Reb Arie as Hasidic Rebbe

Being a traditional Jew, my day begins at sunset, so today began yetserday evening when I spoke at the human rights vigil organised by Capital Pride. I was dressed like the Hasidic rebbe I am, sharing a podium with the Austrian ambassador and my local MPP, Yasir Naqvi.

Where else in the world will a Catholic, a Hasidic rabbi, and a Muslim speak to a community of GLBT activists? I suppose it might be possible in Washinton, DC — but first I’d have to take up residence there, because I’m reasonably certain I’m the only Hasidic rebbe in North America who can be considered a straight ally.

Being a traditional Jew the daytime begins about 6am, sometime earlier. When I am not overcome by fatigue — this is becoming less and less routine, Barukh Hashem (thank G!d) — I almost always now make it to the morning minyan (prayer service). A Conservative synagogue is about a one minute walk away; a modern Orthodox congregation is about 15 minutes north of me, while a fervently Orthodox school, the Kollel of Ottawa, is about 15 minutes west.

I wasn’t fatigued when I awoke this morning. I didn’t make it to the minyan.

Instead I bought carfare at 7:45 am (which I should have purchased yesterday afternoon) and headed downtown for a meeting with a local church.

I have been the religious action coordinator for ACORN in Ottawa for about a year. It’s taken awhile for ACORN to awaken to the possibilities of collaboration with religious communities but it’s now taken hold with a vengeance. We have three meetings scheduled already and my lead organiser has only been calling for two days.

I think there is a reasonable possibility that the church we visited today, MacKay United Church, will support ACORN. The United Church has historically been in the lead of the social gospel movement in Canada.

I stayed in town for a meeting with the Collaboative Justice Program (CJP), which is housed in the Ontario Court of Justice. The Jewish Court for Social Justice (JCSJ) is researching how to implement a restorative justice program.

The director of the CJP is working reduced hours so she doesn’t have to eliminate the caseworker’s job position. Money is a problem.

It shouldn’t be. I don’t know what the JCSJ can do about this issue, but I do know that we are going to try.

From gays to government, this has been one day in the life of a Jewish religious activist.