Thursday, December 23, 2010

Jewish teens stand up UNIFIED against bullying!!

Jewish Teens Call for 18,000 Peers to Sign Jewish Community Pledge

December 21, 2010 by eJP
Filed under In the Media, Media Release / Official Publication

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Jewish teenagers from the major International Jewish Youth Movements are taking on bullying and standing up for their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer peers. In addition to publicly committing to end bullying and creating an inclusive environment in their own movements, the Coalition of Jewish Teen Leaders – the presidents of the International Jewish Youth Movements – has set a goal of getting 18,000 Jews to sign Keshet’s “Jewish Community Pledge to Save Lives”. This goal has been echoed by the Executive leadership of the movements and their staff.

“It is really exciting to see Jewish teen leadership take a strong stand against homophobia and to promote a vision of the Jewish community that fully embraces all forms of diversity. When Keshet began the Jewish Community Pledge campaign, we hoped that it would lead to exactly this type of action. As important as it is for Jewish adults to take a stand against bullying and harassment, the most important voice for Jewish youth to hear is that of other youth. I know that there are GLBTQ teens in each of these youth groups as well as unaffiliated youth who will see this letter and feel affirmed by their peers,” said Andrea Jacobs, Director of Education, Keshet.

Connected by their shared desire and passion for tikkun olam, the responsibility to repair the world, the CJTL has called on their membership to create a more inclusive and open Jewish community for today and tomorrow.

BBYO, NFTY, and USY may be different in many ways, but our mission for the Jewish people is the same. We share a desire to impact lives, and bring Jewish teens together. The CJTL’s combined effort to stand for respect and inclusion is a significant one. Rarely do we join forces for a common cause, but in this case, Jewish teens have done just that. We are showing that working together, we are stronger than apart,” said Jeremy Sherman, BBYO’s International Co-President.

The CJTL asks all Jewish teens, as well as all those who work with Jewish teens and the parents and families of Jewish teens, to take a stand against intolerance. As Judaism tells them, they are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, and therefore, it is their role and responsibility as individuals, and also as a community, to always respect one another.

The initiative began this fall when a horrific spate of teen suicide due to homophobic bullying gained national attention. While each youth organization initially responded independently, it was a natural issue for collaboration for the CJTL.

“In taking a strong stand against homophobic bullying and intolerance, these teens send an extraordinarily powerful message that they uphold LGBTQ inclusion and equality as fundamental tenets of our community,” says Lynn Schusterman, chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. “These teens believe deeply in building a more welcoming community – one that treats their LGBTQ peers with dignity and respect, celebrates diversity and promotes inclusiveness in Jewish life. Together, by taking the Jewish community pledge not to stand idly by, they represent a united Jewish contingent on behalf of this vision.”

In addition to the collective efforts of the CJTL, the movements are doing major work within their organization to support LGBTQ teens and bring awareness to this issue.

The CJTL had previously been convened to support disaster relief in Haiti and also Iran’s Nuclear Disarmament, but never before had an issue been so close and personally tied to their experience as teens.

Elliot Forchheimer

Executive Director

Westchester Jewish Council

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Westchester

701 Westchester Avenue, Suite 203 East

White Plains, NY 10604

914 328 7001 (phone) - 914 761 6309 (fax)

elliot@wjcouncil.org www.wjcouncil.org

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Summer 2011 Promo Video Complete!

Here it is...let's get Meshuga'at
This is my official promotional video for Summer 2011 - footage from Summer 2010!
Enjoy and send to Camp-Folk you know!
Book Early, Book Often, Book NOW!

Monday, December 20, 2010

NEWS: I am a featured artist on Jewish Rock Radio!


NEWS!: My music is being played in rotation on the first high-caliber international Jewish rock internet radio station - Jewish Rock Radio!
You can make requests!! The more requests - the more I get played. JRR's on Twitter and Facebook. Spread the word. Share, retweet, whatever you do!

FREE MUSIC GIVEAWAY on JRR if you sign up Updates or follow JRR on Twitter http://www.jewishrockradio.com.
You can listen to JRR on UR computer, iPhone, iPad, iTouch or Android. Download FREE Jewish Rock Radio mobile apps by visiting the iStore or Marketplace on your phone and searching for Jewish Rock Radio OR link directly to the iphone/ipad app: http://itunes.apple.com/app/jewish-rock-radio/id393347609?mt=8

Thanks to Jewish Rock Radio - it really does rock. Seriously...just play it!
:)

Thursday, December 9, 2010

hate is the abomination


Friends,

As you know I am a staunch advocate for equal rights across gender, sexuality, race and religion. My music often touches upon those themes in a personal way. Lately, I have watched as people from my own faith community
voice not only intolerance, but speak rhetoric against my LGBT Jewish brothers and sisters spoken "in God's name" - these people leaders of their own communities speak in the name of Judaism - but that't not any Judaism that I recognize or want to be a part of.

My dear friend whom many of you know from Storahtelling, Jake Goodman, co founded a group called "Queer Rising" to tackle these and other issues affecting the LGBT community. This week, please join Queer Rising for "In God's Name" on Thursday, December 16th (the eve of National Remembrance Day) in Brooklyn. It will be an opportunity for the entire Jewish community to come together to condemn this anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) rhetoric. Especially given the recent news of all the violence and self-violence against LGBT youth, this is particularly unacceptable.

The information is below.
There is also an image you can make your facebook profile picture or post up in as many places you can think of.

In the VERY LEAST, please help publicize this event and spread the information as WIDELY as you possibly can.

Please don't stand idly by!

Thank you!

Naomi

Date: Thursday, December 16th / Eve of National Remembrance Day on the 10th of Tevet
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
Location: Rally in Parade Grounds of Prospect Park (Coney Island Avenue @ Parkside & Caton Aves); then March up Ocean Parkway to 18th Avenue, through the historic Jewish Flatbush neighborhood
Speakers: Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of CBST in NYC; Rabbi Maurice Appelbaum of Congregation Ahavas Israel in Brooklyn; a NY State politican and Jewish gay celebrity TBA shortly
Musicians: Shira Kline and Naomi Less
Endorsing Partners: CBST, Keshet, Nehirim, Storahtelling, The Power Online, Project ACHIEVE and Columbia University Medical Center, Jewish Chicks Rock.
Contact: Jake Goodman, jakebgoodman@gmail.com, (917) 613-1509

For more information, please go to Queer Rising's website (www.QueerRising.org) and check out our Facebook Event Page: "In God's Name"