"Under God" Case in Massachusetts Supreme Court

Secular Coalition for America President, David Niose Wednesday presented oral arguments to the Massachusetts Supreme Court, as the attorney for the plaintiff in the case "Doe v. Acton-Boxborough Regional School District." The case challenges a state law that requires daily school-sponsored and teacher-led classroom recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Niose, on behalf of his client, argued that the wording "under God" in the Pledge discriminates against atheists and other nonbelievers, by instilling and defining patriotism according to a god belief.

This is a groundbreaking case for atheists and humanists, in part because it is the first in the nation to assert the rights of nonbelievers solely via Equal Protection and nondiscrimination-normally these cases are dealt with under the First Amendment. The Equal Protection clause was cited in Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) to fight racial discrimination, and has also been the basis for many other decisions rejecting discrimination against people belonging to various groups. The Secular Coalition for America's Director of Federal and State Affairs, Kelly Damerow (pictured below, right) was on-site at the courthouse with Niose after the oral arguments. Secular Coalition for Massachusetts co-chairs Zachary Bos and Ellery Schempp organized a rally outside of the courthouse yesterday morning in support of the case. View Niose's oral arguments, as well as case docket and briefs here.

Soviet Yiddish Writers Remembered

On August 12th, 1952, the cream of the crop of the Soviet Yiddish world were summarily executed as retribution for their support of the war effort against Nazi Germany. 61 years later, we show that we have not forgotten them and that we still remember them, for their contributions both to literature and to humankind.

The Congress for Jewish Culture together with COJECO - Council of Jewish Emgire Community Organizations, CYCO Yiddish Books, the Jewish Labor Committee, the Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research cordially invite you to attend a memorial program for the Yiddish artists and writers who suffered under Stalinist repression

Monday, August 12th from 7 PM to 8 PM

at the Center for Jewish History

15 West 16th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

Admission free. Reserve your seat here.

In the program:

Dovid Bergelson in Berlin

Professor Marc Caplan

Johns Hopkins University

Lost and Found Project with Anna Zicer Medvinskiy, Yelena Shmulenson and Dmitri Slepovitch. Paula Teitelbaum will sing songs from the Soviet Yiddish repertoire.

Don’t Subject U.S. Veterans to ‘Spiritual Healing’

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to change VA materials and the VA website, which currently promote "spirituality."

FFRF makes this request to support the 23.1% of men and women in the military who identify as atheist, agnostic, or as having no religious preference.

FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki on July 29 requesting the VA stop promoting religion and spirituality to veterans, thereby alienating nearly one-fourth of veterans.

The "Spiritual Healing and Connection" section of the VA website violates the Constitution and pushes religion and "spirituality" on veterans, FFRF charges.

"Not only are they arbitrarily told that something is wrong with them, they are prescribed 'prayer and reading scriptures' as one remedy," Elliott wrote.

The federal website endorses assertions from a VA chaplain that health providers should treat "mind, body and spirit" saying, "Holistic health is a three-legged stool. If one leg is missing, the stool isn't stable."

The website also encourages veterans to visit VA chaplains. The military has refused to accept humanist or secular chaplains.

The VA and its website imply that the nonreligious men and women serving in the military are somehow incomplete, and demonstrate the lack of resources and support available to them.

"The VA is a secular branch of a secular government and has no business interfering with the private religious views of its veterans," Elliott wrote.

FFRF sued the Department of Veterans Affairs over its integration of spirituality into healthcare in 2006. The case was lost not in its merits but on taxpayer standing in 2008.

FFRF is a national nonprofit that works for the separation of state and church and has 19,000 members, a quarter of whom are veterans.

Rabbi Impersonating a Cop (Allegedly) Redux

Couldn't he have just prayed instead?  As reported in The New York Post on 7/19/2013:

In the space of about 19 hours ending yesterday, a Westchester County rabbi was arrested or arraigned on three separate charges of impersonating a cop.

In each case, Rabbi Alfredo Borodowski was angered when other motorists drove too slowly or cut him off, police say. So he allegedly flashed a phony badge and tried to get them to pull over.

The rabbi’s unusual case made headlines after his first arrest, and the story gained momentum as others came forward to tell authorities he tried to stop them while driving.

The latest arrest stemmed from an encounter in Yonkers in April when “what appeared to be minor road rage escalated,” State Police Investigator Joseph Becerra said yesterday.

He said Borodowski angrily waved a badge at a driver who cut him off on I-87. “Words were exchanged,” Becerra said. The other driver and his passenger “felt they were intimidated by this individual, and he was purporting to be a police officer.”

The passenger videotaped some of the encounter, he said. The footage is not being released.
Borodowski surrendered yesterday at a State Police barracks in Hawthorne and was charged with the misdemeanor form of criminal impersonation. He is due in court July 29

The rabbi’s lawyer, Andrew Rubin, said Borodowski suffers from bipolar disorder.

Yesterday’s arrest came just a few hours after Borodowski pleaded not guilty in Mamaroneck Village Court to the same charge, stemming from a June incident in which Borodowski is accused of pulling his Camry alongside a woman’s car, flashing a badge and shouting “Police! Police! Pull over!”

Cops said he told them, “That girl was driving too slow, and I hate when people do this.” He denied posing as a police officer.

Prosecutor Diana Hedayati reduced the charge to a misdemeanor because the rabbi did not commit another crime while allegedly posing as an officer.

Judge Daniel Gallagher ordered a psychiatric evaluation and adjourned the case to Sept. 12.
Borodowski did not speak during the proceeding and refused to answer questions outside court.

On Wednesday, Borodowski was arrested in White Plains. A driver there complained the rabbi had confronted him in a rage in May, claiming to be an officer and displaying a badge.
The driver said it appeared that Borodowski wanted him to drive faster.
Borodowski is still listed as the leader of a congregation in Larchmont.

