LGBT religious Jews news articles part 5

 

Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
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Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Report on Sexuality and Scripture workshop 



5.24.05 : NPR

Report on Sexuality and Scripture workshop in Albany, NY (mp3)
NPR, May 24, 2005
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


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 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Sacred Sexuality: An Interview with Jay Michaelson 



2.20.07 : Jvoices.com

JVoices.com, February 20, 2007
­­­…”What were about is this: how you love matters to how you do religion, and so queers are going to be Jewish in ways that are new, different, and enriching for everybody. We want to figure out what those are”­­­…
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


Sign up to receive our newsletter 

 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





25 Rabbis Walk into a Room… 



9.17.07 : TheAdvocate.com

The Advocate, September 17, 2007
­­­…says Jay Michaelson, a gay observant Jew whose most recent book, God in Your Body: Kabbalah, Mindfulness and Embodied Spiritual Practice, explores the intersection of sexuality and religion. “The idea that the somewhat religious people now say its OK to be gay, and that God doesnt hate fags after all,” he says, “sends a powerful message to all faith communities”­­­…
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


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 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Forbidden Fruits: The Queer Shabbaton celebrates a pair of not-so-strange bedfellows: Judaism and gayness 



10.18.07 : Time Out New York

 Time Out New York, October 18, 2007
­­­…”I think a lot of us are told we have to fragment ourselves in order to be in the world,” Michaelson adds. “We try to create a space where people can be their whole selves”­­­…
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


Sign up to receive our newsletter 

 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





My Teacher is a Rabbi (Profile of Julia Watts Belser) 



1.17.08 : The California Aggie

 My Teacher is a Rabbi (Profile of Julia Watts Belser)
The California Aggie, January 17, 2008
­­­…They bring people together from all spectrums of Jewish life, some are very religious, some have nothing at all to do with religion, some are students and some are in their 50s. This diversity is one of the hallmarks of community­­­…
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


Sign up to receive our newsletter 

 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Retreat a guiding light for LGBT and queer Jews 



4.23.09 : Jweekly.com

 Retreat a guiding light for LGBT and queer Jews
J., The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, April 23, 2009
­­­…”All Jews have this task ­­­— to engage with our tradition in ways that speak to our lives. And for queer people, that need is more front and center,” said Dev Noily, coordinator of the West Coast retreat­­­…
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


Sign up to receive our newsletter 

 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





U.S. gay Jews rally in solidarity with T.A. shooting victims 



8.8.09 : Haaretz.com

DC vigils for the victims of the Tel Aviv attack were co-coordinated by Zvi Bellin, Nehirim Engagement Associate. Click link below for coverage.
U.S. gay Jews rally in solidarity with T.A. shooting victims
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


Sign up to receive our newsletter 

 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Nehirim Statement on the Attack on GLBT Jewish Youth in Israel 



8.26.09 : Nehirim.org


Once again, our community has been the target of a violent attack, again in Israel, and again in the context of incendiary rhetoric and expressions of intolerance, particularly from religious leaders. Whether the attacker was an “insider” or not, all of us are shocked by this violence, and our prayers are with the victims.
We encourage Nehirim participants to reach out, either to Nehirim staff or faculty, or to friends or acquaintances you made at a Nehirim retreat. When we are targeted by hate, the best response is more love, which is the source of strength and of healing. And we encourage you to participate in one of the many vigils and memorial services taking place around the country this week.
All of us wish the injured a speedy recovery, and wish the families of the dead consolation among the mourners of Zion.
Collective Statement of Leaders of LGBT Jewish Organizations in Response to the Attack in Tel Aviv (pdf)
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


Sign up to receive our newsletter 

 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Jay Michaelson of Nehirim speaks at Vigil for Victims of Attack on Tel Aviv LGBT Youth Center 



8.30.09 : YouTube


On August 1st, an unknown assailant opened fire on a meeting of a gay and lesbian youth group in Tel Aviv, killing three people and injuring fifteen. A community-wide memorial service was held in NYC to stand in solidarity with the victims of this vicious attack and demand equality for LGBT people everywhere.
Speakers included:
◾Congressman Jerrold Nadler
◾ City Council Speaker Christine Quinn
◾CBST Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum
◾Nehirim director Jay Michaelson, and others.
The service also included the traditional reading of tehillim (psalms) and a candlelight vigil.
Sponsors included Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, the New Israel Fund, Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture & Spirituality, JQYouth, the JCC in Manhattan, and Keshet.
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


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 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Haredi and Out of the Closet: Chani Getter’s Unorthodox Journey 



