Nashville Wedding

Heading to Nashville today to officiate at a wedding! I've been told it's kinda humid there :(

Wedding in Cancun

I'm just back from officiating a weddings in Cancun. The bride was beautiful. The weather was beautiful. The resort was beautiful. But the tourists...well, they were kinda hard to find! Swinefluitis I suspect, plus the terrible economy. But, ah Cancun...

Shabbat Shalom!

A Sad Prayer

When you have been to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the first thing you notice is that there are always many, many Orthodox Jews deep in prayer. Most of them live in Jerusalem and are not at all open to the liberal flavours of Judaism. And so, it is not unexpected that when a group of women rabbis attempt to wear the traditional prayer shawls and kippot of men and sing and pray at the wall, they are provoking what can be a very nasty scene.

But still, I know that G-d is quite happy whenever anyone prays, no matter where they are. And the following sad event just should not have happened:

"On March 4th, 2009, a group of women Rabbis were asked to leave Jerusalem’s Western Wall because their prayers were deemed offensive to local custom.

Around 70 women visiting Israel for the Central Conference of American Rabbis were expelled from the Jewish Holy site because they were wearing prayer shawls and skull caps - traditionally only worn by men according to Orthodox Jewish custom.

The women later chanted songs and read from the Torah.

In the Orthodox tradition, only men are allowed to sing in public and read from the Torah.

“Someone from the men’s section started shouting that ‘a woman’s voice is lewd’ and that our singing was offensive,” said a female Israeli activist for Reform Judaism who attended the prayers.

“I was ashamed in front of the guests from America,” she added.

Two Orthodox women then began shouting at the female Rabbis.

“The women shouting at us were much more bothersome than our prayer,” said Rabbi Jackie Ellenson. “We sang beautifully together.”

Police were called to the site, and the group was expelled from the wall because they had “failed to follow the place’s customs.”

The Western Wall is the last standing remnant of the ancient biblical temple in Jerusalem."

March 2009

Shalom everyone. This is a difficult time for all of us- financially, emotionally and spiritually. Those of us who struggled and saved all of their lives to create financial security for ourselves and our families now find that we have so much less than we ever imagined. We are scared. Really scared.

And we helplessly watch as all of the costs of living continue to escalate. In response we cut way back on spending for so many things and yet, it is not enough. The bills are greater than the income. The once financially secure now move through the days with all the dexterity of deer in headlights.

Yet even in this environment, when I meet a new couple for the first time and I witness the love that will inspire their lifelong journey through marriage and life, I am deeply moved and filled with joy. Although they too will face the tremendous burdens of this economic turmoil, their lives together are just beginning. Their futures are only now unfolding.

They will find the way to move beyond economic fear and into the realm of light and hope. Their children will one day learn of the tribulations of these times and yet- they will be born into a world that will continue to evolve and learn to know peace and love and kindness.

That is my vision- and I'm sticking to it.

Shalom,
Rabbi Steve

Sim Shalom Video

I just received a link to this AMAZING video. It's entitled "Sim Shalom" and means "Grant Us Peace." It's very uplifting and the song is fantastic. Enjoy!

Ask The Interfaith Rabbi

Shalom. Please post any question you might have surrounding an Interfaith relationship or wedding...

President Obama

As I watched the inauguration this past week, I was struck by the fact that although millions of people stood in the cold Mall in Washington, the entire ceremony felt so personal. It was as if for one brief moment the entire world drew a collective breath and felt the peace and comfort of unity.

There was a unity of hope and of spirit. And I too rose for the invocation given by Pastor Rick Warren. It was amazing to listen to his words of renewal and peace and of G-d's love. And then, he did what I knew an Evangelical Minister must do- he concluded his prayer in the name of Jesus.

And in that moment, as so many millions of people of other faiths who do not know Jesus in the way that Christians do, I flinched in discomfort. Because when it was time to say "Amen," I was torn between "agreeing" with the sentiment and emotion of the moment, and the religious connotation of being Christian.

Now do not get me wrong- I am certain Jesus was a true rabbi, an amazing person and a gift to humankind. But I am a Jew, and it would have been oh so nice to acknowledge a prayer in the name of a "divine spirit" or indeed, just "G-d" would have been fine for me.

I do know that Pastor Warren probably had no choice and that his religious conviction and responsibility even required him to pray in the name of Jesus. But, for me, well there was a better choice...

What do you think?