Read more: Westchester rabbi allegedly flashes phony badge to get through traffic — three times - NYPOST.com http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/that_no_cop_it_rabbi_EnX9Dvv54vcRwXhy2zzvBI#ixzz2aZtymTyc

Now Even Frum Jews Can Safely Go Down Under

According to The New York Post,

A West Coast manufacturer of personal lubricants says it’s become the first company to have its slippery stuff blessed for use by religious Jews.

Trigg Laboratories announced yesterday that the Rabbinical Council of California had certified 95 percent of its “Wet”-brand products as kosher after an intensive, two-year review.

As part of the process, the company said it submitted its entire 52,000-square-foot plant in Valencia, Calif., to strict “kosherization” procedures.

Approved “Wet” lubes will now be stamped with a “K” to show they meet the standards of Jewish dietary law, known as “kashrut,” which prohibits the consumption of certain animals and requires the ritual slaughter of those deemed edible.

In touting the certification, company founder Michael Trigg lifted a line from an old Hebrew National commercial for its kosher hot dogs.

“We’ve always maintained the highest standards of production and quality control for our entire line of premium products,” Trigg said. “The ‘K’ imprint on our packages says that we maintain the highest standards of purity and answer to a higher authority.”

The Rabbinical Council of California didn’t return a call for comment, but Trigg spokesman Dean Draznin said its review included checking the company’s manufacturing methods and suppliers of raw materials.

He said the certification ensures that none of Trigg’s products contain ingredients derived from pigs or shellfish, and that any other animals used to create the joy gels were treated humanely.
Draznin also said Trigg sought the certification because it plans to start selling its “Wet” products in Israel, where “its a given that if it’s sold, it needs to meet kosher laws.”

According to the Web site of the Orthodox Union, which calls itself “the world leader in kosher certification,” only three lubricants are currently certified kosher. But all three are industrial products for greasing hydraulics and machinery used in food preparation.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of the best-selling book “Kosher Sex,” hailed yesterday’s announcement.

“It’s nice to see that rabbis are not shying away from addressing sexual aid, which will facilitate great excitement in the bedroom,” he said. “People misunderstand Orthodox Jews, in that they believe that they have sex through a sheet with a hole in the middle, that Orthodoxy is profoundly prudish. Nothing can be further from the truth.

“Orthodoxy is profoundly passionate. Orthodox couples have great sex lives, they’re encouraged to. . . . Anyone who portrays Orthodoxy in a different light and . . . believes that Orthodoxy encourages sexual repression really knows nothing about the Jewish religion.”
An Orthodox rabbi who works as a kosher supervisor — but who didn’t want be identified due to the subject matter — said the newly kosher lube should glide off the shelves.
“There’s probably a market for it,” he said. “I’m sure for some people it’s better to have something that’s kosher than something that isn’t.”

Rabbi Impersonated a Cop To Speed Up Traffic

As reported by Associated Press on 7/15/2013:

The synagogue of Congregation Sulam Yaakov in Larchmont, is depicted on Friday, July 12. The congregation's rabbi, Alfredo Borodowski, is charged with impersonating a police officer by flashing a badge and ordering a fellow motorist to pull over, angered by her slow driving.

Some drivers in the suburbs north of New York City were startled when they saw a man waving his arms, honking his horn and flashing a silver badge in a frantic effort to get them to pull over in traffic.

Even more surprising was who was suspected of doing it: a respected rabbi.

Rabbi Alfredo Borodowski has been arrested in one case and is being investigated in at least two more in which authorities say the apparent reason for trying to pull people over was to rage at them for cutting him off or driving too slowly.

"That girl was driving too slow and I hate when people do this," the 49-year-old Borodowski told investigators after he was charged with impersonating a police officer in June, when he allegedly pulled his Camry alongside a woman's car in Mamaroneck, flashed a badge and shouted: "Police! Police! Pull over!"
The woman, whose name has not been made public, did not pull over. According to her lawyer, Richard Clifford, the rabbi "just laid on the horn and started screaming at her" as she obeyed a 20-mph limit in a school zone. "She was so freaked out with the horn honking and the screaming that she called police immediately. ... I believe my client was in danger with this guy and if she had gotten out of her car it could have escalated."

Borodowski denied to police he was trying to impersonate an officer, saying he was telling the woman only that he would be "calling the police."

Police confiscated the badge, which read: "Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Officer 1338." Judie Glave, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the bridge and tunnel authority, said the badge is "totally fake."

Borodowski's lawyer, Andrew Rubin, acknowledged that the rabbi's behavior has been "manic" and said he's suffering from bipolar disorder. The lawyer said the rabbi will plead not guilty in court this week. A previous hearing was postponed because the rabbi was hospitalized.

The rabbi has been fired from a position at prestigious Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan, one of the world's largest Jewish houses of worship. He also leads a congregation in Larchmont.

The odd saga of the rabbi has grabbed headlines in the car-centric suburbs and gained momentum after his arrest, when other drivers came forward saying he had tried to pull them over, too.

When Peter Moses' wife saw the story on the TV news, "She shouted, 'Oh my God, the guy who stopped us did it to someone else — and he's a rabbi!'" said Moses, a public relations consultant in White Plains.
Moses said that in May, a motorist tailgated him on a drive from Scarsdale to White Plains, "obviously trying to make me go faster" than the 40- mph limit. Instead, Moses slowed, and the driver passed him and then blocked his path.

"He's shouting, 'I'm a police officer, pull over!' and he's got this little badge that he's waving at us. I told my wife, 'That's not a police officer,'" Moses said.

"Then he's out of his car and he's screaming: 'I can arrest you! I can have you arrested!' I said, 'Fine, call the police,' then he storms back to his car and drives off."

Moses said his wife asked him not to report the incident but changed her mind when they learned of the arrest in Mamaroneck. "What we want is for the rabbi to get the emotional help he so obviously needs," he said.

Yet another driver handed State Police a video of a confrontation in late April on Interstate 87 near Yonkers. The man told authorities that he swerved in front of a driver who then flashed a badge and demanded that he pull over.

