I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The man is a genius. Check out a transcript of Rabbi Andy Bachman’s erev Rosh Hashanah sermon here. Here’ an excerpt:

Surrendering total control is never easy–especially as members of a synagogue community founded on principles that value the intellect over the experiential; the rational over the mysterious; Reform over Tradition. Of course, as we continually need to remind ourselves, the historical circumstances that founded this community in 1861 are quite different from those that demand action in the world today. Our membership, ever growing, comes from all walks of Jewish life–Reform, Conservative and Orthodox and non-Jewish life as well. I find that fewer people have an intellectual ax to grind with Tradition and Reform is not much more than: 1. a commitment to egalitarian values for men, women, gays and lesbians; 2. a rationalist and historical view of the authorship of Torah; and, 3. devotion to the principles of Tikkun Olam, Social Justice and Social Action. But “Reforming Judaism?” I’ve yet to encounter in my years here a single Jew who truly wants to Reform Judaism. After all, in humility, we could easily spend the next 50 years just figuring out what Judaism IS!

This is just ridiculous/hilarious.

YouTube – Shofar Garage Opener.

I wrote a couple of days ago about a prayer for anonymous gay sex. Let’s back track a bit and I’ll agree to hold my judgment until I have a copy of this oddity of a sidur in my own hands. Read DovBear‘s excellent post about it for reasons to withhold judgment on the forthcoming sidur from Kehilat Sha’ar Zahav.

Okay. Hold on. So the other day, I had my Jewish theology course with Professor Alan Nadler. The man tries equally hard to offend just about every one of his students and we all love it. In an attempt to do so during this paritcular class, he mentioned an upcoming Reform sidur he’s read about somewhere with a ceremony in it to be performed after anonymous gay sex! Rather than being offended, I ended up being disgusted right along with him.

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