from the Torah Queeries online collection, which was inspired by the book Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible. This week, Chaim Moshe haLevi examines Parashat Vaetchanan, questioning how we prove our love for God.
Last week's Torah portion, Parashat Devarim, is perfectly placed in the liturgical calendar just prior to Tisha B'Av, the annual day of mourning that marks the destruction of the first and second Temples, along with several other calamities suffered by the Jewish people. In Devarim, the Israelites are reminded of the episode of the 12 spies, when Moses sent representatives of each of the 12 tribes to scope out the land "flowing with milk and honey." They bring back a very mixed report, with all but one of the spies, Caleb, fixating on the dangers ahead of them. The Israelites are chastised by God for trusting in the spies who "cried wolf," and as a result of this transgression, they are left with a promise that this shall be a day of mourning for all generations. "See, if you wanna cry. . .I'll give you something to cry about!" says a frustrated and indignant God. The Mishnah teaches us that the episode of the spies is the first of the calamities to fall on Tisha B'Av, this historical day of sorrow and suffering.
Continuing this theme, in the haftarah reading for Shabbat Hazon (the Shabbat before Tisha B'Av), the prophet Isaiah offers a vision of the destruction of the Temple: This is what you get for following your own selfish interests rather than living according to the word of God! In both of these readings, we see the prototypical Deuteronomic God exacting punishment and retribution. What happened to the loving deity of the Book of Exodus?
Parashat Va'etchanan and the accompanying haftarah reading for this Shabbat Nachamu offer us consolation from Tisha B'Av and from divine censure and haunting prophecy. Yet, they also tender so much more. In the parasha, we are presented with the statements of the very tenets of our faith: the Shema, the VeAhavta, and the Aseret HaDibrot (the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments). In the haftarah reading, we are reminded that God cannot be compared to any image or any idol. "The grass withers; the flower fades; The word of God shall stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8) It is as if, in anticipation of Tu B'Av, we are gifted with the covenantal relationship of love between God and the Jewish people.
As Parashat Va'etchanan opens, we find Moses pleading for forgiveness from any transgressions that may have upset God in order that he be permitted to enter into the promised land along with the rest of the Israelites. While Moses's request is unconditionally denied, he is given a counter offer. Climb to the top of Mount Pisgah and survey the land. Needless to say, Moses is frustrated and probably overwrought. After all of his hard work in leading this kvetching motley crew throughout 40 years of wandering, how is he repaid? With a bird's eye view of a land he will never set foot upon.
Despite his personal disappointment, Moses the leader reminds the people that it is imperative that they keep God's mitzvoth (commandments) and uphold all of the details laid out in the Torah. Why? Because God is a jealous, punishing deity who never forgets the sins of His enemies, repaying them by devouring them or ultimately destroying them. I can only wonder, is this really what Moses believes or is he broigus (disgruntled) because HaShem (God) has denied his request to enter the land? I don't think it is either of these. Rather it is a scare tactic by one of the authors of Deuteronomy to get the people to toe the line, i.e. if one wishes to remain alive, s/he must fulfill God's commandments. As intercessor between God and layperson, offering sacrifices on the behalf of the populace, the Deuteronomist Kohen (priest) would have a personal investment in instilling yirat HaShem (fear of God) into the people. Otherwise, who would come to make guilt offerings? How's that for motivation?
The reader soon discovers another Deuteronomist voice, one that seems as discontented to portray God in this fire and brimstone manner as we are to hear it. Thus, we are made aware of the loving nature of God: a deity who is merciful, who remembers the covenant made with the biblical ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to provide the chosen people with a homeland of their own, who never fails them, who redeemed them from bondage in Egypt, who brought them to the holy mountain to reveal the divine law to them, and who has assisted them in preparing for their conquest of the land.