9.9.09 : The Forward

For the first 20 years of her life, Chani Getter was no different from the other girls in the Nikolsburg Hasidic sect in Monsey, N.Y. As the second of five children, she earned good grades at school and had close friends. At age 17, she was introduced to her future husband, also 17, and after one meeting the wedding date was set.
Today, Getter leads quite a different life. As a 32-year-old divorcee with three children, she is an active member of the Jewish Renewal movement and a professional life coach. Getter leads support groups and provides spiritual guidance in parenting, cross-cultural integration, and issues of sexuality and identity. Unlike other women born into Hasidic families, Getter even has her own Web site, inspirationallivinginc.com.
Click links below to read more from the articles in English and Yiddish
Haredi and Out of the Closet: Chani Getter’s Unorthodox Journey
פֿרוי פֿון חסידישער היים ווערט אַן ××™× ×¡×¤Ö¼×™×¨×Ö·×¦×™×¢ פֿאַר ×Ö·× ×“×¢×¨×¢ ייִדן

 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


Sign up to receive our newsletter 

 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Two Generations, One Movement 



1.19.10 : USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Roy Bateman is a 56-year-old gay man living in San Francisco, the Mecca of American social activism. He is about as socially conscious as they come, especially when it comes to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) causes. ­­­ And yet he said this past October’s National Equality March, which organizers say drew a crowd of 150,000 in support of LGBT equality, barely made his radar. How can this be?
In part, it may be because the march was largely the work of a new, younger generation of LGBT activists.­­­  Jay Michaelson, executive director of Nehirim, a nonprofit organization that focuses on LGBT issues in the Jewish community, said that the march had a distinctly youthful quality. He compared the march’s organization to that of the Obama campaign. “There was a lot of use of social media and a lot of grassroots organizing, as a opposed to sort of a more top down approach,” he said. The march also had an anti-establishment bent. “There was a kind of useful rebellious energy that was at the march. And then the rhetoric that was used at the march, the way it was constructed, and even the idea of having a march at all, it wasn’t necessarily establishment politics,” said Michaelson.
Click Here to Read More:
 Blog of Samantha Hermann at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
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 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
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Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Shabbaton in the Capitol 



2.3.10 : Metro Weekly

Weekend for all things LGBT and Jewish comes to D.C.
 by Will O’Bryan
If the term is new to you, think of the Hebrew shabbaton as roughly a sabbatical or a retreat. It can mean different things to different people. The same could be said for the “Queer Shabbaton” taking place in D.C. this weekend.
“One thing Nehirim is really good at doing is it’s a space for building community,” says Alex Greenbaum of the New York-based Nehirim organization for Jewish LGBT culture and spirituality that launched the notion of Queer Shabbaton, which draws together Jews — both cultural and religious, atheist and devout — of all sexual orientations, though primarily LGBT, and their gentile loved ones, for a weekend of cultural, intellectual and spiritual exploration. “They bring together all parts of the LGBT community. People often just use the phrase ‘LGBT,’ but I like that they include everyone. It’s also young and old, from college-age kids to people in their 70s. The gamut.”
Having attended prior Queer Shabbaton weekends in New York, Greenbaum, vice chair of the D.C. Jewish Community Center’s Kurlander Program for Gay & Lesbian Outreach and Engagement (GLOE), has been key in bringing the event to D.C., and serves as the weekend’s co-director.
“Most people can find a place at a Shabbaton,” says Greenbaum, explaining that at the retreats he’s attended participants could largely tailor the experience to what suits them. “The invitation goes out to people who want to create queer community. Obviously, it’s a Jewish organization. But I would take my ex-partner, who is not Jewish, and we had a great time. It’s a very welcoming space.”
While student scholarships and other aid is available, the per-person cost for the weekend ranges from $100 to $180. The Queer Shabbaton runs from Friday, Feb. 5, to Sunday, Feb. 7, at the DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. For more information, including a list of speakers, or to register, visit nehirim.org/qsdc.
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
 Retreats
 Programs
 Advocacy
 On Campus
 Is Nehirim for Me?
 Resources
   


Sign up to receive our newsletter 

 facebook donate contact us



Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism: Interfaith Implications 



