PLANNING AN EPIC RAIL TRIP/SPEAKING TOUR

I was able to snag a half-price #Amtrak railpass on a special, so I'm planning some cross-country travel, but I also would love to take advantage of this opportunity to get to do some speaking in different communities while traveling.

The cities I'll be at (and would have time to speak in) are: Seattle, Portland, SF Bay area, and Denver.

The topics I can present on would include:

1. #DraftCounseling - Why local groups need to start getting ready to help people who may face military conscription under the Trump administration?

2. The issue of #IllegalOrders under US #MilitaryLaw as well as #InternationalLaw

3. #Indigenous Draft Resistance - stories and reflections from the history of resistance by Indigenous Americans to being drafted

4. The joys of engaging in MRP (multi-religious practice) --- I'm a Humanistic Jew who is also an active member of a progressive #Mennonite church.

5. Something else? - I'm open to other topics related to military law, #HumanisticJudaism, and the progressive Mennonite tradition.

As far as cost goes, I'm asking for local groups who can afford it to either: (1) find me a place to a stay, ideally a private bedroom that I can get to by mass transit from the Amtrak station, or (2) pay me an honorarium of at least $100.

I'm firming up my travel plans, but it looks like the cities and dates that I would be available for speaking engagements would be:

#Seattle, WA
Wed, April 29 (evening)
Thu, April 30 (all day)
#Portland, OR
Fri, May 1 (evening)
#SF Bay Area
Sunday, May 3 (all day)
Monday, May 4 (all day)
#Denver
Tuesday, May 6 (late evening, if train is on time)
Wed, May 7 - morning or lunch

If you know any groups who want me to speak for them and/or have other ideas, please me a message or email me at girightslawyer at gmail dot com.

Thanks!

https://spinozahavurah.org/2026/02/17/farbrengen-february-21-2026-humanistic-spirituality-and-the-torah-of-our-lives/

Join the Spinoza Havurah for a Farbrengen (spirited discussion) on the topic of "Humanistic Spirituality and the Torah of our Lives" on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

It will be led by James M. Branum/

#HumanisticJudaism #Judaism #Mazeldon #Farbrengen #Spirituality

https://momentmag.com/qa-minneapolis-rabbi-eva-r-cohen-stands-with-the-stranger/

#IceOut #Minneapolis #HumanisticJudaism #Mazeldon

https://youtu.be/9jHYKR1U6dg

Recording of the Jan. 24, 2026 #Shabbat service with the #SpinozaHavurah

Our D'var Torah and discussion was on Parashah Bo.

#Torah #HumanisticJudaism #Mazeldon

https://spinozahavurah.org/2026/01/24/shabbat-bo-january-24-2026/

Join the #SpinozaHavurah at 10 am Eastern on January 24th for a cozy #Shabbat service including some discussion of parashah Bo.

#Torah #Judaism #Mazeldon #HumanisticJudaism

https://shj.org/why-all-liberal-minded-jews-should-adopt-the-shjs-definition-of-who-is-a-jew/

I'm going to write an response to this piece soon by Adam King Skrzynski(but not in disagreement, but rather in whole-hearted affirmation) because it is really, really important.

I strongly recommend all Jews, but especially those in progressive/liberal movements to consider this and to recognize the power that can come from opening the doors to Jewish identity wider, rather than trying to keep folks out.

Excerpt: While the current times have been horrifying and dispiriting, another narrative also exists, one in which the American Jewish community is more imbedded and accepted in American life as never before. How else do we explain the increasing interest reported nationwide in those seeking to become Jewish? More non-Jewish people live with Jews, work with Jews, think about Jews, and do Jewish things that at any time in American Jewish history.

. . . As a result, I believe that our response to these changing times is one in which we look to capture the present positive undercurrent of momentum, as well as look to ensuring Jewish survival well into the future in the face of rising antisemitism. In my view, we do this by expanding the tent. We make it easier to welcome people into the Jewish community, ask them to participate with us in our celebrations, and allow for a definition of Jewish identity more in line with the facts on the ground, how people are actually living. I suggest that other like-minded Jews learn about and accept the Society for Humanistic Judaism’s definition of Jewish identity, declared by the Second Biennial Conference of the International Federation of Secular Humanistic Jews, in Brussels, in October 1988.

This definition has roots and parallels in Jewish history, especially secular Jewish history, and states the following:

“We, therefore, affirm that a Jew is a person of Jewish descent or any person who declares himself or herself to be a Jew and who identifies with the history, ethical values, culture, civilization, community, and fate of the Jewish people.”

Knowing what the fate of the Jewish people has been, this is no small declaration to make, and anyone acting out of sincerity and with full knowledge of the consequences of this identification, should surely be welcomed among us. "

#HumanisticJudaism #JewishIdentity #Judaism #Mazeldon

https://spinozahavurah.org/2026/01/06/shabbat-with-marcos-bazmandegan-january-10-2026/

Besides, our regular Shabbat service, we will also have a special speaker. Here's more info about it:

This service will be followed by a talk by Dr. Marcos Bazmandegan on his recent book which explores the life and thought of Uriel da Costa, a Sephardic Jew of Portuguese origin, presenting him as an intellectual precursor of Spinoza and the author of the first major critique of Rabbinic Judaism prior to the Theological-Political Treatise. It examines his life of exile, his break with religious orthodoxy, and his defense of reason, individual conscience, and ethical humanism, placing his ideas within the broader context of the Sephardic diaspora. At the same time, the book serves as a reflection on Sephardism, secularism, and Jewish Humanism, portraying Uriel da Costa as a powerful symbol of intellectual resistance and freedom of thought.

#UrielDaCosta #Spinoza #HumanisticJudaism #Philosophy #Sephardism

Come join the #SpinozaHavurah (an international online Humanistic Jewish community) for our Shabbat zoom service on Saturday, November 22nd.

More details at:

https://spinozahavurah.org/2025/11/18/shabbat-service-saturday-november-22-2025/

#HumanisticJudaism #Judaism #Shabbat #Humanism #Jewish #Spirituality

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/05/americas/claudia-sheinbaum-popularity-analysis-intl-latam

#Mexico #ClaudiaSheinbaum #Sheinbaum #HumanisticJudaism

https://humanistictorah.org/2025/09/26/humanistic-torah-podcast-episode-3/

Episode #3 of the #HumanisticTorah podcast is now out!

In this episode:

1. Reflections on last night's Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma's Annual Dinner
2. Podcast round up- focusing on episodes from Judaism Unbound and Called to be bad
3. Some practical ideas on how ordinary folks can take small actions in support of peace in Gaza,
4. A D'var Torah based on Deuteronomy 31 and the Tao Te Ching chapter 78.

#HumanisticJudaism #Mazeldon #Judaism #Deuteronomy #Interfaith #TaoTeChing #Taoism #Oklahoma