Police are not releasing the video, but a still image from it obtained by The Journal News shows a man who looks like Borodowski sticking his head out of his car window, his wispy graying hair blowing in the wind, who appears to be shouting and waving a silver badge in a leather case.

"He was holding up this tiny badge, and I knew the guy could no way be a cop in any sense of the word," the driver, whose name has not been made public, told the newspaper. When he challenged the man, he drove off.

The three complaints prompted the trustees of Temple Emanu-El to dismiss Borodowski as executive director of the Skirball Center for Jewish Learning "in the best interests of the congregation," said Mark Weisstuch, administrative vice president.

Borodowski was still listed as rabbi on the Web site for Congregation Sulam Yaakov in Larchmont. A call to the synagogue there was answered by a man who said: "No comment. That's his personal life."

Saudi Airlines Discriminating Against Israeli Citizens?!

I am not sure how this is news, but on July 15, 2003, The New York Post reported that "Saudi Arabian Airlines is discriminating against Israeli citizens by refusing to fly them from US airports — even when passengers are simply looking to transfer in Saudi Arabia to another country".  Officially or perhaps unofficially, it wasn't only Israelis--no Jews are allowed to set foot in the kingdom.  A long time ago, when I was working for Chase (now part of JP Morgan Chase), we had a Saudi client, the Bank of Ryiadh. Someone had to travel there to install the system, train the users, etc.  My boss was very surprised to learn that I am Jewish (she naively thought that I was Russian), so I couldn't go.  Neither could any other of my Jewish coworkers.

A simple Internet search yielded this article from 2 years ago.  Like I said, how is this news?

Urge Google Execs to Stop Funding Sen. James Inhofe, Competitive Enterprise Institute

One of the world's most powerful technology companies is giving tens of thousands of dollars to politicians and special interest groups actively engaged in misleading the public about the reality of climate change — and the Center for Inquiry wants you to tell them to stop!

Today (July 11) Google will host at its Washington, D.C. offices a fundraising lunch for Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma). Inhofe is no ordinary politician to be lobbied—he's the most ardent climate change denier in Congress. Spreading the notion that global warming is a "hoax" and a "conspiracy" is Inhofe's marquee issue. He's even said that more CO2 in the atmosphere would be "beneficial to our environment and the economy."

And in June, Google was the largest single donor to a fundraising dinner for the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), giving $50,000, according to the Washington Post. CEI is an organization that denies the threat of global warming on behalf of energy interests, and who infamously ran television ads dismissing the fact that carbon dioxide (CO2) is a pollutant. ("They call it pollution, we call it life," says the narrator.)

The Center for Inquiry is shocked and deeply disappointed by Google's association with these so-called "climate skeptics," and is urging is the company’s leaders to examine their consciences and cease any further support or donations for those promoting harmful nonsense.

Click here to send a message to Google.

FFRF, ACLU to settle with Ohio school

July 11, 2013

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and individual plaintiffs have agreed to settle their lawsuit against the public school district in Jackson, Ohio, for displaying a large portrait of Jesus above the entrance to Jackson Middle School. The district has agreed to permanently remove the portrait.

Details of the global settlement of the issues will be released once they are approved by U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley and by a probate court. Two of the plaintiffs are minors. The parties must file their settlement before the district court within 90 days.

Defendants are the Jackson City School District and Board of Education and Superintendent Phil Howard.

FFRF and the ACLU filed the suit Feb. 6 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio after FFRF sent an initial letter of complaint Jan. 2 to Howard, who stated “it would take a court order to remove the picture.”

Yeshiva U. Hit With $380M Suit Over Sex Coverup

By Rich Calder for the New York Post (7/9/2013):

Yeshiva University was slapped with a $380 million lawsuit yesterday by 19 ex-students of its prestigious all-boys high school, who allege that honchos there covered up decades of sexual and physical abuse.
The scathing 148-page suit, filed in White Plains federal court, alleges the university willfully turned a blind eye while two of its rabbis sexually assaulted then-teenage boys at the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy in Manhattan between 1969 and 1989.

“It is time for these men to get the justice that they were denied as children,” said Kevin Mulhearn, a lawyer for the victims. “They feel they were robbed of their dignity and respect.”

A lawsuit alleges the university willfully turned a blind eye while two of its rabbis sexually assaulted teenage boys.

 

Three of the plaintiffs allege they were attacked by Rabbi Macy Gordon, a former teacher who is accused of sodomizing one victim with a toothbrush during a violent attack in a school dorm room. The suit alleges that the victim and his father reported the attack to the school in 1980 — but that officials failed to report it to authorities and that Gordon sexually brutalized at least one other boy.

The remaining 16 plaintiffs claim they were attacked by Rabbi George Finkelstein, a former principal at the high school.

Mulhearn said his clients opted to come forward decades after the alleged incidents after learning “they were not alone” following a December 2012 story in the Jewish newspaper The Forward in which then-Yeshiva University Chancellor Norman Lamm acknowledged both rabbis were allowed to leave quietly after students accused them of sex abuse. Lamm retired on July 1.

“To a man, these assaults have negatively impacted their lives, whether it’s some who suffer severe depression or others who have trouble having relationships with women,” Mulhearn said.

The victims range in age from mid-30s to mid-50s and reside as far as Israel.

Yeshiva University declined to comment on the lawsuit.

FFRF’s July 4 Ad Counters Hobby Lobby Disinformation

http://ffrf.org/images/FFRF_GodlessConst_NYT_11x21.jpg

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is running a full-page ad celebrating “our GODLESS Constitution” in a number of U.S. dailies on July 4. 

FFRF, a state/church watchdog based in Madison, Wis., serves as the nation’s largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics). 

The ad is a direct response to a series of July 4 ads sponsored annually by Hobby Lobby since 2008, which shamelessly promote the myth that the United States was founded on God and Christianity. The large craft store chain’s ads of disinformation appear to run in hundreds of dailies. 

