Succeed by Starting With Compassion

Day 36 of the Omer

Chesed in Yesod – loving kindness in a solid foundation.

I like to hope that society will eventually recognize more fully that compassion is an essential element of civilization, and an expression of fairness as well – that is, establishing equal compassion to all peoples makes a society more fair.

Civil rights, marriage equality (which is a civil right), promotion of the full franchise (see the Daily Show’s coverage of India) – these basic understandings of sharing space with our human companions and acknowledging their common humanity with our own make us civilized.

Compassion and kindness start a solid foundation so that it holds all who need to be a part of our project. Build sensibly, fairly, and include kindness.

Video Interview on the Challenge to NC Amendment One

Here is an interview on Huffington Post Live with Rabbi Jonathan and other plaintiffs in the legal challenge to NC’s Amendment One on First Amendment grounds (video begins at 1:50):

Interview Video on Huffington Post Live

Marriage Equality Law Suit Filed April 28, 2014

[Here is my statement from yesterday’s Press Conference announcing the filing of the law suit filed by clergy, religious denominations, and couples, seeking same-sex marriage on First Amendment, Freedom of Religion, grounds]

Our traditions teach: “Justice, justice, you shall pursue.”

I am honored and blessed to stand here today on the right side of history.

As a rabbi of both the Reform and Reconstructionist Jewish movements, supporters of equal rights and marriage for same-sex couples for decades, I am humbled to be in the company of this noble community of plaintiffs and lawyers striving for justice and equal rights for all Americans.

We stand here today as representatives of mainstream religious organizations seeking to help couples create and maintain healthy and principled families.

Judaism calls upon me as a rabbi, and the Jews as a people, to provide communities that support strong families, communities in which all those who belong may celebrate marriage.

Americans trust our religious communities to decide how best to create a wedding ritual and to determine who in our communities receives the blessing of marriage.

Please support this lawsuit that will bring fairness back to our State of North Carolina, and allow all of us to create communities of high principles and moral character; communities of diverse people from all walks of life; communities that celebrate the sanctity of couples in love, through marriages available to same sex couples and heterosexual couples alike.

Article from NY Times: