The thoughts, creations, and bizarre adventures of a Composer/Playwright/Performer/Activist

Jewish Values: Supporting #BlackLivesMatter

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As Jews, being allies to anyone facing oppression is not a choice – it is a commandment. There is no question about this – the only debate is over whether the Torah says it 36 or 46 times. Exodus 22:20. Leviticus 19:34. Deuteronomy 10:19. And on, and on, and on, and on.

The oppression and genocides that have plagued and followed us for over 3,000 years mean that we cannot close our eyes or remain silent in the face of the pain of our Black brothers and sisters, because we are all-too-familiar with the deafening echoes of silence. When we say “never again,” it does not mean never again to us, but never again to anyone. That is our duty, our pain, and our purpose. To fight against oppression wherever it may be, and to combat injustice and senseless cruelty with which we are all too familiar.

#BlackLivesMatter. I will always be an ally in the fight against racial injustice, even while recognizing that I am but one indescribably small cog in a wheel that is far greater than myself, and far greater than anyone. I know that the most important thing I can do right now is to listen, and I am, and I will; but I also know that I must use what voice I have to pass along what I have learned from those going through a pain and anguish that I can barely conceive of, so that we as a community can educate ourselves in these vital issues, and purge our own communities of whatever prejudice and hostility we may find.

I call upon all of my fellow Jews – and all decent human beings – to do the same.

But words are not enough. Here you’ll find an article with multiple options for actions you can take to make a tangible difference in this struggle. Please find a way to help, however you can. Because these aren’t just matters of principle; they are core Jewish values. Tikkun olam (repairing the world). V’ahavta l’reacha k’mocha (love your neighbor as you love yourself). Din (justice). Bina (understanding). Derech eretz (righteous action). Rodef shalom (pursuit of peace). And achrayut (responsibility for others).

I will always strive to live by these principles, and I hope you will, too. For as the Talmud teaches us:

“Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” (Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:1 (22a))

Let us save the world – one precious, precious life at a time.

Advocacy, Politics, Recent Leave a Comment

The Show Must Be Paused

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Today those of us in the music industry are taking a step back from our usual self-promotion to recognize that sometimes, the show must NOT go on. Because although we artists must become gifted at drawing attention if we are to have any hope of standing out, it is also our moral imperative to use those skills to draw attention away from ourselves at times, and to shine whatever light we can on issues that are far more important.

In response to the horrific murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other black men and women who have lost their lives to disgraceful police brutality and racist vigilantes, Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang have organized #BlackoutTuesday: a day of musical and promotional silence. Today, #TheShowMustBePaused .

Please: visit https://www.theshowmustbepaused.com, read about this day of silence and then scroll down to see some of the ways that you can make a practical difference in the fight for racial justice and equality. Talking about these issues is important, but action matters more. Whether through signing a petition, donating to the bail funds of jailed protestors, helping the families of the victims, or reading up on how you can be a better ally, this website has the resources for you.

Advocacy, Politics Leave a Comment

Pikuach Nefesh – Saving a Life in the Time of Coronavirus

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As I read with deep sadness that various religious institutions are still hosting services or plan to resume them soon, I’d like to take a minute to tell you (if you don’t already know) about a Jewish concept called pikuach nefesh.

Pikuach nefesh loosely means “saving a life.” The concept – observed by even the most Orthodox Jews, though applied more stringently than in other denominations – is that nearly every piece of Jewish law should be overridden if obeying that law puts even one person’s life in danger. So for example, if someone has a heart attack on Shabbat, it’s okay to drive them to the hospital. If you are trapped on an island and the only protein available is pig, you don’t have to keep kosher. The point is that human life is incomparably sacred, and that to risk that life – especially in an attempt to please God – is actually an affront to God, who gifted each person with that life.

This has perhaps never been more relevant than it is right now. Last week, a prominent and revered Virginian pastor contracted the virus and died after insisting on holding services in defiance of social distancing guidelines. “I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus,” the pastor said to the media just a few short weeks ago. In response to his pastor’s death, a church elder then stated, “The first thing I asked God is, ‘Why?’”