Although FFRF can’t compete with Hobby Lobby by running ads in virtually every daily, it is undertaking the single most expensive ad campaign in its history to counter the Religious Right message. The ads quote U.S. Founders and Framers on their strong views against religion in government, and often critical views on religion in general. 

The ad features two revolutionaries and Deists, Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin, and the first four presidents: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The ad documents that not only is the U.S. Constitution godless, but that there was no prayer during the Constitutional Convention, and that the Constitution’s primary architect, Madison, came to oppose government days of prayer, congressional chaplaincies and even “three pence” of tax dollars used in support of religion. 

The ad includes a website link that not only documents the quotations, but takes the reader to the original script in most cases! 

FFRF’s ad will run in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Arizona Republic, Seattle Times, Albuquerque Journal, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post and Columbus Dispatch.

Most of the ads are in black and white, but a color version will run in The New York Times and a few other dailies. The ad is also scheduled to “play in Peoria.”

Taking its message of “In Reason We Trust” to parts of the bible belt, FFRF has also contracted to run the ad in the Huntsville Times, Ala.; Orange County Register, San Diego Tribune, Colorado Springs Gazette, Orlando Sentinel, Louisville Courier Journal, Jackson Clarion Ledger, Miss., Charlotte Observer, Tennessean (Nashville), and Oklahoma City’s Daily Oklahoman. (Hobby Lobby is based in Oklahoma City.) 

Atheists Unveil Monument Near Ten Commandments In Florida

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON: 

STARKE, Fla. — A group of atheists unveiled a monument to their nonbelief in God on Saturday to sit alongside a granite slab that lists the Ten Commandments in front of the Bradford County courthouse.
As a small group of protesters blasted Christian country music and waved "Honk for Jesus" signs, the atheists celebrated what they believe is the first atheist monument allowed on government property in the United States.

"When you look at this monument, the first thing you will notice is that it has a function. Atheists are about the real and the physical, so we selected to place this monument in the form of a bench," said David Silverman, president of American Atheists.

It also serves another function – a counter to the religious monument that the New Jersey-based group wanted removed. It's a case of if you can't beat `em, join `em.

American Atheists sued to try to have the stone slab with the Ten Commandments taken away from the courthouse lawn in this rural, conservative north Florida town best known for the prison that confines death row inmates. The Community Men's Fellowship erected the monument in what's described as a free speech zone. During mediation on the case, the atheist group was told it could have its own monument, too.
"We're not going to let them do it without a counterpoint," Silverman said. "If we do it without a counterpoint, it's going to appear very strongly that the government actually endorses one religion over another, or – I should say – religion in general over non-religion."

About 200 people attended the unveiling. Most were supportive, though there were protesters, including a group from Florida League of the South that had signs that said "Yankees Go Home."

"We reject outsiders coming to Florida – especially from outside what we refer to as the Bible Belt – and trying to remake us in their own image," said Michael Tubbs, state chairman of the Florida League of the South. "We do feel like it's a stick in the eye to the Christian people of Florida to have these outsiders come down here with their money and their leadership and promote their outside values here."

After a cover was taken off the 1,500-pound granite bench Saturday, people rushed to have their pictures taken on it. The bench has quotes from Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the founder of American Atheists. It also has a list of Old Testament punishments for violating the Ten Commandments, including death and stoning.

"Some people think it's an attack simply by us exerting our existence. They put a monument on a public lawn that, if you put it in context, says atheists should be killed," Silverman said. "It is an attack, but it's an attack on Christian privilege, not an attack on Christians themselves, and not so much an attack on Christianity."
At one point someone in a car driving by tossed a toilet seat and a roll of toilet paper at the crowd. Neither struck anyone. At another point, Eric Hovind, 35, of Pensacola jumped atop the peak of the monument and shouted his thanks to the atheists for giving him a platform to declare Jesus is real. Atheists shouted at him, and he stepped down after about a minute. One man yelled that religion is a fairy tale.

"The problem is it's not a fairy tale," Hovind said. "We definitely have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion."

Hovind and Tubbs did say they respect the right of the group to install the monument, even if they disagree with the message behind it.

And the atheists said they expected protesters.

"There always are," said Rick Wingrove, the director of a Washington D.C.-area office of American Atheists. "We protests their events, they protests our events. As long as everybody's cordial and let people speak. This is our day, not theirs. We're fine with them being here."

A call to the group that sponsored the Ten Commandments monument, the Community Men's Fellowship, wasn't returned. But the group gave Facebook updates on the legal battle with the American Atheists and praised the compromise that allowed them to keep their monument.

"We want you all to remember that this issue was won on the basis of this being a free speech issue, so don't be alarmed when the American Atheists want to erect their own sign or monument. It's their right. As for us, we will continue to honor the Lord and that's what matters," the group posted.

While Silverman said he believes religion is wrong and teachings in the Bible are violent, he said he welcomes non-Christian religions to follow the atheists' example and put in their own monuments in free-speech zones.
"I will back them because it will be their right," he said. "This is one of the tricks that Christians have used, because they go up and call it a free-speech zone and then they're unopposed. They get their government legitimization because nobody else calls their bluff and puts something in."

50 Reps Vote for Nontheistic Military Chaplains

After an amendment offered by Robert Andrews (D-NJ) to allow nontheistic chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces was defeated last week 43-18 in the House Armed Services Committee, the issue got a second chance on June 14. Following an outpouring of support from the secular community via action alerts from the Secular Coalition [here and here], Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced his own amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act [H.R. 1960] to the full House, which would have allowed nontheistic chaplains for the 23 percent of service members who are "nones".  Both amendments were introduced at the suggestion of the Secular Coalition. While the issue of nontheistic chaplains may seem ironic, they are extremely important for service members whose careers may be negatively impacted by seeking the help of a counselor or psychiatrist—a relationship that is not confidential as in the civilian world.