2.12.10 : Multifaithworld.org

by Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer
I took advantage of the blizzard (when “everything was snow”) to read Jay Michaelson’­­s new book, Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism, published last year by Shambala Press. Michaelson is completing a PhD in Jewish Thought at Hebrew University and has written extensively for The Forward, Huffington Post, Tikkun and many other publications.­­­  His writing style is clear and compelling, filled with evocative stories and quotations, remarkably free of jargon and overwritten prose. He appears to follow Mark Twain’­­s excellent advice to an author, “When you catch an adjective, kill it.”
For Michaelson, Jewish nondualism is not better or worse than other nondual traditions, and he freely uses examples from other traditions: Zen, TibetanBuddhism, Vedanta. He does not make the mistake, however, of blending them­­­  together as if to make them all say precisely the same thing. In fact, he does a nice job of showing how the Jewish tradition of nondualism is both similar and different from other traditions, and indeed, points outs some of the tensions between different Jewish versions of nondualism.­­­  He also does a wonderful job of setting the Jewish tradition within the larger picture of Jewish religious thought, including its contemporary manifestations.
Of the many stories Michaelson tells, one of my favorites comes from the Sufi tradition:
There was once a prisoner who yearned for freedom. One day, the prophet Muhammad appeared to thim, gave him a set of keys to his cell, saying, “Allah has set you free.” The prisoner took the keys, mounted them on the wall, and prayed to them five times a day.
The book grapples with the question of what it means to share fundamental beliefs with other traditions and yet love ones own path. Even for nondualists,­­­  particular communities and practices can be the triggers(Michaelson’­­s word) that “bring us closer to what matters most.”­­­  He loves the Jewish path and the powerful ways it leads him in his spiritual life.­­­  He says, “I don’­­t want to fetishize the trigger, but I do want to pull it.”
That said, our 21st century reality is that those pulling the trigger most passionately, at least in the Abrahamic­­­  traditions often (although by no means always) are the ones most inclined to support pulling triggers of another kind as well. Michaelson grapples with this situation and with the increasingly complex identities, dual and even more,­­­  that we find among seekers. Why is it so­­­  important that insist on­­­  our particularities, especially in light of their shadow side of ethnocentricity? Has the value of maintaining those boundaries run its course, and would not people who see ultimate reality as nondualist be among the first to advocate less divisions and more synergy?
I especially appreciated Michaelson’­­s pragmatist streak because it corresponds with my own. He believes, as I do, that­­­  “by their fruits you shall know them.” And this is where I run into trouble with nondualism. He writes, “When the spiritual work is being done, the good heart emerges on its own,”­­­  and “the contemplative practice of seeing clearly­­­…leads effortlessly to more justice and more peace.”
That is, indeed, the final test of any religious system. In this case, I am more drawn to traditions within Judaism that speak to the power of the evil impulse; I read claims like those above with a jaundiced eye.­­­  But I would be more than happy to be proved wrong. I do believe­­­  Michaelson’­­s testimony that meditation and other practices of nondualist Judaism have led him to live, as he puts it “gently and justly.” This is a moving and powerful­­­  personal testimony, as well as an excellent introduction to an important dimension of contemporary Jewish thought.
 



   

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October 25, 2013
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Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
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Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
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Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

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Religious Groups Counsel, Advocate on Behalf of LGBT Faithful 