I genuinely do not mean to make fun of this pastor’s death or the grief of his congregation, friends and family, but I think most of us can agree that the “why” is fairly obvious. If someone died by playing a game of Russian Roulette, would any of us struggle to determine “why” it had happened? This pastor believed that God would keep him safe. I would argue that God tried to. By giving humans the ability to understand medical science, by sending warnings through public health officials, and by inspiring government policies urging the pastor not to do this. He didn’t listen. And now he’s gone, having risked not only his own life but the lives of people whose wellbeing and trust were placed in his hands.

I truly hope that if anyone of any religion who reads this is planning to attend religious services during this pandemic, thereby endangering your life as well as those around you and all of society’s, you will consider the concept of pikuach nefesh, and ask yourselves if the God you believe in would ever want you to risk your life and the lives of others in order to worship Him/Her/Them/It.

Feel free to share this post with anyone whom you think might benefit from it… Let’s all stay safe, and find ways to stay connected to our faiths and to our communities without endangering ourselves or others.

Advocacy, Healthcare, Religion Leave a Comment

Your Odds of Getting COVID-19

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Just because a relatively low number of people have COVID-19 today does not impact your odds of getting it in the future. To think otherwise is to use the exact same logic Trump used weeks ago when only 10 people had it in the whole country; now 200,000 people have it (a figure which is estimated to be as much as 80% lower than the actual number due to lack of testing and the extraordinary range of symptomatic responses). Project that exponential growth forward and your odds of getting it are actually quite high.

Early in the 14th century, there was a time at which only one person had The Black Plague – seven years later, 50 million people/60% of Europe was dead. I’m not saying those will be close to the numbers here, but the numbers will still be high. We can keep them lower by being safe and cautious. Please be careful, both in your actions and in your posts; we must all act in a way that we would want everyone to behave to save as many people as we can. If we do that, then your odds remain low. If not, then our trouble is very much just beginning.

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The above is a slightly edited version of a message I sent to someone I love very much who was uncharacteristically repeating Trump’s style of thinking regarding COVID-19, and thought I would post it publicly here because I think this perspective is very important as we all strive to act responsibly for the duration of this crisis. Please feel free to share, or to copy and paste – we must not lose sight of our moral responsibility for collective action.

Advocacy, Healthcare, Politics, Science Leave a Comment

Elizabeth Warren’s Disability Plan – Incomplete, But a Huge Step in the Right Direction

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Please read through this policy proposal by Elizabeth Warren regarding the reform of disabled people’s rights. Skim if you have to, but please take a look.

Our current disability system, though well-intentioned, is shamefully outdated. It does not reflect the reality of what it costs to live in America today even if you are able-bodied, let alone if you have a disability that prevents you from working regular hours at a “normal” job. Instead, it actually penalizes you if you make more than $910 per month (regardless of what you receive in disability benefits, whether it’s $1 or the maximum of around $3,000 per month – and the average is on the lower end of that spectrum).

Ask yourself: could you live on $910 per month and be able to afford rent, buy food and utilities, and pay health insurance premiums (which, though a lot of people don’t seem to know it, you still have to pay even on Medicare)? Now add to your calculations the thousands of dollars that many disabled people have to pay every single month for out-of-network medical care, medications and supplements, and medical equipment, and you will have an idea of how ludicrously cruel and draconian our current disability system is. And that’s just SSDI: some people only qualify for SSI, in which case you get to keep the first $85 you make, after which 50% of every dollar you make is confiscated. (Can you believe it? A whole $85! I guess you can afford that new $4,400 a month antibiotic that is the only one in its class which Medicare doesn’t cover – which is a real example of a medication I had to take for a while recently; the only reason I’m not naming it is to avoid a frivolous SLAPP suit). Warren’s plan does much to improve these issues.

Adding to this financial burden is the fact that people on Medicare are not allowed to use coupons for new drugs, because that is technically considered to be a government kickback. So that amazing new drug that could help or even cure your disability but requires a $1,200 monthly copay – which the pharmaceutical company offers a coupon to let you pay just $10 for – is beyond your reach. The result: the people who need new treatments the most can’t legally afford them. Senator Warren does not address this in her plan, but I very much hope she will eventually, and I will try to reach her myself to let her know.

Disabled people have the highest amount of essential costs of any group of people. But unless they are privileged with a wealthy family who can help out, they are literally forced to live in poverty, where they are often unable to afford basic life necessities (let alone the high level of medical care that they require). I applaud Senator Warren for bringing attention to this vital issue, and for her detailed policy on how to begin reforming this vital system.

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