Polis' bill was defeated on June 14 in a 274-150 vote. Every Republican voted against it, and they were joined by 44 Democrats.

While we are extremely disappointed the amendments failed, we were heartened to see the show of support today's amendment received from a full third of the U.S. House of Representatives. We are proud that our  issues are being more widely supported and that we are being heard and our issues taken seriously. While we still have a long way to go, we are continuing to make significant inroads.

Please use this link to send a letter to your representative now—the Secular Coalition's system will automatically generate a thank you letter if your representative supported the amendment and a letter of disappointment if they did not. You can also view the final voting record for this amendment here.

In other news, Secular Coalition Executive Director, Edwina Rogers, was a guest on the Melissa Harris-Perry Show on Saturday on MSNBC. Rogers was joined by a panel of experts which included Ezra Klein from The Washington Post, University of Pennsylvania Professor Anthea Butler, and President of Voto Latino Maria Teresa Kumar. The panel discussed issues of the day, including President Obama's political strategy, critical functions of the Affordable Care Act and LGBT issues. The episode is available on our website or at MSNBC here.

SHJ Selects Maurice Sendak as Humanistic Jewish Role Model

The Society for Humanistic Judaism is pleased to announce Maurice Sendak as its Humanistic Jewish Role Model for 2013-2014. Sendak, a well-known writer and illustrator of children's books, was born June 10, 1928 in Brooklyn, NY. He died in May, 2012, just short of his 84th birthday.

 

The beauty of Sendak's work is that his stories are ostensibly for children, but also touch on issues and feelings faced by adults, making him an attractive multi-generational choice for a role model. His Jewish identity forms the context of his story telling.

Cary Shaw from the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and a member of the SHJ Membership Committee that recommends the annual Humanistic Jewish role model, became more intrigued and consistently more engaged by Sendak and his body of work as he researched him and developed material to be shared with SHJ affiliates for future programming.

Denise Handlarski, Assistant Rabbi at Oraynu Congregation in Toronto, Ontario sees Maurice Sendak as embracing the idea of transformation in his own life as well as in his stories. She said that Sendak had the "ability to enter the mind of children and take their worlds seriously. His themes are sometimes dark and shocking, but equally challenging and liberating."

Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld, of Beth Chaverim Humanistic Jewish Community, Illinois, sees Purim as a good time to acknowledge Sendak. Kornfeld says, "Sendak creates worlds in which the joyful is juxtaposed with the terrible, the celebratory with the tragic, and the delightful with the frightful... Moreover, the Purim story itself includes the directive to celebrate and be joyful. Sendak's artful work does that."

The child of Jewish immigrants who left Europe during World War I, Sendak grew up in Brooklyn in the shadow of the Holocaust. Although much of his family died in Poland, his parents tried to hide information about how most were killed. Unable to fully grasp the circumstances, he felt the fear and the grief that pervaded the household, knowing it had to do with death and murder. Sendak developed an enduring conviction that to lie to children is to harm them. His books reflect his struggles with his early years and also reflect his commitment to treat children with respect and to always tell the truth. Sendak was quoted as saying, "My books are written ... for children who are never satisfied with condescending material, who understand real emotion and real feeling ... and are not afraid of knowing emotional truth." 

Sendak's most well-known children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, brought him the Caldecott Medal in 1964. For Sendak, the wild things represented the many strange relatives from foreign lands who stayed with his family when he was a child.

He preserved the memory of his deceased relatives, using their pictures as the models for his illustrations for Isaac Bashevis Singer's book, Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories. He also collaborated with playwright, Tony Kushner, illustrating Hans Krasa's Brundibar, a children's opera about a brother and sister who fight a bully named Brundibar. Brundibar was performed by the children of the Concentration Camp Terezin more than 55 times. The book, published in 2003, was named one of the New York Times Book Review's 10 best illustrated books of the year. 

Sendak mentioned in a September 2008 article in The New York Times that he was gay and had lived with his partner, psychoanalyst Dr. Eugene Glynn, for 50 years before Glynn's death in May 2007. After his partner's death, Sendak donated $1 million to the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services in memory of Glynn who had treated young people there.

Sendak, an atheist, stated in a September 2011 interview with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air that he didn't believe in God. He commented that life is harder for non-believers than for those who were religious. 

"Maurice Sendak is a compelling choice as the Society for Humanistic Judaism 2013-2014 Humanistic Jewish Role Model" remarked Rabbi Miriam Jerris. "The programming opportunities are extensive. Maurice Sendak is attractive to multiple age groups, making him one of the most appealing role models we have ever selected."

The Center for Inquiry's UN Representative Condemns ‘Honor Killings’ and Human Rights Abuses

Just as the Center for Inquiry (CFI) fights crucial policy battles in the United States for science, reason, and secularism, CFI also brings its efforts and advocacy to the international stage, with representation at the United Nations in both New York City and Geneva.

CFI's main Geneva representative is Dr. Elizabeth O'Casey, who today delivered a statement condemning the horrifying practice of so-called “honor killings” of women, and the governments that allow perpetrators to evade punishment. 

“We can no longer stand by and watch this horrific violence against women go unpunished,” O’Casey told the Human Rights Council. “This barbaric practice is justified on cultural and religious grounds. We must not allow such grounds to be used to legitimize or excuse such an abhorrent abuse of a woman’s right to life, her right to equality, her right to freedom, or her right to dignity. 

“We urge all member states to do more to protect women from this sort of violence, to punish those who commit it, and to condemn the culture of impunity and religious justification, which not only allows, but encourages, such barbarity.” 

O'Casey joined CFI allies the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) and the British Humanist Association (BHA) in delivering statements during a debate on civil and political rights, including a joint proclamation delivered on behalf of all three groups urging for greater access to contraception and abortion. 

O'Casey will be working alongside these groups all session long to advocate on behalf of secularist and humanist causes, such as freedom of belief and expression, women’s equality, and church-state separation. Also planned is a statement on the use of torture in Iran and equality for disabled persons around the world. 