4.15.10 : edgeboston.com

by Joseph Erbentraut
As the dialogue over marriage for same-sex couples remains largely framed by religious-based arguments, it should come as no surprise many LGBT people have abandoned faith all together. But an increasing number of groups have emerged to offer support, educational and social opportunities to LGBT people.
Activist Jay Michaelson founded Nehirim (which means “Lights”) in 2004 as an opportunity for LGBT Jews to “celebrate being queer and Jewish as a blessing and not a predicament.” Though originally only a small retreat, the group has blossomed into a nationwide grassroots network.
Nehirim’­­s Southeast retreat in Atlanta in November will be the first such gathering for the organization, which has previously focused its programming on the East and West Coasts. Michaelson, who grew up in Tampa, told EDGE this recent expansion has brought his organization to a new level; one he hopes will allow the group’­­s message of acceptance and celebration to reach more people.
“[Nehirim'­­s] been really life changing for me and I believe a lot of other people who have helped build this community,” he said. “It’­­s been really empowering to not let either the bigots or cowards define what our religion is for us. We’­­ve gone ahead and created the kind of community we’­­ve always wanted.”
Michaelson said Nehirim has served people from diverse backgrounds – everyone from LGBT people who had not explored their Jewish faith since their youth to Orthodox adults who had lived in the closet for decades.
“This is often the only place where they can be out as who they are, queer and proud, where it’­­s also not only about hooking up,” said Michaelson. “It’­­s about a fuller kind of picture, a community of people looking to find a meaningful connection with each other.”
Groups as diverse as Al-Fatiha, an organization for LGBT Muslims, to Affirmation, a group for gay Mormons, have sprung up to support LGBT faithful, but these organizations also seek to change their religious institutions from within.
LGBT activists and faith leaders from a variety of religious backgrounds gathered in Chicago last weekend for a first-of-its kind prayer breakfast. Attendees discussed strategies to overcome the long-standing tension between the two groups.
“It’­­s not enough for people of faith to fix their communities without taking their lessons to the world,” said the Rev. Joy E. Rogers of St. James Episcopal Cathedral at the breakfast.
But many complications still exist for LGBT-friendly faith leaders from religious institutions that have funded Proposition 8 and other anti-LGBT measures. Reeling from accusations the Roman Catholic hierarchy has covered up clergy sexual abuse for decades, some Vatican officials have publicly castigated gay men for corrupting the priesthood.
“Many psychologists and psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relation between celibacy and pedophilia, but many others have demonstrated, I have been told recently, that there is a relation between homosexuality and pedophilia,” said Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’­­s secretary of state, told reporters at a press conference in Chile earlier this week as EDGE reported on Monday, April 12. “That is true. That is the problem.”
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the New Ways Ministry said Bertone’­­s assertion is not representative of the position of many of the church’­­s “middle managers” – pastors, presidents of Catholic colleges and universities and heads of Catholic hospitals.
While Cardinal Francis George, the highest-ranking American bishop, officially condemned New Ways Ministry, DeBernardo said his group’­­s educational and outreach programs and retreats remained as popular as ever, giving him hope for a more gay-friendly church sooner than many others could expect.
“We’­­re seeing much more of an interest on the part of those people working in the Church to learn more about gay and lesbian issues and they’­­re also coming in with more of an awareness to start from than even 10 years ago,” DeBernardo told EDGE. “I think one of the reasons the bishops are becoming more vociferous in their statements on homosexuality is because they realize Catholic people are becoming more pro-gay. The [bishops] are losing this debate within the church.”
 



   

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February 14, 2014
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March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

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Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

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Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

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National LGBT Activists to Meet in Berkeley 



6.24.10 : Jweekly.com

A movement gets under way Sunday, June 27, as national and local groups focused on Jewish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues arrive in Berkeley for a three-day conference.
Known as the “2010 LGBT Jewish Movement-Building Convening,” the conference will bring together more than 100 LGBT national and local organizations and congregations.
The conference will be led by three national Jewish LGBT organizations: Keshet, a Boston-based organization that works for inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish organized life; Nehirim, a New York-based nonprofit that builds Jewish LGBT community; and the Denver-based Jewish Mosaic — The National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
Several Bay Area leaders are helping to plan various events during the conference. Among other things, Rabbi Camille Angel of Congregation Sha’­­ar Zahav is ensuring that national leaders participate in Friday night and Saturday morning services at her synagogue in San Francisco.
“What’­­s exciting about this convention is that there are so many leaders and so much work being done in the realm of social justice work for LGBT communities,” Angel said. “But who will decide how to harness the money, the resources, the intellectual imagination and energy into something collective?
“We need to harness people’­­s visions in a way that can move us forward ­­­… so we can look back and say, ‘­­Here’­­s what we did.’­­ “
Conference attendees will celebrate the success and growth of the Jewish LGBT movement while also identifying emerging needs and areas of potential collaboration.
Leaders of the gathering hope the Jewish­­­  LGBT community can start to discuss becoming an actual movement and perhaps set some priorities for the Jewish gay sphere, including pushing same-sex marriage and more inclusion of transgender Jews, a segment that is marginalized even within the gay community.
“We’­­re in a generative, very rich time of potential and reform and there are lots of agendas within the LGBT world,” Angel said. “So what will be the Jewish agenda for us?” ­­­— j.­­­  staff and wire reports
 



   

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February 14, 2014
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March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

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Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

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Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

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LGBT Convening: Why They Came 



