RABBI'S NEWS: Praying with our Legs

Dear Friends,

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s colleague and good friend, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshchel, was asked upon his return from the march from Selma to Montgomery how he felt about his experience.  He replied:  "I prayed with my legs." 

Please join me in these actions that will enable us to "pray with our legs" as well!

Yours in peace and justice,

Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels

Keep Our Communities Safe: Stop the Open Carrying of Guns in Public

Californians openly carrying weapons has become a major public safety issue. I urge you to support the Brady Campaigns initiative to pass AB 1934. Please tell your friends.

Here is the way I personalized my message from a Jewish perspective:

In Jewish tradition, from a text that we share with many others, we are commanded not to stand idly by the blood of our neighbor. My tradition is also clear that it is important to protect innocents and prevent them from even coming close to becoming "bleeding neighbors". AB 1934 will help prevent innocent Californians in coffee shops, family restaurants, amusement or public parks and elsewhere from being needlessly endangered by people openly carrying weapons that can do massive damage in within seconds.

To take action and pray with our legs, click here

Re-thinking Afghanistan

Whether or not the United States and the world faces an imminent threat and absolute evil in Afghanistan is a valuable debate for which I think there are cogent arguments on both sides.  Still, in the same vain in which

Albert Einstein said that one cannot "simultaneously prepare for and prevent nuclear war", so too, I believe, we cannot try to eliminate our enemies with violence and war while trying to prevent future violence and war. 

To win the hearts of Afghans and others in the Middle East, they need to see the United States as the provider of schools, food, infrastructure

and a little bit of prosperity, not those with the "biggest stick."

I know this is difficult and believe fully that those in our community who decide not to join me in signing this petition do so with the same respect for my opinion as I have for theirs.  On the other hand, if you share my sentiments, please consider clicking on the link below.

rethinkafghanistan

Tell Your Rep: Improve the Desperate Situation in Gaza

A little bit of prosperity can go a long way.  The longer the people of Gaza suffer under embargos from Egypt and Israel, Gaza will remain a cesspool of hatred, terror and violence.  While there is no excuse for horrible actions launched against Israel by Hamas from Gaza, neither can there be any excuse for Israel doing nothing pro-active to nurture the possibility of Israel becoming the Gazans' support system rather than terrorists.  Please join me in sending these messages from J Street, the pro-Israel/pro-peace lobby, to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Thanks for praying with you legs!

Click here to contact your representatives

Pray with your legs!