"Honor killings, restricted access to reproductive health care, crackdowns on free speech—these are all serious human rights abuses. Secularists have an important voice to add to these discussions, separating policy from the oppressive dogma of religion and superstition," said Michael De Dora, CFI’s New York UN representative. 

"We are proud to have Elizabeth O'Casey representing the Center for Inquiry, and all of us who believe in reason, secularism, and our common humanity. She is doing a wonderful job bringing the global community’s attention to some of the most critical issues of our time.” 

The full text of CFI’s statement on honor killings can be found here.

"Kosher Nostra" Plea

From http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/kosher_nostra_plea_qEtcbDJJ6FVGTUGFF8hDaM#.UbIQaupXL9c.email:

Three Orthodox Jewish brothers accused of trying to intimidate a Brooklyn teen girl into dropping sex-abuse charges against a prominent Hasidic counselor avoided jail time yesterday by pleading guilty.

Jacob, Joseph and Hertzka Berger were charged with coercion last year for ripping down the kosher certificate at a Williamsburg restaurant owned by the teen’s then-boyfriend.

“I’m happy it’s over even though they deserve a bigger punishment in my and the entire world’s eyes,” said the restaurant owner, who has since married the teen victim.

“The Mafia way of intimidating victims and witnesses will no longer be tolerated in our community.”

The incident was part of the harassment the teen girl suffered for accusing Nechemya Weberman, a powerful man in her Satmar sect, of sexually abusing her during counseling sessions. Weberman was convicted this year on the strength of her testimony.

Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Danny Chun sentenced the “Kosher Nostra” to conditional discharges with no jail time. Jacob Berger must also pay $500 restitution to the restaurant owner. Abraham Rubin, who was arrested the same day as the Berger brothers, still faces charges he offered Weberman’s victim and her boyfriend $500,000 to drop the case and leave the country.

“We objected strongly to them not getting any jail time,” said a Brooklyn DA spokeswoman.

“The DA took a very hard-line stance because it was related to the Weberman case,” said Jacob defense attorney Michael Cibella.

The brothers declined to comment through their attorneys.

In Memory of Senator Lautenberg

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), a long-time ally of secular and church state issues, passed away this morning due to complications from viral pneumonia in New York. He was 89 years old.

As a Jewish member of the Senate Lautenberg was a strong supporter of church/state separation. He received an “A” grade on the Secular Coalition for America’s most recent Senate Scorecard.  Representing secular New Jersey constituents, Senator Lautenberg’s office met with David Silverman and Amanda Knief from American Atheists during SCA’s Secular Summit & Lobby Day on April 26^th.  American Atheists is a member organization of the Secular Coalition for America and headquartered in New Jersey. Sen. Lautenberg’s office is also scheduled to meet with SCA staff on June 13^th. His Chief of Staff, Dan Katz formally worked for Americans United for Separation of Church and State before moving on to work aside the Senator.

Lautenberg opposed school vouchers which would use taxpayer money to pay for religious schools as well as opposed abstinence-only education. In 1995, Lautenberg urged then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) to withdraw his invitation to pseudo-historian David Barton because Barton promoted the idea of America as a Christian-only nation.

In 1998, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) passed a resolution “lauding the Ten Commandments and urging its display.” The resolution said the display should be featured, “in the Supreme Court, the Capitol building, the White House, and other government offices and courthouses across the nation.” It was Senator Lautenberg who reformed that resolution with the phrase, “…as long as it is consistent with the establishment clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.”   

Sen. Lautenberg was the last World War II veteran serving in the U.S. Senate and held the record for the number of votes cast by a New Jersey Senator. He was a strong ally for church-state separation and will be missed by the Secular community. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg; six children and their spouses. 

Copyright © 2013 Secular Coalition for America, All rights reserved.

Chabad Lubavitch Jews Caught on Video Pretending to Get Wine from Their Dead Rabbi

Hundreds of Chabad Lubavitch Jews were seen on video pretending to receive wine from their imaginary rabbi who died nearly 20 years ago, according to video uploaded to the internet.

The Jewish men stood in line to receive their imaginary wine from the dead rabbi. Some children and even toddlers were seen waiting on the line for their chance to receive imaginary wine from their beloved dead rabbi.

A large portion of Chabad Lubavitch Jews believe their late Rabbi, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, is the King Messiah, therefore, they believe the rabbi never died.

The imaginary rituals are held regularly at the main Chabad Lubavitch synagogue, which is located in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York.

On another video, Chabad Jews can be seen receiving one dollar bills from their imaginary dead rabbi, according to video uploaded to the internet. The ritual is performed while the large crowd chants: “Let the King Messiah live forever.”

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was born on April 5, 1902 and died on June 12, 1994. He was known around the world as the Lubavitcher Rebbe and just the Rebbe among his followers. A year after the death of his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson, he assumed the leadership of the Lubavitch movement.

He led the movement until his death in 1994, greatly expanding its worldwide activities and founding a worldwide network of institutions to spread traditional Judaism among the Jewish people, and moral values of justice and honesty among all mankind.

These institutions include schools, kindergartens, synagogues and Chabad houses. He successfully built a network of more than 3,600 institutions in over 70 countries and 1000 cities around the world.

During his lifetime some of his followers had considered him to be the Jewish King Messiah but Rabbi Schneerson discouraged such talk.

See more here: http://www.yourjewishnews.com/2013/05/27396.html#.UaiqyPPEobo.email

Support a Brave Atheist

From an email I received from the American Humanist Association:

Dear Friend,

The devastating tornado that tore through Oklahoma earlier this week continues to affect thousands of families whose homes have been destroyed. Often after natural disasters, mentions of prayer, God and religion play a big role in the media---leaving out humanists and atheists who find greater value in taking direct action to support the victims.