Moses reminds the people that God revealed Godself to each one individually at Mount Sinai NOT just to the ancestral forefathers. Each individual has a personal relationship with God, and thus, is personally responsible to uphold the promise of Naaseh v'Nishma (We will do and we will listen) made at that historical moment. To concretize that memory, Moses repeats the Aseret HaDibrot.
Tying together all of the lessons, the principles, and the statutes, the people are offered a summary statement of their relationship to God, in the form of the Shema. This is coupled with the instructive passage of how to demonstrate one's love to God, the VeAhavta. The people who, not long after leaving Egypt, had once stood at Sinai and proclaimed Naaseh v'Nishma, have matured to the point that now they truly can Shema (listen) and Oseh (do), in the form of Ahavah (love). In phrasing the Shema in the plural, Moses has acknowledged and accepted God's decision that he not enter into the land. Moses is now one of the people. He is no longer separated out as their leader, for even Moses must submit to the will of God, and to affirm God's supremacy with love, even if a request of God was not granted him.
The children of Israel acknowledge God's singularity and promise to show their love for God, with all of their core, essence, and power. They will do so by teaching future generations, demonstrating their love in every setting (at home or away, from arising in the morning to retiring at night) and through outward signs on their bodies and their homes. When their children ask why these things are done, they promise to recount their history as slaves in Egypt and explain how keeping the mitzvot has ensured their survival as a people.
So, if it all comes down to affirming God's Oneness, and proving our love for God, did the first Deuteronomist have it all wrong? Well, for me as a queer Jew, the implacable parent in the sky is so passé. My personal theology does not include a God who is irate, spiteful, and unforgiving. I believe in a God of pure and endless benevolence, compassion, and truth. There is nothing in the Shema or the VeAhavta that speaks of yirat HaShem. I do not believe fear is the way to a healthy relationship with God. By contrast, I do believe one ought to have a mindful respect for God and God's awesomeness.
Created in the image of God, we testify to God's Oneness through acts of love, for loving is Godly. Whether it is teaching one's children, wrapping oneself in tefillin, or affixing a mezuzah, these are all expressions of our connection to the Divine Spirit. Likewise, by living and loving openly as LGBTIQ people, each of us is an ayd (a witness) to the Ein Sof (the Infinite Divine Oneness).
This Shabbat find your personal connection to God. Reach out in love to the Divine. Celebrate this connection and share it with others, especially with your beloved this coming Sunday on Tu B'Av under the light of the full moon. And if you're single and looking? You know the drill.
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What do you do when you are dissatisfied with your local public schools? Homeschool your children? Send them to private school? Let's look at your options.
Your religion matters to you. You want your child to attend a school which will combine academics and religious education. Here is an overview of what is available together with some links to denominational web sites.
Add things up and you'll quickly find the answer- math is crucial both in academics and the real world. By following these strategies and following personal training programs, students can uncover their weaknesses and conquer math.

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VISIT DENVER is the premier source of information about Denver's hot spots, visitor attractions, cultural events, hotels, and more. For a comprehensive listing of things to do in Denver, visit www.visitdenver.com
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For this edition of Houston YouTube History, I dived into the Houston Rockets' YouTube stamp. There are tons of random clips of games, which are pretty recent, but those are boring rips from cable TV. I wanted weird stuff that you may have forgotten about. Not that you would have forgotten their f ... More >>
Sources say Astros Stopped a deal to bring CSN Houston, Rockets Games to DirecTV.
