DE Civil Unions off to the House

From the Delaware Liberty Fund. PLEASE call your state representative to support this bill!

A CALL TO ACTION

SB30 has cleared the Senate and is ready to go to the full House for a vote as early as Thursday, April 14! We need all of our supporters to contact their representative and do one of two things: If your representative is listed as a co-sponsor of the bill, thank them for their support. If your representative is not listed as a co-sponsor (indicated in bold), request that they vote YES when the bill comes to a vote in the House!

Please call only during normal business hours. The best time to actually reach your representative is Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday after 12:00 PM. If your representative is not available to take your call, please leave a message of support and include your name and address to indicate that you are a constituent. If your schedule allows, go to Dover and meet your representative in person.

Please forward this email to your friends

State of Delaware

House of Representatives – 146^th General Assembly

Dennis P. Williams - D 1 Wilmington North Dennis.Williams@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

Stephanie T. Bolden - D 2 Wilmington Central StephanieT.Bolden@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Helene Keeley – D 3 Wilmington South Helene.Keeley@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Gerald Brady - D 4 Wilmington West Gerald.Brady@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Melanie George – D 5 Bear/Newark Melanie.George@state.de.us (302) 744-4126

Debra Heffernan - D 6 Fox Point Debra.Heffernan@state.de.us 302-744-43511

*Bryon H. Short - D 7 Brandywine Hundred Bryon.Short@state.de.us (302) 744-4297

*S. Quinton Johnson, IV - D 8 Middletown Quinton.Johnson@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

Rebecca Walker - D 9 Middletown Rebecca.Walker@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Dennis E. Williams - D 10 Talleyville Dennis.E.Williams@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

Gregory Lavelle - R 11 Sharpley Greg.Lavelle@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

*Deborah Hudson - R 12 Fairthorne Deborah.Hudson@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

*John L. Mitchell, Jr. - D 13 Woodcrest John.L.Mitchell@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Peter Schwartzkopf – D

(Majority Leader) 14 Rehoboth Peter.Schwartzkopf@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Valerie Longhurst – D

(Majority Whip) 15 Bear

Valerie.Longhurst@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*James Johnson - D 16 Swanwyck JJ.Johnson@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Michael Mulrooney - D 17 Pennwood Michael.Mulrooney@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Michael A. Barbieri - D 18 Stratford Michael.Barbieri@state.de.us (302) 744-4192

*Robert Gilligan - D (Speaker) 19 Sherwood Park Robert.Gilligan@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Nick Manolakos - R 20 Limestone Hills

Nick.T.Manolakos@state.de.us (302) 744-4321

*Michael Ramone - R 21 Drummond Hill

Michael.Ramone@state.de.us (302) 744-4108

*Joseph Miro - R 22 Pike Creek Valley Joseph.Miro@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

*Teresa Schooley - D 23 Newark Terry.Schooley@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

Edward S. Osienski - D 24 Beechers Lot Edward.Osienski@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*John Kowalko - D 25 Newark South John.Kowalko@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*John Viola - D 26 Newark John.Viola@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

*Earl Jaques - D 27 Caravel Farms Earl.Jaques@state.de.us (302) 744-4142

William J. Carson - D 28 Smyrna William.Carsom@state.de.us (302) 744-4113

Lincoln D. Willis -R 29 Dover West Lincoln.Willis@state.de.us (302) 744-4033

William Outten - R 30 Harrington Bobby.Outten@state.de.us (302) 744-4083

*Darryl M. Scott - D 31 Dover Darryl.Scott@state.de.us (302) 744-4083

E. Bradford Bennett - D 32 Dover South Bradford.Bennett@state.de.us (302) 744-4351

Harold J. Peterman - R 33 Frederica Jack.Peterman@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

Donald Blakey - R 34 Buchanan Acres

Donald.Blakey@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

David L. Wilson - R 35 Bridgeville David.Wilson@state.de.us (302) 744-4150

Harvey R. Kenton - R 36 Milford/Milton Harvey.Kenton@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

Ruth Briggs King - R 37 Georgetown/Lewes Ruth.BriggsKing@state.de.us (302) 744-4251

Gerald W. Hocker - R 38 Ocean View Gerald.Hocker@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

Daniel Short – R (Minority Whip) 39 Seaford Daniel.Short@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

Clifford Lee - R 40 Laurel Biff.Lee@state.de.us (302) 744-4171

John Atkins - D 41 Millsboro John.Atkins@state.de.us (302) 744-4082

A Special Place in Hell-Israel News - Haaretz Israeli News source.

Even if you disagree with Bradley Burston, he does an excellent job of reminding those of us on the left, as well as those on the right, of how much we've lost and continue to lose throughout the matzav...

A Special Place in Hell-Israel News - Haaretz Israeli News source.

A letter to progressive U.S. Jews: These are your people

We have lost perspective in this endless war. In a kind of affirmative action, some progressive American Jews support, identify with and help Palestinian victims of the conflict, while shunning, or worse, blaming the Israeli victims.