You may have heard about the recent CNN live interview after the tornado---Wolf Blitzer spoke to Rebecca Vitsmun after her decision to leave Moore, Okla. at the last-minute to avoid the tornado that ultimately destroyed her own home. Blitzer asked, "You've gotta thank the Lord, right?" Carrying her baby in her arms, Rebecca replied, "I'm actually an atheist."

Rebecca didn't let Wolf Blitzer assume she "thanked the Lord," even though it would have been easier to do, and in so doing showed that you can be good without a god.

The response from our membership to the CNN story was already overwhelming: many American Humanist Association members saw the CNN interview and wanted to support Rebecca directly. I'm writing now, because we made contact with Rebecca, and have a means to give her direct support. We've created a special fund for Rebecca and her family, money that will be used to rebuild her home and support her family during this difficult time.

Rebecca spoke honestly and bravely, and she deserves our community's special support. Please donate to Humanist Charities' Rebecca Vitsmun Fund and see your donations given directly to support a brave atheist whose home was destroyed.

Natural disasters are a product of our environment, not supernatural forces. We, as fellow human beings, have a responsibility to help those in need when we can. And we applaud Rebecca for standing up to religious assumptions. I hope you will donate generously to the Rebecca Vitsmun Fund and see your dollars put to direct use.

Sincerely,

 

Roy Speckhardt
Executive Director

Controversial New Book on Atheism

Mike Newell just published a new book, No God! 400 Famous Atheists and Agnostics Plus 60 Infamous Theists! An Antidote for America's Religiosity!


Here's what 460 famous thinkers think about religion!   Priests, Popes, Prophets, Pagans, Pop Stars, Presidents, Poets, Politicians, Comedians, Actors, Artists, Scientists, Saints, Film stars, Philosophers, and Founding Fathers! Searchers for TRUTH  from the  earliest times to the present day. Their views are outrageous, moving, shocking, bloodcurdling, infuriating, and funny!

Visit http://www.driftwoodbeachbooks.com/ for more information.

Support Imprisoned Atheist Bloggers In Bangladesh

Police recently arrested these atheist bloggers in Bangladesh after they were accused of "defaming Islam and the prophet Mohammed." As a result of their atheistic blogs, each faces up to 10 years in jail for something that should never be a crime in any country that claims to respect religious freedom and the freedom of expression.

This isn’t the first case of atheist bloggers being arrested for a “crime” against religion. We informed you last year about Egyptian atheist Alber Saber, who was arrested and remains in prison for insulting Islam and the prophet Mohammed.

This alarming trend of arresting atheists is spreading throughout the world. I need your help to raise awareness of the situation to high-level government officials who must take action now.

Please do your part in protecting freedom of speech by demanding that the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh lodge a formal complaint with the Government of Bangladesh over these anti-democratic arrests.

Religious beliefs should be respected, even if they differ drastically from our own. However, religious groups and individuals must remember that they are not immune from having their beliefs questioned, nor do they have the right to imprison others who they feel have insulted their faith.

Stand up to the international prosecution of atheists by contacting the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh today.

April Fools in North Carolina Pursue State Religion

Without intended irony on April Fools' Day, Republican Rowan County Reps. Harry Warren and Carl Ford introduced House Joint Resolution 494 to establish a state religion in North Carolina.

Unbelievably, the bill has already attracted 12 other equally ignorant sponsors. It’s no joking matter that 14 people who have absolutely no understanding of our Constitution have been elected state legislators.

Someone needs to tell these legislative Rip Van Winkles that under the 14th amendment adopted in 1868, state citizens have the same protections under the federal Bill of Rights as federal citizens:

“No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, reading “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .” also means “State legislators shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation between church and state” extends to state as well as federal citizens.

These legislators refuse to acknowledge any federal judicial ruling over a constitutional topic, such as government prayer. Their rancor over the First Amendment stems from conflicts over government prayer. They’re especially mad at the ACLU right now, which is suing over sectarian Christian prayer by the Rowan County Board, N.C. They’re also mad at complaints over statehouse prayer. The Freedom From Religion Foundation has formally complained over overtly Christian prayer in the state Senate, for example, where a state Senate chaplain routinely offers overtly Christian prayers.

Read the Freedom from Religion Foundation's letter to the Senate.
Read FFRF’s letter to the House.

NASA Scientist Shows How Anyone Can "Make the Break" With Gods & Religion

Dr. Reginald J. Exton, a NASA scientist for five decades, shares clearly and succinctly the evidence that points to the human origin of religions in Make the Break (If You Can), the latest title from Humanist Press. To this end, Exton has gathered a representative list of events, scientific observations, and religious developments that lead the reader to the eventual realization that there is voluminous evidence that humanity itself created gods and religions to shield itself from the unknown.

The printed book is in magazine format, making its 64 full-color pages—including pictures, charts and graphs—easy to read and comprehend. The ebook version contains links to additional online content, including a forum where readers can communicate with one another.

“My sincere hope is that the book will help to relieve people of their historical guilt and clarify the individual rights and responsibilities of all human beings,” Exton said. “These hopes are particularly meaningful at the beginning of the twenty-first century as two major religions again conduct crusades against one another, and the political arm of religion in the U.S. strengthens itself to secure by ‘democratic’ means what it cannot obtain by argument.”

Outlining the human origin of religions, Make the Break (If You Can) begins with a brief synopsis of the major developments in the formation of our universe; a description of more recent events in the development of civilization, including the period of religious fervor; and the evolutionary process leading to modern man. From these initial chapters, Exton discusses why religious beliefs are so strongly entrenched in peoples’ thinking and why many maintain these beliefs today. The subsequent chapters list some of the worldwide conflicts that have arisen out of religion; an outline of an astrophysical projection of the ultimate fate of our universe; and offers an alternative to god-based religions that captures the best parts of the various religious rules and philosophies practiced today.