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Sometimes, as the saying goes, you can't hit the ocean from the beach. During the Rockets' seven-game losing streak, which mercifully came to an end at Charlotte on Monday afternoon with a 100-96 Martin Luther King Day matinee win, the Rockets have been awful from the floor. James Harden has been sh ... More >>
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I've mentioned in this space on numerous occasions that you have to take the good and bad with youth. It's exciting and fast-paced and fun, but it's also exceedingly frustrating. On a weekend that saw the Texans go out more with a whimper than a bang, it would have been nice for the other halfway de ... More >>
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the Houston Astros, who are part owners of Comcast SportsNet Houston along with the Houston Rockets and NBC, nixed an 11th-hour deal with DirecTV that could have put CSN Houston on the provider and delivered Rockets games to its subscribers at th ... More >>
The Rockets faced a depleted Lakers squad missing three key players including Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard Tuesday night at Toyota Center in a classic trap game. The first game of yet another five-games-in-four-nights stretch for the Rockets against a very short-handed team makes for situation Coach ... More >>
On the court this season, the young Houston Rockets have been a pleasant surprise. They've gone 4-0 in their last four games and are 8-2 in the last 10. They continue to dominate the eastern conference (too bad they reside in the west) and at or near the top of the NBA in several offensive categorie ... More >>
Check out our slideshow from the Thunder game! This was not the best weekend ever for Houston sports fans. The Texans...well, let's just leave them to their misery and inevitable playoff floundering and talk about the other team that went from boom to bust, the Houston Rockets. Of course, there wer ... More >>
Don't look now, but the team no one can see on Houston TV is looking pretty damn good right about now. Winning their fourth game in a row, which included routs over the Knicks and the Grizzlies, the Rockets beat one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Chicago Bulls, by 23, at one point le ... More >>
In 2011, Christmas Day was the literal start to the NBA season thanks to a lockout that kept the season from starting for nearly two full months. Most every other year, the season starts in October, but for the casual fan, it doesn't really get going until Christmas Day. With the NFL taking the day ... More >>
It's Christmas Eve, which means there are just a few hours left to submit your Christmas wish list to Santa Claus. I want to think that I've been good this year, and that Santa will get me everything that I want. So Santa, here's my list. I'll see you tonight. 15. Some of my fellow UH alums might d ... More >>
For years since the re-design of the Rockets logo and uniforms, fans on message boards like ClutchFans.net have been clamoring for an alternate uniform design with a red and black color scheme. They've had throwback jerseys (ah, ketchup and mustard), but no alternates. Even the Texans have a Battle ... More >>
By any real measurement, the first season for Jeremy Lin as a Houston Rocket has been fairly pedestrian. Statistically, he has struggled shooting the basketball (.399 field goal percentage) and seen his minutes scaled back in recent weeks. Purely to the human eye, Lin has had trouble meshing with ba ... More >>
When you have a sports fan in your life, I mean a serious, hard core fan, it can be tough to buy for them. Some of them seem to spend entire paychecks on sports gear and stuff related to their teams. Most have tickets games and probably have a lot of memorabilia that will sell great on Ebay someday. ... More >>
Jeremy Lin reminds me of an NFL quarterback. He probably didn't deserve the mounds of praise heaped on him during his transcendant run last year in New York and he hasn't deserved the beating he's taken on message boards and radio call in shows during his struggles in Houston. He didn't get signed t ... More >>
Check out pics from Saturday's close game against the Mavs in our slideshow. Kevin McHale was emotional at times when he met with the media upon his return to the team on Saturday night after an extended absence due to the illness and tragic death of his daughter. He kept in touch with the players ... More >>
With a serious tragedy behind them and injured players starting to return to the line up, the Rockets dive into a string of games against contenders and Texas rivals this week that will add yet another test to the young team's season. First up is the LA Lakers, in town tonight at Toyota Center. Des ... More >>
