Hello Tweeps!

It seems quite a few of you are new followers these days. Welcome!

Since we’re new to each other, here’s some stuff to know about me. A thread:

1.I *really* am a rabbi. Ordained 20 years ago, on May 21, 2000. My parent’s wedding anniversary. 1/

2.I have a wonderful husband-his name is also Michael-funny eh? We have two teenagers. No, we won’t post their pix here. Sadly, @Twitter allows Nazis & it turns out, they are still awful to Jews & most other humans. 2/

3. I believe that Judaism is ultimately a human dignity project; we exist to ameliorate suffering whenever and wherever we can. 3/

4. Robust, passionate debates are encouraged and welcome; attacking someone’s humanity-even if they’re rotten-won’t fly on here. 4/

5. I’m a religious progressive and spiritual activist whose religious commitments demand #BlackLivesMatter . Racism is blasphemy. Policing in America must be RADICALLY transformed. 5/

6. Women are people and belong in all places where decisions are made. 6/

7. Muslims are my family. 7/

8. Immigrants make America great. I’m grateful to my immigrant husband and great-grandparents for enabling me to have this life. 8/

9. Life without music and art and literature and good food is an affront to God. 9/

http://10.Health  care is a human right. 10/

11. Torah is an expression of Divine-human creativity. People need stories. Without stories, it is impossible to communicate who we are and who we long to be and to discern our sacred purpose here on earth. 11/

12. There are massive social problems that require our creativity, courage, and commitment. We will likely not be able to resolve them in our lifetime. But we must work together to care for each other and the planet. 12/

13. @Hamilton is genius. 13/

14.When religion and Biblical text are used as a source of harm, as a weapon, they lose their religious value and aren’t worth the parchment they are printed on. 14/

15.We are implicated in one another’s wellbeing. We must build a world where everyone can thrive-especially long neglected, abused, & marginalized peoples, Black, Brown, & Native Americans, GLBTQ folks, & those with disabilities. 15/

16.I have a lot to learn. I was raised as a white man in a society that privileges whiteness and maleness. Doing my best to be an equitable partner. Tell me when I screw up. I’ll do my best to apologize, atone, & make it right. 16/

17.Cilantro is gross. 17/

18. I love Israel with all my heart. And because of that love, I've spent 30 years working for a Two State Solution with Israelis and Palestinians. We MUST find a way to live together. 18/

19. Amidst all the hard work and effort, we must celebrate our victories, thank those who helped us arrive at this moment-GO ORGANIZERS!, and cherish each other. I hold #RBG, #JohnLewis, Ann Kaner-Roth, & Matthew Shepherd (z"l) in all that I do. 19/

20. Laughter is holy. 20/End/for now.

XOXO

We do not need to be wealthy to be generous. EVERYONE has the capacity for generosity. Generosity is radical resistance to scarcity, tyranny, and narrow mindedness. Generosity brings love into the world 21/

22. Hope is vital.

Hope is our superpower.

Hope is our resistance against despair.

Hope is our commitment to our parents, to our children, to our neighbors, to our planet, to our future. 22/

23. Science & religion aren't opposites; they are partners. LISTEN TO SCIENCE! Science teaches us what is; religion helps us wonder what can be, to face the world with radical amazement, to love the questions. Sciences seeks answers as well to life's vexing problems. 23/

24. Don’t be a schmuck. Always try to be a mensch. That’s most of my theology. 24/

25. Men who are overly aggressive in projecting their "masculinity," as a rule, tend to be hyper-insecure and emotionally fragile.

26. The more we travel, the more we open our hearts. What a joy to meet new people, eat amazing food, experience how other people see the world. I hope & pray we have a vaccine for #COVID19 so we can travel again. 26/

27. I am a political progressive not in spite of being a religious person.

I am a political progressive BECAUSE I am a religious person who believes that the Torah teaches humanity is created in the Divine image-and our social policy should make that commitment real. 27/

28. I wake up each day thinking about how we come together to advance human dignity for everyone; how we be better humans, together.

It's easier some days than others.

But that's the work of our lives. How to be better humans-more humane-together.