Dr. Exton’s scientific career began in 1954 at the University of Richmond, where he majored in physics, graduating with a B.S. in 1958. He completed is education in physics with an M.S. and a Ph.D. at West Virginia University. For the past 50 years, he has been a researcher with NASA at Langley Research Center. During his interesting career, he has worked on reentry physics, atmospheric and oceanographic pollution, laser spectroscopy, hypersonic combustion, aerodynamics, and plasma physics. A list of his publications in these areas can be found here.

The ebook is available through HumanistPress.com and major online retailers.

Rep. Nadler to Speak at Secular Summit

The Secular Coalition is excited to announce Congressman Jerrold Nadler, as the breakfast keynote speaker at the SCA's Secular Summit & Lobby Day on April 25th! Rep. Nadler (D-NY) is the former chair, and current ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Constitution who, in December 2010 held hearings on taxpayer dollars going directly to pervasively sectarian organizations through the White House Office Faith Based Funding.

The Secular Coalition is expecting to soon announce another member of Congress and a representative from the White House to address participants as well, for the Secular Summit & Lobby Day. There is less than a month left until the big event, so be sure to register now if you haven't already. A student rate of $25 is now available.

SCA Executive Director, Edwina Rogers, met with several House offices this past week to speak about tax issues, including Reps. John Lewis (D-GA) and Dave Reichart (R-WA). She also met with the staffer tasked with faith-based issues in the office of Rep. Mike McIntyre, co-chair of the Congressional Prayer Caucus. The meetings were scheduled in advance of the Ways and Means report on tax reform for charitable and nonprofits, due April 15th to the full committee.

This week the Supreme Court heard two cases on marriage equality. The Secular Coalition for America was out in full force educating people on the issue and sharing information about the SCA and our goals.

Finally, we are proud to announce a new service now available to all of our members: the Morning Read. If you'd like to receive this daily roundup of secular and related news stories click update subscription preferences (link also available at the bottom of this email) and check the box "Morning Links." It's that easy! You can view past issues of the Morning Read and other news updates at Secular News Daily.

Track the past week's most troubling federal and state legislation.

Are you a secular insider? Get the complete picture of what's going on in the secular movement. View this week's Movement Update Agenda or listen to the weekly call here. Or, view all of our newsletters and movement updates.

Register for SCA's Secular Summit & Lobby Day April 24-26 in DC! Can't make it? Support the event with your donation now.

New Online CFI Seminar

Science and Ethics: Crossroads and Conundrums

(SEC 238-0413)April 1 – April 30, 2013

Instructor: David Koepsell, JD, PhD

In this course we will look at two facets of the fields broadly defined as "science" and "ethics." First, what relation does science have to ethics, if any? Is there a way to reconcile them, as some philosophers have tried, by attempting a scientific approach to ethical theory, or are they, like religion and science, "non-overlapping magesteria?" Second, we will also look at how ethics and science have intersected and interacted in modern "applied" ethics, specifically bioethics, but also in other fields broadly described by the term "research ethics." In preparation for the course, students are recommended to purchase and read Science and Ethics by Paul Kurtz and David Koepsell (Prometheus, 2007).

For more info and to register: http://action.centerforinquiry.net/site/Calendar?id=103481&view=Detail.

Was Lincoln Jewish?

On the twelfth of February, 1809, 200 years ago, a young, poor illiterate woman from Virginia, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, gave birth to a son, in a log cabin built along the banks of the south fork of Nolin Creek, near what is now Hodgenville , Kentucky .

 

That baby, whom she named Abraham, grew to become one of our greatest, and most tragic, national leaders. Lincoln was a man of great spiritual conviction. Yet, and I find this fact fascinatingly instructive, Abraham Lincoln was the only American president not to have declared himself a member of any particular religious faith.

 

That fact has given rise to a great deal of interesting speculation. In fact, there are those who believe that Honest Abe was Jewish.. After all, his name was Abraham. His great-grandfather was named Mordechai.

 

Lincoln was the only President not to have a formal religious affiliation. He was neither raised in a church nor did he ever belong to a church.

 

And there's more... the town of Lincoln, in eastern England, whence his ancestors came, has an interesting Jewish history. A Jewish community was established there in 1159. During Crusader riots, the Sheriff of Lincoln saved the Jews by giving them official protection. St. Hugh, the great Bishop of Lincoln, taught love of Jews to his parishioners. His death was marked by an official period of mourning among Lincoln 's Jews. Rabbi Joseph of Lincoln was a scholar mentioned in the Talmud; Aaron of Lincoln was a financier whose operations extended all over the country.

 

In 1255, Lincoln 's Jews were accused of ritual murder. Ninety-one Lincoln Jews were sent to London for trial and 18 were executed. Notwithstanding, the Lincoln Jewish community flourished until 1290, when they were forcibly expelled by edict. Most Jewish historians assume that all the Jews of Lincoln left in 1290.

 

But could it be possible that some remained, practicing their Judaism in secret....passing the family secret from generation to generation? The more we learn of the secret life of Spanish Jewry following the Expulsion of 1492, the more we must at least consider the possibility of the same thing occurring elsewhere.

 

When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, whole Jewish communities sat shivah. Rabbis all over the country eulogized the fallen President. Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, the manwho created Reform Judaism in this country, began his eulogy with the words... "Brethren, the lamented Abraham Lincoln believed himself to be bone from our bone and flesh from our flesh. He supposed himself to be a descendant of Hebrew parentage. He said so in my presence."

 

Lincoln was often questioned about his religious beliefs. Time and again, he told of a special passage from Scripture that summed up his theology. It was the twentieth the Book of Exodus he recommended that every American study, learn and follow.  In English it is usually referred to as the Ten Commandments.

 

Rabbi Jeff Kahn

Temple Har Shalom

 

PS: Abraham Lincoln was Jewish. An extensive research paper from a Professor in Rutgers who studied this topic extensively and found, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Abe Lincoln was Jewish.... She has absolute proof from checking out his ancestry and going back to his hometown where she did years of work on this topic. Her research was complete and absolute. Her name is Professor Elizabeth Hirschman, Rutgers University .