"Is he worth it?" In the sports world, it's the answer to that one simple question that ultimately determines the length of a player's shelf life in whatever league he plays in. Extrapolated in more detail and reworded, is the combination of a player's skill set, salary, and performance worth whate ... More >>
Can someone please explain to me why so many people are so pissed off at Royce White? I know why the Rockets are upset - I don't necessarily agree with the Rockets being angry with him, but I get it - but I don't get why my twitter timeline and sports radio and comment sections to stories on White w ... More >>
I once interviewed MLB writer and former Astro social media maven Alyson Footer for a story about sports radio and she gave me a fantastic quote about the media in general. "The news cycle used to be 24 hours and now it's 24 seconds," she told me. The impact that has on sports coverage means that on ... More >>
On June 5, 1986, I was barely 17 years old and on my way home from a music lesson. While cutting through a nearby neighborhood, my car, an amazingly awful pumpkin orange Datsun B-210 I bought from a friend for 500 bucks, broke down...again. Fortunately, I was only about two blocks from a schoolmate' ... More >>
I haven't used a Sopranos analogy in a long time, and frankly, since the series has been defunct for more than five years, I have no idea how much longer the Relevancy Police are going to allow me to do so, so if I may: Remember in the first half of Season 6 of The Sopranos, when Tony got shot in t ... More >>
Back in the late '90s, when the Rockets had real championship aspirations, the team was consistently one of the oldest in the NBA. They routinely filled the end of the roster with guys like Charles Jones, who Rockets TV play-by-play man Bill Worrell affectionately called "Old Man River." By contrast ... More >>
Houston has a professional football team. They are called the Houston Texans. A lot of people like them. Some of those people are rappers. The Internet has several forms of social media. One of them is called Twitter. A lot of people use it. Some of those people are rappers. We perused Twitter dur ... More >>
Red-Blooded American Man's newest obsession -- behind Kate Upton -- has to be ESPN's 30 For 30 series. The sports documentary series takes on notable and not-so-notable events in sports history and gives them the 360-degree treatment. Since 30 For 30 debuted in late 2009, the directors have tackle ... More >>
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night unable to breathe, feeling like you are suffering a heart attack. Your first instinct is to dial 911, but your hand is paralyzed, unable to move out of fear. You lay there, completely still, struggling with every breath without the power to speak. It's da ... More >>
Now we know what the problem has been for Houston Rocket fans -- they just have not been able to get a clear view of the mediocrity on the court. Problem solved. The Rockets are unveiling a massive new scoreboard/video thingamajig which they claim "will be the largest indoor center-hung scoreboard ... More >>
My friends over on the ClutchFans.net bulletin board are fond of the phrase "making a splash" when discussing the team's moves in free agency and when they make trades. When a trade or signing is of a more minor variety, that phrase becomes a joke, often posted on the board in an almost unreadably s ... More >>
So the Houston Rockets have signed turnover machine/point guard/free agent Jeremy Lin to a contract, and apparently, the city of Houston is going nuts. I'm not quite ready to buy into the hype, and I'm not going to be doing any stupid puns on his name. That said, good luck to the kid and the Rockets ... More >>
Over the last few weeks -- and, frankly, for quite sometime before that -- the name Jeremy Lin has been twisted to fit any number of ridiculous puns (check out HPBasketball's Twitter feed on Tuesday for some hilarious examples), Linsanity chief among them as the young phenom brought crowds at storie ... More >>
For every weird little occurrence in life, there seems to be an episode of Seinfeld to which you can circle back for an analogous situation. Even for something as innocuous as the Rockets' pursuit of Knicks restricted free agent guard Jeremy Lin. So here goes: Remember that episode of Seinfeld whe ... More >>
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Garden (or GAH-den if you are a New Yorker), it appears the New York Knicks, who appeared to have finally re-captured the imagination of basketball fans, are close to letting point guard Jeremy Lin go and join the Houston Rockets. I'm not going to ... More >>
As the Rockets head into summer league play with their ultra-young roster, a question has arisen among fans: what exactly are they going to do with eight power forwards? It's a valid question. They currently have eight guys who play the position -- some can split time at other spots, but more on tha ... More >>