By Bradley Burston

Please try to imagine what it’s like here. It's Shabbat, a gorgeous day in a place where a beautiful day has no equal on earth. And a place where the most beautiful of days are often also, hands down, the most horrific.

My wife and I are running along the side of a mountain near our home. We can see Gaza from here, and also the kibbutzim and the towns and villages that border it. Israel and Palestine are at war.

Down the mountain and to our left, many of the most progressive of all Israelis - the most consistent in their championing of Palestinian independence, the most vocal in their defense of human rights and a viable, just Mideast peace - are directly in the sights of Hamas gunners.

"J Street should donate armored school buses, they should donate Iron Dome batteries" my wife says. The Iron Dome is Israel's most revolutionary weapon. All it does is intercept and kill incoming rockets.

Alone of all weapons on both sides, Iron Dome leaves people alive – on both sides of the border.

Down the mountain, friends of ours, friends as close as blood, are trapped in shelters. They are unable to explain to their children and grandchildren why today – like yesterday, and the days before that - they cannot go outside, why the entire family, or several families, must sleep in one cramped armored room, and why some families don't even have that to protect them. Why the explosions don't stop. And why they don't know how long it's going to be before they will.

They cannot explain to their children, or to themselves, why, when the alarm sounds, some families must run outside and take cover in a large sewer pipe, where as many as six other families may be taking cover. Why it took so long for the authorities to budget and build shelters. Why there are so few Iron Domes, and none nearby.

Looking down from this mountain, I'm thinking about the people we come from, our eidah, the branch of the Jews we belong to. Americans. Progressives.

The most radical, the most progressive single step that our people can take right now – and in some ways, the most dangerously unpopular – is to be moved to positive action to come to the aid of the civilian victims on not one, but both sides.

Somewhere, we have lost perspective. In war without end, in inhumanity without boundaries, we have lost some of our own humanity. In a kind of affirmative action, driven by the one-sidedness, the chauvinism, and the exclusionism of the pro-Israel establishment, it has been the fate and the practice of some progressive American Jews to support, identify with and help Palestinian victims of the conflict, while relating to Israeli victims with a cold shoulder, or worse, with victim-blaming.

It is seven in the morning. By seven in the evening, scores of rockets and mortar shells will have been fired at the people who are as close to us as blood. It is clear enough to see the southern coastline, where two and a half million people, non-combatants on both sides of the border, are breathing only erratically, knowing that every one of them could be a target.

This is a test for progressives.

It is crucially important that the New Israel Fund and other organizations – all of them groups of warm hearts rather than cold shoulders - continue their work for the benefit of Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, and other non-Jews in Israel. But it is no less important that these groups, be they J Street, Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Meretz USA, Tikkun, the Jewish Voice for Peace and many others, take further steps for Israeli Jews literally under the gun.

My wife is right. There is much more that our people, progressive American Jews, can and should do to demonstrate humanist concern on this side of the border.

This could mean adopting communities, raising money to see to their needs and, in particular, their defense.

It's time. Days like this. This is when it matters.

Demand: Appoint non-Orthodox IDF rabbi - Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews

YES. Thanks you to Rabbi Menachem Creditor for pointing this out.

Demand: Appoint non-Orthodox IDF rabbi - Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews

Leaders of Progressive Judaism, Masorti movements call on defense establishment to appoint second military rabbi, saying 'every soldier is entitled to religious services in accordance with his faith'

Kobi Nahshoni

The Progressive Judaism and Masorti movements are demanding that the defense minister and Israel Defense Forces chief of staff appoint a Reform or Conservative military rabbi to provide religious services to non-Orthodox Jewish soldiers.

In a letter sent by leaders of the two moments to Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, they claim that the current Military Rabbinate cannot or is not interested in providing the religious needs of soldiers with a different worldviews, and therefore the IDF must give them an alternative.

Soldiers facing difficulties

Rabbi Gilad Kariv of the Israel Religious Action Center and Rabbi Mauricio Balter of the Masorti Movement note in their letter that there are dozens of active Reform and Conservative congregations in Israel, and that thousands of citizens take part in their activities.

"The Jewish soldiers serving in the army reflect the composition of the Jewish population in the country, which is mostly non-Orthodox," the two write, demanding that the IDF treat all its soldiers equally and respect their freedom of religion.

"Currently, religious services in the IDF are provided exclusively by the Military Rabbinate, which is affiliated with and operates as part of Judaism's Orthodox stream. This situation means that the needs of soldiers affiliated with Judaism's non-Orthodox streams are not met throughout their military services – compulsory, career and reserve service.

"The commanders in the different units and the elements in charge of providing religious services in the units are unfamiliar with the nature of the non-Orthodox religious services, and therefore cannot meet different demands in this context."

