4 | MAY 13 • 2021
PURELY COMMENTARY
B
ella Abzug was a force
of nature. She was the
first Jewish woman
elected to the U.S. Congress
and a leader in the women’s
movement.
Abzug, who
died 23 years
ago, served
three terms in
the House of
Representatives
in the 1970s.
Ahead of her
time, she championed progres-
sive changes, co-authored and
shepherded through passage
of the Freedom of Information
Act and the Right to Privacy
Act. Abzug personified the
beautiful Jewish tradition of
tikkun olam by fighting for
women’s rights and LGBTQ
equality and nondiscrimination
protections.
On May 14, it will be 47
years since the first LGBTQ
civil rights legislation was
introduced into Congress. Bella
Abzug launched that effort
with the Equality Act of 1974.
With co-sponsorship of the bill
by then-U.S. Rep. (and future
New York City Mayor) Ed
Koch, another venerated Jewish
political and community lead-
er, they pushed equality for-
ward. Though this legislation
has languished in the Senate,
today, the LGBTQ and other
progressive communities are
urging Congress for protections
following in the footsteps of the
efforts of Abzug and Koch.
Across our country, in the
absence of a federal law prohib-
iting LGBTQ discrimination,
comprehensive nondiscrimi-
nation protections for LGBTQ
Americans have been passed
state by state and city by city.
While such progress is worth
celebrating, a patchwork of
civil rights laws is insufficient
to guarantee consistent protec-
tions across the nation. That’s
why I joined more than 200
faith leaders, including over
20 rabbis from communities
across Michigan in signing
Rabbi
Michael
Moskowitz
W
on’t you sit for a
spell? No, I do not
want you to just
become comfortable; I need
you to pay attention to your
spelling.
Yes, I
know there is
Spellcheck and
now Autocorrect
(“Did you mean
Automatic?”).
However, a lack
of knowledge is
causing us to miswrite our
140-plus characters due to
homonyms/homophones.
(And do not get me started
on those wild abbreviations!)
If you are wholly involved
in accurate communication,
you will not feel so holy if
you get messed up with holly.
You need to hear what you
have written here and, except
for the fact that you can-
not accept criticism, do not
expect to be a clear commu-
nicator.
Are word choices our only
method of passing an hour?
Your answer to that depends
on whether you’re going to,
despite the weather, brave it
out with a dictionary.
Bear in mind that you can
bare your soul in writing, but
also do it aloud so that you
know the words you choose
are allowed.
If you ail, some ale might
be a remedy. Too much,
however, might lead to an
epithet being written for your
epitaph.
You will never get a medal
if you meddle in other’s busi-
ness. It takes nerves of metal
to prove your mettle.
Do not be so vain as to
inject a vein of humor when
the weather vane of conver-
sation indicates a serious
mood.
It is one thing not to waste
food but you should not be
over indulgent; be mindful of
your waist.
One idea that has won
many hearts is to break
bad news gently and to put
a brake on overstepping
bounds.
If you can adapt to new
ideas, then you can adopt
new procedures. Never use
a flower if you need flour;
know that too much scent has
often sent folks away from
you; what you sow, so shall
you reap.
If all of this has proven too
much to take in, remember
two principles: Your principal
investment in learning will
get you through this phase of
texting and nothing will ever
again faze you.
Sy Manello
Editorial
Assistant
for openers
Have You Heard?
guest column
Honoring the Past,
Looking to the Future
Faith leaders call for passage of the Equality Act.
continued on page 6