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula i ... More >>
The Rockets finished the 2011-12 NBA season with perhaps the top point guard combination in the entire league. Kyle Lowry was a borderline All-Star at midseason and one of the top all-around players at the position, not to mention a massive bargain at $5.75 million per year. When Lowry went down w ... More >>
According to ESPN, Rockets point guard Goran Dragic has agreed to a deal with the Phoenix Suns worth $34 million over four seasons. The Rockets had reportedly realized last week that Dragic wanted much more than they were willing to offer and decided to pursue other options. Some reports suggest the ... More >>
For quite some time, I have resisted the sentiment that to improve in the NBA, you must first have a substantial downturn. I don't like the idea of losing on purpose. Calling it "tanking" only makes it worse. The entire concept feels like the exact opposite of what players, coaches and fans are taug ... More >>
Pick two came and went. Then pick five. Then seven and eight and it began to dawn on Rockets fans: For all the talk of trades for Dwight Howard and moving up into the top ten of the draft, Houston, a team mired in mediocrity, would stand pat and roll the dice with picks 12, 16 and 18. In fact, there ... More >>
While the NBA Playoffs have been rolling toward their exciting conclusion in Miami and Oklahoma City, back here in Houston, the Rockets have been busy trying to figure out how they can somehow come out of the next few months of NBA player activity with a team that at least feels like a threat to mak ... More >>
Full disclosure: In 2000, I was working on a grassroots campaign supporting the arena referendum that passed and resulted in the building of Toyota Center. At the time, the Houston Chronicle's Eric Berger was covering the campaign, a less contentious follow-up to the loss suffered a year earlier tha ... More >>
I'll be the first to admit that while I like the game of baseball and generally keep up with it and the Astros during the season, I'm not an avid fan. I'm certainly not enough of a fan or baseball nerd to understand what the 40-round major league draft means or who is being drafted or even where the ... More >>
Prior to Wednesday night's game between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics, the 27th annual NBA Draft Lottery took place, or as Rocket fans like to call it "a tradition like no other." For those Rocket fans, their 0.5 percent chance of coming away with the top pick gave the draft lottery a decide ... More >>
On the evening of May 2, John Granato and I had the opportunity to broadcast a "very special edition" of our show on 1560 The Game live from local restaurant and casino mogul Tilman Fertitta's palatial (Understatement Adjective of the Year, by the way) estate in River Oaks. It was the annual "Gath ... More >>
Another offseason is upon us in Houston. While other teams battle it out in the playoffs, Houston Rockets fans are left to wait until next year...again. With three straight lottery seasons and only one second round appearance since 1997, it's no wonder fans are fatigued and want to see things shaken ... More >>


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Date: 1945 ca.
Description: Isaiah Pyant, C.I.O. member, sitting in an armchair in his home reading the newspaper.
Date: 1938
Description: Diesel engine assembly line at Milwaukee Works. The factory was owned by the Milwaukee Harvester Company until 1902.
Date: 1906
Description: Five railroad employees pose on Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway engine no. 1223 at the Chestnut Street yard. Left to right are yardman Jack Meyer, ya...
Date: date unknown
Description: Boys, men, and horses hauling a boat with ropes.
Date: 1946-09-10
Description: Worker's bunks on a railroad car ferry. The spare room has a calendar, light, radiator, table, locking closet and two bunks. Workers' clothes hand on the w...
Date: 1960-08-28
Description: An insurance executive carries on with work after he was hit by a car, dictating letters to his secretary from his hospital bed, with his leg in traction.
Date: 1946-11-25
Description: Police pushing a group of strikers in front of the factory gate at the Allis-Chalmers strike. On the far right is a man holding a press camera.
Date: 1914-10-19
Description: Three-quarter length seated side profile studio portrait in front of a painted backdrop of James F. Trottman, Milwaukee lawyer and manufacturer.
Description: Spoofing as the "Big Boys" in their rented offices during the Zeidler campaign.
Date: 1906-06-10
Description: View of car #466, which was then one of Milwaukee's newest streetcars. The car was put in service by TMERL about 1905 and was rebuilt as a duplex car in 1...
Date: 1905 ca.