6.28.10 : Forward.com

LGBT Convening: Why They Came
By Gabriel Blau
From June 27-29, dozens of Jewish LGBT organizations are gathering in Berkeley, CA for the first-ever “LGBT Jewish Movement-Building Convening.” Gabriel Blau, a conference participant and the founder of GayGevalt.com, is blogging about the gathering for The Shmooze. You can read his first post here and follow the conversation on Twitter here.
If you think it’­­s hard to get a consensus from a group of Jews, try a group of Jews that have committed themselves to the LGBTQ Jewish community. Let’­­s just put it out there: Us non-heteros are not an easy bunch. We’­­ve got ideas, visions and commitments. We are still discriminated against in the law as well as in our culture. We have a fine-tuned sense of acceptance and equality. And if you’­­re one of the people who has made Jewish LGBTQ issues part of their professional or semi-professional lives, you also have a healthy ego ­­­— a requirement in a field that is constantly shifting. Wonderfully, there seems to be none of that here.
The people who are at the Convening, and many who are not here, have achieved incredible things. They have organized conferences, founded shuls, grown organizations, changed politics, saved people’­­s lives, and even had a lot of fun doing it. But this conference is an attempt to do more than that ­­­— to bring together the leaders of a maturing movement to work together more than they already are. To better understand their efforts, I asked a few of my colleagues to share what brought them here.
“The opportunity to work together, collaborate, be strategic, and deliberate,” said Michael Hopkins, Chair of the Board of Directors of Nehirim. “It’­­s really clear there are a lot of people around the country doing a lot of things, and we just don’­­t all know what’­­s going on with each other. With limited human and financial resources, and growing needs, this work is as important as ever.”
For Rabbi Dev Noily, director of the Kehilla Community Synagogue School in Oakland, CA, coming here is a part of her job, and a good one. “I’­­ve been doing Queer Jewish work for almost 20 years,” she said. “These are my people and I’­­m curious about what other people are doing. I’­­m excited about sharing what are the fruits of a few decades of Jewish creative Queer work.”
“I came to recommit my rabbinate to Queer movement building with an eye to inclusion of trans, multi-ethnic and multiracial Jews,” added Rabbi Joshua Lesser, leader of Congregation Bet Haverim in Atlanta, GA.
Rabbi David Mitchell of Radlett & Bushey Reform Synagogue came from the UK to observe and participate. “I wanted to see what’­­s going on in America, see what we can learn, how we can grow, and what alliances we can build,” he said. “Just to feel part of a bigger network.”
 



   

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October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
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February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

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Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

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Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

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My Take: Jewish LGBT Leaders Need to Build a Movement 



6.29.10 : Religion - CNN.com Blogs



 Drinkwater (left) and Michaelson both work to build an inclusive
 LGBT community within the Jewish faith.Gregg Drinkwater is­­­ Deputy Director of Keshet, dedicated to creating an inclusive American Jewish community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Jews. Jay Michaelson­­­ is­­­ Executive Director of Nehirim, a national organization building community for LGBT Jews, partners and allies. More information at www.jewishinclusion.com



By Gregg Drinkwater and­­­ Jay Michaelson, Special to CNN
The American Jewish community is generally more progressive than other religious groups when it comes to gay issues.
All movements except Orthodoxy (which represents about 10% of American Jews) now ordain gay and lesbian rabbis, and perform same-sex weddings. There are gay synagogues, national LGBT­­­ Jewish organizations and a bevy of local groups ranging from TransTorah (learning opportunities for transgender Jews) to He’­­Bro (dance parties for gay Jewish men).
The trouble is that we do not speak with a unified voice.
Indeed, one of the strengths—and weaknesses—of contemporary Judaism is its decentralized nature. On the one hand, this means that divergence of opinion and practice is much easier to accommodate than in organizations like­­­ the Catholic Church.­­­  On the other hand,­­­ well, you know the joke: two Jews, three opinions.
Because of its decentralized nature, the Jewish community’­­s progressivism rarely translates into effective political muscle, or intra-communal organizing. Nor is there a unified agenda for what “inclusion” really means. Should limited resources be focused on creating safe schools, and safe summer camps for kids? (Anti-gay epithets are still very common among American Jewish teens.)
Or should a focus be placed on Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox communities, where children are still being disowned by their parents or sent to abusive and ineffective “reparative therapy” programs?
To address these questions, over 100 LGBT­­­ Jewish leaders are gathering in Berkeley, California, to build a stronger and more unified LGBT Jewish movement. Coming together for this historic LGBT Jewish Movement Building Retreat­­­ are activists representing 40 different LGBT­­­ Jewish organizations from throughout the United States.
Together with leaders from an additional 22 national and regional Jewish and LGBT­­­ organizations, foundation professionals and several international observers, those gathering in Berkeley want to define and energize the movement for LGBT inclusion in the Jewish world.
This convening­­­ builds on a long and proud history of LGBT­­­ Jewish organizing, which began nearly 40 years ago with the founding of gay and lesbian synagogues as safe havens for gay Jews. Synagogues (and their umbrella organization, the World Congress of GLBT­­­ Jews) have been and remain vital “safe spaces” for LGBT Jews, even as national organizations have grown and activists have worked for full inclusion and equality within “mainstream” institutions.
So, what are we, as two of the organizers of the convening, hoping comes­­­ out of the three days’ worth of meetings in Berkeley?
First, connection, conversation and community. This is a historic gathering — many of us have never met face to face, and we come from very different religious and cultural backgrounds. Just being in the same place at the same time is a key first step.
From that connection, we hope that participants will gain a renewed sense of themselves as part of a movement, rather than freelance activists or clergy members with responsibility only toward their synagogues’­­ membership. We are going to roll out practical proposals, from a unified online calendar and blogging software to ongoing working groups, to enable better coordination and communication.
We’­­re aiming for nothing less than a “consciousness shift” among LGBT Jewish leadership in the United States.
And finally, from that sense of ourselves as a movement, we hope to emerge with a unified agenda for change — or at least steps in that direction. There has been generous philanthropic support of LGBT Jewish activism.­­­ On Monday, a Funders’­­ Roundtable brought­­­ together the leading funders of this work for the first time — and we have achieved many of our goals. There’­­s a real sense that now is our moment to come together and set our priorities for the next decade.
There is, indeed, so much work still to be done. Just 10 months ago, an unknown gunman killed two people and injured many more at a Tel Aviv drop-in center for LGBT youth.
Gay people are still vilified and demonized by rabbis and communal leaders around the world — including the American Orthodox Union, which has recently put out a series of anti-gay statements. And as you read these words, somewhere, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish teenager, without access to the Internet or contemporary media, is wondering if he is the only gay Jew in the world, and if God hates him because he is gay.
This is why we’re gathering in Berkeley.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gregg Drinkwater and Jay Michaelson.