The letter, which was also sent to Major-General Avi Zamir, head of the IDF'S Personnel Directorate, and Chief Military Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz, includes examples from recent years of difficulties encountered by non-Orthodox soldiers: A commander's refusal to exempt his soldiers from the daily shaving duty during the Counting of the Omer, because they don't wear a skullcap; rejecting female soldiers' request to hold a women's prayer at their base's synagogues; and denying a bereaved family's request to hold a Reform funeral for a fallen soldier.

"We believe soldiers interested in non-Orthodox religious services should have the option to turn to a Reform or Conservative military rabbi, who will be able to provide individual religious services to soldiers, instructions to the commanders, and advice on religious affairs," Kariv and Balter explained.

"We would be happy to hold a dialogue on this important issue with the authorized elements in the defense establishment and IDF, in order to find a suitable solution, which would guarantee an equal and honorable response of religious services to non-Orthodox soldiers as well."

'Mutual respect'

Rabbi Balter said he had appealed to the chief of staff and defense minister after "soldiers belonging to the Masorti Movement, a Zionist movement which encourages its youth to serve in the army, expressed their distress and need for spiritual support matching their way of life."

According to Balter, "Every soldier who dedicates his time, and sometimes risks his life for the State, is entitled to religious services in accordance to his faith."

Rabbi Gilad Kariv added, "The IDF is the people's army, and the central place where the Israeli communities meet with each other. It's only natural that this should be expressed in the service of Reform and Conservative rabbis alongside their Orthodox colleagues out of mutual respect and a common desire to serve the State of Israel."

The IDF Spokesperson's Office said in response, "The discussed letter has been received by the IDF. The response will be given directly to its senders, and not through the media."

Civil Unions pass in DE Senate

Details here

SB 30 Sokola Passed
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CIVIL UNIONS.

Date: 04/07/2011 05:11 PM Passed

Vote Type:SM

Yes: 13

No: 6

Not Voting: 0

Absent: 2

Putting The Feathers Back In.

Parashat Metzora is one of those portions that is subject to what some biblical scholars call "generous reading". This section of Leviticus that deals with tzara'at (often translated as leprosy) is reimagined by the rabbis as dealing not with skin ailments but with a spiritual disease: lashon hara, or malicious gossip.

That we read this parasha the week after Richard Goldstone's partial retraction in the Washington Post is not without its ironies. The Goldstone Report, written after the war in Gaza, accused both Hamas and Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically the intentional targeting of civilians. Now, after further reflection, Judge Goldstone writes that it is clear that Israel did not attack civilians as a matter of policy and is in the process of investigating and prosecuting those individual soldiers who may have done such terrible things. Hamas, of course, has not, and while they're happy to use the report to turn Israel into a pariah state, Goldstone complains that they show no inclination toward investigating their wrongdoing and indeed continue to perpetuate crimes against humanity. He writes:

Some have suggested that it was absurd to expect Hamas, an organization that has a policy to destroy the state of Israel, to investigate what we said were serious war crimes. It was my hope, even if unrealistic, that Hamas would do so, especially if Israel conducted its own investigations. At minimum I hoped that in the face of a clear finding that its members were committing serious war crimes, Hamas would curtail its attacks. Sadly, that has not been the case. Hundreds more rockets and mortar rounds have been directed at civilian targets in southern Israel. That comparatively few Israelis have been killed by the unlawful rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza in no way minimizes the criminality. The U.N. Human Rights Council should condemn these heinous acts in the strongest terms.

In the end, asking Hamas to investigate may have been a mistaken enterprise. So, too, the Human Rights Council should condemn the inexcusable and cold-blooded recent slaughter of a young Israeli couple and three of their small children in their beds.

O Rly?

As you might imagine, his op-ed has been met by many Zionists and Israelis with variations on face-palming, 'we-told-you-so' finger wagging, and a general sense of validation. Of course, like the newspaper that puts their corrections in small print on the last page, this revelation is largely being missed (indeed, the New York Times is not even reporting on it at all), and sadly, will have no major impact (though I'm happy to be wrong on that one!).

I'm willing to believe that Judge Goldstone was credulous when he set out to investigate the Gaza war, and that he had hoped that his efforts might lead toward peace. What he is realizing is that, instead, his words have been used to malign a whole nation, and fuel anti-semitism and anti-Zionism worldwide. Retracting his report is helpful, but like the Hasidic story of the gossip who's penance is dependent on recovering all the feathers flung from a pillow on a windy day, his original statement did more harm than his current article does good. Once the feathers are out and on the wind, there is no putting them back in. Another reminder that the best way to handle incitement is to prevent it before it starts.

Added a blog to the blogroll

Added Paul Kipnes' Or Am I? blog (linky goes to the latest entry). Worth checking out.

Religion and Social Media

After all the techy discussions at CCAR, this is an interesting discussion from the Christian side of things. Many of the questions raised, however, are the same: what does it mean to build community and make connections, and is something lost (or gained) from making those connections in the digital rather than analog world?

Religion and Social Media