Description: J. Robert Taylor and his wife, Alma Reinhardt Taylor, sit for a portrait on a park bench.
Description: Two men at work moving railroad cars. Part of a series on working conditions aboard Lake Michigan railroad car ferries. Ferry workers belonged to the Natio...
Description: Quarter-length studio portrait of Rodger M. Trump, Milwaukee attorney.
Date: 1914-10-08
Description: Quarter-length studio portrait of August L. Gebhardt, Milwaukee farmer.
Date: 1955-10-16
Description: Burkie West and his grandaughter Catherine West answer a police officer's questions after their automobile was hit by a train. Both incurred minor injuries...
Description: Quarter-length studio portrait of Julius E. Roehr, Milwaukee attorney.
Date: 1947-05-10
Description: Conference room at the United Auto workers (UAW) farm implement conference. Attendees sit at banquet tables and stand along the walls in the crowded room.
Date: 1905
Description: A TMERL streetcar on the Delaware and Oakland line advertising special 1905 rates (25 for a dollar or 6 for 25 cents) and universal transfers.
Date: 1967-12-13
Description: Single helical gear purchased by The Fuller Company and later used in Jamaica (as a rotary kiln). Falk caption reads, "Single helical gear, 260 teeth 99667...
Date: 1933-04-07
Description: Schlitz train and group of revelers, celebrating the end of prohibition in Milwaukee. Schlitz Engine #8027 departs to deliver the first Schlitz beer at 12:...
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Mark Notre Dame's 850th anniversary plus other travel tips
Duration: 04:07
Michelle Jana Chan gives her top travel ideas for the coming weeks including a visit to Paris to mark the 850th anniversary of Notre Dame being marked with new bells and a lighting system for the cathedral.
Other tips include orca watching in Argentina and the Iditarod Dog Sled Race in Alaska.
Available since: Thu 14 Feb 2013
This clip is from
Fast Track 09/02/2013 GMT
The latest news about travel, from the industry itself to deals and destinations.
First broadcast: 09 Feb 2013
More clips from 09/02/2013 GMT
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- What will 2014 mean for travel? Duration: 01:30 14/12/2013 GMT
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- Fast Track Highlights of 2013 Duration: 04:31 14/12/2013 GMT
- Online Check-in: Festive flight safety video Duration: 04:11 07/12/2013 GMT


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OC3D Reviews ›› Cases & Cooling
Cubitek Mini Cube Case Review
Cases & Cooling | 4th March 2013
Today we will be looking at the Cubitek Mini Cube. A case that promises big things from a small package. OC3D take a look inside and see what the Mini Cube has to offer.
Alpenfohn Vs Prolimatech Air cooler Review
Cases & Cooling | 1st March 2013
Having moved to socket 2011 and seen the round up of some great all in one water cooling system we figured it was about time we got some air coolers on the chart, and what better way to kick things off than to have a little friendly competition between to well known brands
Swiftech H220 AIO Review
Cases & Cooling | 25th February 2013
Swiftech push the boundries of what we are used to with an AIO cooler. Can the Swiftech really compete with the H100i?
OC3D Articles ›› Cases & Cooling
Orca Project Introduction
Tom Logan | 23rd August 2012
It seems like it has been ongoing for months already but it is finally time to take a look at the plans for the Orca Project
[Staff Project] NZXSPC Finished build
Gary Wain | 6th August 2012
NZXT meets XSPC. G-Dubs Project NZXSPC is now completed and raring to go. With GPU and CPU cooling as well as a custom painted motherboard, head on over tot he forums to see the full log and many other great builds.
[Staff Project] NZXSPC The Build
Gary Wain | 20th July 2012
We've selected our kit, we've planned, we've modded. Now it's time for G-Dubs to bring everything together.
Noctua NH-L12 Review
Tom Logan | 17th July 2012
We give the Noctua NH-L12 a quick overview whilst upgrading one of our home servers. Can the L12 be cool and quiet?