 



   

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Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

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American Rabbis Call for Gay Acceptance 



7.29.10 : The JC.com

By Rebecca Schischa

A­­­ group of prominent American rabbis have called for more acceptance of gays and lesbians in the Orthodox community.
The “statement of principles”, signed by over 80 community leaders, affirms the rights of Jews of all sexual orientations to “be welcomed as full members of the synagogue and school community… and treated under the same halachic framework as any other member of the synagogue they join”.
Six months in the making, the document – written by rabbis Nathaniel Helfgot of New York’s Yeshivat Chovevei Torah; Aryeh Klapper, dean of The Centre for Modern Torah Leadership in Boston; and Yitzchak Blau, an American-educated kollel head in Israel – states that harassing or demeaning gay Jews is “a violation of Torah prohibitions”.
It recommends that homosexuals should not be encouraged to marry someone of the opposite gender, as this can lead to “tragedy and… ruined lives”, and recognises that “change therapies” – controversial treatments promising to make a gay person straight – are often “ineffective or potentially damaging psychologically”.
The document stopped short of embracing gay sexual relationships, stating that halachic Judaism “views all male and female same-sex sexual interactions as prohibited”.
The authors are explicit in their commitment to halachah, saying that heterosexual marriage is “the ideal model” and that the signatories “cannot give [their] blessing to Jewish religious same-sex commitment ceremonies”.
Each synagogue must “establish its own standard with regard to membership for open violators of halachah,” the document said. However, it urged families of Jews in same-sex relationships to “to make every effort to maintain harmonious family relations”.
“We want Jews of this orientation to not feel shunned. The goal is now for communities to take up the challenge of fidelity to halachah on the one hand, and embrace people of homosexual orientation and their families as much as we can on the other,” said author Rabbi Helfgot.
The impetus for the statement was a high-profile symposium held at Yeshiva University in December 2009 entitled “Being Gay in the Modern Orthodox World”, in which alumni spoke openly of their struggles of being gay in the frum world.
“A group of educators decided it was time to give people some guidance on this sensitive matter,” said Rabbi Helfgot. “I’m sure there will be people on the right who won’t like it and people on the left who will say it hasn’t gone far enough, but that’s the nature of trying to write a balanced document and trying to be as inclusive as possible.”
American Jewish LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) groups have been quick to show their support.
“We are very pleased that so many courageous mainstream Orthodox rabbis have taken such an important step forward in recognising the needs of gays and lesbians in their communities,” said Jay Michaelson, of Nehirim, a national Jewish LGBT community organisation. “If this statement can help separate a halachic issue on the one hand, from fear and homophobia on the other, it will go a long way.”
Mordechai Levovitz, of JQYouth, a support group for young Orthodox gay Jews, said that the reaction from its 400 members was “overwhelmingly positive”, with many posting a link to the statement on their Facebook pages.
“Many of these statements heal open wounds. We needed Orthodox rabbis to speak out against homophobia.”
 



