Rabbi Debra Kolodny February 2021 Origin story Many scholars say that the word ivri, or Hebrew, comes from the verb root avar, to cross over. From this we learn that embedded in the core identity of the Jewish people is the invitation or perhaps the mandate to cross over–to transcend our current status and seek something deeper, higher, better and find the bridge between here and there. ...
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Compiled by Rabbi Debra Kolodny RabbiDebra@asthespiritmovesus.com Lionel Blue, ordained as a rabbi in 1960, was the first British rabbi to publicly declare himself a homosexual, in 1980. The Jewish Renewal movement emerged in 1960’s, never having a policy against ordaining LGBTQ people. It didn’t ordain its first LGBTQ clergy until 2006, however. 1984: Reconstructionist Rabbinical College...
Read MoreA Panel discussion of the legacy of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (1924-2014) with Rabbi Chava Weissler, Rabbi Or Rose, and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, moderated by Dr. David Shneer, professor of Jewish Studies, with a minhah service led by Rabbi Debra Kolodny, and an introduction by David Friedman and Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, and chief archivist Bruce Montgomery, at the University of...
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Mayor and Commissioners, My name is Rabbi Debra Kolodny. I am today here as Executive Director of Portland United Against Hate, co-author of the Stop Cop Riots letter and as clergy. In our final letter demanding an end to police violence during demonstrations, the community submitted 66 organizational signers and 92 clergy signers as well as another 1300 individuals. I broke down these numbers...
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September 3, 2020 Co-Chairs and Members of the Committee: My name is Rabbi Debra Kolodny. I live in Multnomah County and am the Executive Director of Portland United Against Hate and the Rabbi of Portland’s UnShul. Having spoken with over 100 people and read through dozens of first hand reports on extraordinary police violence against almost exclusively peaceful protestors, and having pastored...
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Chanting to Eicha trop Words curated by Rabbi Debra Kolodny Perek aleph: Chapter One: Final words of 8 Black men and one Black woman shot by police: ‘Officers, why do you have your guns out?’ – Kenneth Chamberlain ‘What are you following me for?’ – Trayvon Martin ‘Mom, I’m going to college’ – Amadou Diallo ‘I don’t have a gun. Stop shooting.’ – Michael Brown ‘You shot me! You shot me!’ – Oscar...
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