Fractal Designs Arc Midi V2 Review
Cases & Cooling | 18th February 2013
We take a look at the second generation of the Arc Midi, the appropriately named V2! With watercooling support and finally a window things are off to a great start.
Fractal Node 304 Review
Cases & Cooling | 13th February 2013
Today we will be taking a look at the Node 304 by Fractal. A Mini-ITX case that features the traditional minimalist Fractal design - aiming to appeal to those searching for a sleek & modern looking system that also provides enough cooling to handle modern hardware.
NZXT Phantom 630 Review
Cases & Cooling | 4th February 2013
Can the 630 continue the pround liniage of the NZXT Phantom range?
Corsair VS NZXT Battle of the AIO Watercoolers
Cases & Cooling | 31st January 2013
With all these new AIO's being released we put the two 140mm versions from both Corsair and NZXT head to head on our new test rig.
Cooler Master HAF XB Case / Test-bench Review
Cases & Cooling | 28th January 2013
With the HAF series fast encroaching on legendary status Cooler Master have decided to stir the pot with a new footprint for the latest incarnation, The HAF XB
[Staff Project] NZXSPC Modding and Painting
Gary Wain | 11th July 2012
G-Dubs gets his dremel out and makes some slight adjustments to the NZXT Phantom 410 case
GTX680 Waterblock Fitting Guide
Tom Logan | 4th July 2012
Scared to break the screw drivers out and fit your GPU with a waterblock? We show you how easy it really is.
CM Storm Trooper 360mm Roof Radiator Fitting Guide
Tom Logan | 4th July 2012
We show you how to mod the CM Storm Trooper or Stryker for a 360mm radiator in the roof!
[Staff Project] NZXSPC, Strip down and Planning
Gary Wain | 4th July 2012
In the first article we showed you the hardware and gave you a rough idea of what we wanted to do. Getting down to business we now strip the case down and go into a bit more detail about our plans for the hardware and cooling.
CM Storm Stryker Video Review
Tom Logan | 19th June 2012
It seems like an eternity but we can finally talk to you about the CM Storm Stryker. Yes its a WHITE Trooper!
[Staff Project] NZXSPC
Gary Wain | 12th June 2012
G-Dubs gets his hands on the NZXT Phantom 410 and some XSPC cooling kits and sets his sights on creating the perfect pairing.


text:
November 23, 2014
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (WSAZ) -- A Portsmouth man was convicted Wednesday of beating a man and stealing his wallet.
A Scioto County jury deliberated less than an hour before finding Christopher Erks, 33, guilty of aggravated robbery and felonious assault.
Prosecutors say the attack happened on July 6, 2013 in the 1400 block of 14th Street in Portsmouth.
Following the verdict, Judge Howard Harcha sentenced Erks to 13 years and three months in prison.
Harcha cited Erks' extensive criminal record for the sentence.
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Allow Queen's oath alternative - Durkan
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Our guests this morning were members of the Front Porch Sitters:http://www.frontporchsitters.com, who put together a weekly printed calendar for local clubs that's very easy to use, and have put together a West Bank Revival for Sept. 18th 19th, which will be very easy to attend! It's at the Nomad, Bedlam, Acadia and Red Sea, and over 40 bands and artists will be playing, for one fee and wristband available at any of the four clubs. Fun!
One hour of jazz (many new releases)
One hour of reggae (mostly classics)
One hour of a general mix of music to start Labor Day morning
Women's Work Labor Day Special!
Today we had special guest, Nirmala Rajasekar with Sriram, and Balaji playing music from South India.
This has been an exciting Songs of Praise broadcast of this Communion Sunday.
RA 9.4.09. Feat the selections of DJ Fr. Time.
Karl plays some honky tonkin' Cajun with some rockin' Zydeco. Just tiny bit of Swamp Pop today.
Inspired by the State Fair appearance of the hugely talented Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, some sounds of New Orleans:
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