   

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Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more





Prop. 8 Opponents Praise Court Ruling 



8.4.10 : The Los Angeles Times

Reporting by­­­ Lee Romney in San Francisco and Mitchell Landsberg in Los Angeles
Upon hearing of federal Judge Vaughn R. Walker’s ruling on Proposition 8, 85-year-old Phyllis Lyon uttered a quiet, “Bless his heart.”
She and her lifelong partner Del Martin were the first to be married in San Francisco’­­s City Hall in February 2004, in a private ceremony that opened the floodgates to thousands more weddings and multiple court battles.
Martin died in 2008, 56 years after she and Lyon joined together in a lasting lovers’­­ union. Lyon on Wednesday called Walker’­­s ruling “a wonderful statement” and said she planned to stick around until this battle was ultimately won nationwide.
She and her partner, and then wife, were initially opposed to the institution of marriage as early feminists. But it became clear to them in recent years that the prohibition against such marriages made gays and lesbians second-class citizens, she said.
“It’­­s a step toward making people understand that we’­­re human beings like everybody else and we deserve the same kinds of privileges that everyone else has,” she said, “with the same names.”
Jeanne Rizzo waited outside the federal courthouse in San Francisco for Walker’s ruling. She and her partner of 21 years, Pali Cooper, have been fighting from the trenches since the courts blocked the 2004 marriages and San Francisco officials closed the door right in front of them as they waited in line for a marriage license.
They became plaintiffs in the California Supreme Court case that briefly legalized the unions and wed, then began a new wave of activism to counter Prop. 8.
“I’­­m just so proud of us,” she said as she greeted well-wishers in the crowd. “It’­­s as it should be. It just proves that you really should not be leaving this to a popular vote. … My heart is full.”
Cooper, a chiropractor, was seeing patients Wednesday but Rizzo said, “I want to go home to my wife­­­…I can’­­t wait to go home and hug her.”
In Los Angeles, Rabbi Denise Eger, president of the Southern California Board of Rabbis, hailed the ruling but was waiting to hear whether it would be stayed.
“I don’­­t think anybody’­­s quite clear yet on whether it means that weddings can happen,” she said a short time after the ruling was handed down. “That’­­s the big question, whether I as a rabbi can start officiating.”
Eger, who is married to a woman, is rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, which has a large gay and lesbian membership.
“Here’­­s my advice to those who have theological trouble with gay and lesbians getting married,” she said. “In our country, marriage is very much a civil right, and yet we also ensure freedom of religion — and freedom from religion.
“And so while there are those who are more theologically to the right wing, theologically conservative, who would not support marriage for gay people from their theological perspective, the answer is: They don’­­t have to do them,” she continued. “They have their freedom of religion in our country not to officiate. ­­­… For those of us who are theologically progressive, we also have the freedom of our religion to practice our values.”
“So it’­­s a very joyous day,” she said. “And I know there were many couples who wanted to get married who ­­­… are ready and I look forward to standing under the chuppah with them,” referring to the canopy used in Jewish weddings.
She added that the Board of Rabbis opposed Prop. 8, despite some dissent from its more theologically conservative members.



 



   

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December 3, 2013
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Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
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May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

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An Orthodox Pledge of Compassion 



