`Homosexuals Run Counter to Bible, but Must Not Be Excluded From Temple'
NEW YORK (JTA)—A Re-
form rabbi described as the
foremost authority of Reform
Judaism on Jewish religious
law has held that Judaism
forbids excluding homosex-
uals into •a congregation sep-
arate from other Jews and
that for a rabbi to officiate
at a "so-called" marriage of
two homosexuals "would con-
tradict all that is sacred in
Jewish life."
The issue was put to Dr.
Solomon B. Freehof of Pitts-
burg by Rabbi Marc H. Tan-
enbaum, national interrelig-
ious affairs director of the
American Jewish Committee.
Rabbi Tanenbaum said such
issues as authorizing Jewish
homosexuals to form their
o w n
congregations a n d
hether rabbis should be al-
_awed to officiate at a wed-
ding of two consenting homo-
sexual adults "were surfac-
ing in the Jewish community,
perhaps for the first time in
Jewish history, as the 'gay
liberation' movement has be-
gun to penerate the Jewish
cammunity.".
He declared that "the most
recent development which
has precipitated these con-
cerns is the action of a small
group of homosexuals of
Jewish birth who have sought
permission from the Reform
Union of American Hebrew
Congregations to establish
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their own temple in Califor-
nia."
According to a report in
February, a congreation of
60 homosexual members was
established in Los Angeles
as the Metropolitan Com-
munity Temple. A spokes-
man for the UAHC said then
that Rabbi Erwin Herman,
UAHC director in the South-
land, was serving as adviser
but not as rabbi to the con-
gregation, which had then
been in existence for more
than a year.
Rabbi Tanenbaum said that
since the issues involved
questions of Halakha and
Jewish religious custom, he
asked Rabbi Freehof for "an
informed rabbinic opinion."
Rabbi Tanenbaum reported
that Dr. Freehof based his
conclusons on the biblical
judgments in Chapters 18:22
and 20:13 of the Book of Lev-
iticus that homosexuality is
considered to be "an abom-
ination" from both legal and
ethical positions of Judaism
and that men and women
who practice homosexuality
or lesbianism "are to be
deemed sinners."
"How deep-rooted this
aversion is can be seen from
the fact that although Juda-
ism developed in the Near
East, which is notorious for
the prevalence of homosex-
ualty, Jews kept away such
acts," Rabbi Tanenbaum de-
clared.
"This can be seen from the
Talmud (Kiddushin 82a)
which states that Jews are
not 'under the suspicion of
homosexuality' —that is to
say, that homosexuality runs
counter to the sancta of Jew-
ish life. A key factor in that
Jewish attitude is that homo-
sexuality necessarily repud-
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iates family life as we know
it and must therefore be re-
jected as a potential destroy-
er" of the Jewish commun-
ity, he added.
Even. though homosexuals
are deemed to be sinners,
Jewish tradition actually for-
bids their exclusion from es-
tablished syagogues, accord-
ing to Rabbi Freehof. Since it
is universal Jewish custom,
dating at least from the 14th
Century "to pray side by
side with sinners in the syna-
gogue, homesuxuals like
other sinners are a neces-
sary part of the ordinary con-
gregation of Israel and are
forbidden to separate them-
selves from the mainstream
community.
To isolate them into a sep-
arate congregation, Rabbi
Freehof adds, would aid and
abet sinners for it would in-
crease their mutual availa-
bility for homosexual acts,"
Rabbi Tanenbaum reported.
Concering a rabbi officiat-
ing at "a so-called marriage"
of two homosexuals, Rabbi
Freehof stressed that mar-
riage in Judaism is called
"kiddushin"—an act of sanc- one man for another, or of
tification—and a homosexual one woman for another,
marriage "would be contra- should be viewed any less
diction of all that is sacred ethical or rewarding thar
and respected in Jewish life." thatof a heterosexual coup-
Rabbi Tanenboum said le?" Another point in the"Sh%
Rabbi Freehof's view should ma" discussion was that
be considered "a strict con- there seemed to be no reasor
struction" of Judaism's views that such relationships
on homosexuality. He said "should be viewed as less hu•
"a more lenient view" was man or ethical than others."
expressed in a recent issue
of "Sh'ma" magazine, a jour- THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
nal of independent Jewish Friday, August 3, 1973 - 35
opinion.
The issues posed in the
journal included the question
of whether, if homosexuality
may be an unavoidable life
condition for a certain per-
centage of Jews, the com-
munity has the right or even
the moral option of turning
costs between IL 90,000 and its back on such Jews.
100,000 ($25,000). There are
"Prejudice aside, is there
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tion ministry's Jerusalem
office, told the meeting that
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He praised the unmarried
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AUGUST SPECIAL
15 Pet. of Immigrants in Survey
Left Israel by End of Third Year
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
Fifteen per cent of the 7,500
adult immigrants and poten-
tial immigrants who arrived
here during the four-month
period between September
and December 1969 left Is-
rael by the end of their third
year.
Of the remainder, 88 per
cent definitely decided to
stay, and 9 per cent are not
yet sure, according to the
Central Bureau of Statistics.
These findings are includ-
ed in the latest periodical
report on a sample group,
the subject of a continuous
follow-up study by the stat-
isticians.
Sixty per cent of those
still here are in the labor
force, compared to 49.8 per
cent of the population at
large. Within this total,
which represents both em-
ployed persons and job seek-
ers, 8 per cent are jobless.
The great majority of this
immigrant group is in what
was described as permanent
housing: 39 per cent are in
purchased homes, 52 per
cent in rented property and
2 per cent in kibutzim.
Nearly all-98 per cent—
have an electric refrigerat-
or, 81 per cent have a TV
set, 68 per cent have a wash-
ing machine, and 35 per cent
have a car or commercial
van, as against 25 per cent
of the population at large.
Twenty-five per cent say they
cannot yet converse in He-
brew, and 44 per cent do not
read a Hebrew newspaper
even occasionally.
The greatest satisfaction is
with housing: 41 per cent are
"absolutely satisfied" with
their dwelling in general
terms, 45 per cent are "ab-
solutely satisfied" with its
size and 47 per cent with its
location.
If the "reasonably satis-
fied" are included, approv-
als total 80 per cent. Abso-
lute satisfaction with work
is only 28 per cent, though
"absolutely" and "reason-
ably satisfied" together ac-
count for 79 per cent.
Meanwhile, a meeting of
more than 200 singles was
told in Jerusalem that un-
married immigrants are not
getting a fair deal in hous-
ing, and as a result the num-
ber of singles applying for
aliya is dwindling.
"Years after having ar-
rived here," said Sybil Kauf-
man, "most of us are still
living in hostels and absorp-
tion centers, or staying with
relatives. There is no gov-
ernment -sponsored housing
with small flats for single
people."
On the private market in
Jerusalem, Miss Kaufman
said, "a one-bedroom flat
Reg. $25
Speech . . . Its Safety
I have always been among
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best thing to do is to encour-
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by speaking.—Woodrow Wil-
son.
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