8.4.10 : The Forward

Opinion
By Steven Greenberg
It has been nearly a decade since the film “Trembling Before G-d” introduced Jewish communities around the globe to the very existence of faithful and observant gay Orthodox Jews and their struggles. While many in the Orthodox world paid attention to the film at the time, since then there has been little or no change regarding basic Orthodox policies toward gay Jews.
That’­­s why the recent “Statement of Principles on the Place of Jews With a Homosexual Orientation in Our Community” represents such a long-awaited milestone. Drafted by Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot in consultation with other rabbis, the document demands that gay Jews be “treated with dignity and respect,” and condemns harassment and demeaning treatment aimed at them. It also insists that they be “welcomed as full members of the synagogue and school communities.”
Impressively, the document was signed by more than 80 rabbis. Together, the document’­­s signatories have put forward the best starting point for a productive discussion on issues relating to homosexuality that has ever been advanced by any Orthodox rabbinate.
The document’­­s sweep confirms what I have observed over the past several years: There is a new mood in the Orthodox community. While even a few years ago the prevailing rhetoric was often caustic and harsh, today most Orthodox rabbis are empathetic, or at least moving in that direction.
Many of the specifics in the document appear to have come directly from the counseling experience of rabbis. The document says that gay people should not be encouraged to marry individuals of the opposite gender. No doubt, the divorces of many couples, and the complaints of women trapped in marriages to gay men, have discouraged rabbis from pushing gay people into straight marriages in the hope that the problems will work themselves out. Similarly, the growth of same-sex families who want a traditional education for their children seems to have prompted the document’­­s conclusion that children of gay couples should be accepted into Orthodox day schools. While these kinds of conclusions may seem obvious outside the frum world, they are bold innovations for many in the Orthodox community.
Importantly, the statement also supports gay Jews who decide to turn down “change therapy” (more commonly known as “reparative therapy”), citing their right “to reject therapeutic approaches they reasonably see as useless or dangerous.” This is surely a welcome relief to the many young gay Orthodox Jews whose parents, beset with confusion, sadness and fear, insist that their children try such therapies.
However, it must be said that on this account and others the document does not go far enough. I wish the document’­­s framers had more forthrightly condemned this destructive pseudo-therapy, which can do profound damage to desperate and vulnerable young people. Indeed, it has been rejected by every professional therapeutic organization in the country.
Also, while the document raises the need for sensitivity in regard to the higher risk of suicide among gay teens, it leaves the reader wondering as to the roots of this danger. Research by the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University has conclusively demonstrated that familial rejection, not the condition of being homosexual, is the main factor in suicide attempts. When parents are emotionally accepting of gay teenagers, however they may feel about homosexuality, the incidence of suicide drops to near normal. Taking note of this important finding would have provided valuable guidance to families acutely in need of it.
Perhaps the most fraught issue, however, is the how the document’­­s implicit demand for lifelong celibacy can be squared with its call for compassion. Can an Orthodox rabbi really share this untempered conviction with a struggling gay person without that person feeling profoundly blighted, hopeless and despondent?
Undoubtedly, rabbis must be responsible to a biblical ruling that has been unchallenged for millennia. But even if they are unable to give permission for same-sex relations, I would hope that rabbis could admit (at the very least in private counsel) to being confounded by the searing conflict that this dilemma produces. While one might think Orthodox discipline cannot admit such brokenness and frustration, in fact there are Orthodox rabbis who have been able to do so.
Leading Orthodox thinker Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo reminds us that God does not impose demands upon human beings that are beyond a person’­­s capacity. He applies this talmudic principle specifically to this issue: “It is not possible for the Torah to come and ask a person to do something which he is not able to do. Theoretically speaking it would be better for the homosexual to live a life of celibacy. I just would argue one thing ­­­— it’­­s completely impossible. It doesn’­­t work. The human force of sexuality is so big it can’­­t be done.”
Regrettably, there were no equivalent acknowledgments in this document.
Yet for all its shortcomings, the rabbis’­­ statement may well prove pivotal. Until now rabbinic compassion was largely private, shared between rabbis and those who turned to them for help. The more than 80 Orthodox rabbis who signed this document have publicly inaugurated a new communal commitment to compassion, and with it a new sense of human dignity for gay and lesbian Jews.
Until now many gay Orthodox Jews have felt no choice but to leave the communities they love. We are no longer required to be silent or to leave. We can stay and be honest. Different communities will respond in different ways to this call for compassion and human dignity, but there is no doubt that anywhere this document is taken seriously as an opportunity for conversation, people’­­s lives will get better. For that reason, the rabbis who took up the challenge to bring this consensus to the light of day are to be commended.
Rabbi Steven Greenberg is the senior teaching fellow at CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. He is the author of “Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition”( University of Wisconsin Press, 2004).
 



   

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Nehirim GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality



 
     
 About
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 Is Nehirim for Me?
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Upcoming Retreats
October 25, 2013
Queer Shabbaton New York 2013 & Student Leadership Conference
JCC in NYC
February 14, 2014
Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2014
Boston, MA
March 7, 2014
Nehirim East Gathering
Falls Village, CT
August 8, 2014
Women’s Retreat 2014
Falls Village, CT

more

Upcoming Programs
November 5, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — November 2013
New York, NY
December 3, 2013
Ma’agal: The Nehirim Women’s Circle — December 2013
New York, NY

more

Nehirim in the News
Pride Interview: Alyssa Finn and Nehirim
Jul 9, 2013 | Repair the World
Panel urges greater acceptance of LGBTs through word and deed
May 24, 2013 | Jewish Press of Tampa
Jay Michaelson: Homophobia | The Quest of Life
May 10, 2013 | Quest of Life

more