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Rabbinic Discussion

Conservative movement asked to reconsider its stance on gays.

JOE BERKOFSKY

Jewish Telegmphic Agency

New York City
he Conservative move-
ment's Rabbinical
Assembly has formally
asked its legal body to
"revisit" its 1992 ruling that empha-
sizes the acceptance of homosexuals
within congregational life yet upholds
the biblical injunction against homo-
sexual behavior. -
"The Conservative movement is
trying to address the status of gay
and lesbian relationships in
a way that respects their
dignity while also remain-
ing true to the rules and
values of traditional
Judaism," said Rabbi
Daniel Nevins of Adat
Shalom Synagogue. Rabbi
Nevins is a member of the
Assembly's Committee on
Jewish Law and Standards,
the central halachic (Jewish
law) authority of the
Conservative movement.
"This is a difficult chal-
lenge, and there are many
critics on the right and on
the left who feel that we must simply
choose one or the other," Rabbi
Nevins said.
The request to revisit the ruling
came from Rabbi Reuven Hammer,
president of the Rabbinical Assembly
and an ex-officio member of the law
committee. Rabbi Hammer said he
did not specify whether the commit-
tee should examine its policies on
ordination for gays and lesbians,
same-sex commitment ceremonies or
gay and lesbian rabbinical students,
but asked the panel to "reread" its
ruling "and decide what, if anything,
they want to do with it."
Rabbi Nevins said, "I personally
feel that we should continue to study
the halachic options in a spirit of
humility and love, so that all Jews
will be able to find their place within
the world of sanctity envisioned by

T

4/ 4
2003

32

the Torah."
The decade-old decision included
two rulings, upholding the biblical
injunction against homosexuality while
calling on the movement's synagogues
to welcome gays into their midst.
Since that time, many in the move-
ment say they have grown increasing-
ly supportive of formalizing the move
toward equal treatment of heterosex-
uals and homosexuals under
Halachah.
"The status quo is that gay and les-
bian Jews are welcome to participate
fully in our movement and in my syn-

Rabbi Sacks-Rosen said.
Those issues include whether the
movement should admit openly gay
students to its rabbinical and cantorial
seminaries, whether to ordain openly
gay rabbis and whether rabbis can
officiate at same-sex unions.
Judy Yudof, president of the United
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism,
the movement's congregational arm,
was preparing her own request to the
law committee asking it to review the
general question of homosexuality and
Halachah. She welcomed the new
attempts, but is likely to continue for-

"The Conservative movement is
trying to address the status of gay
and lesbian relationships in a way
that respects their dignity while
also remaining true to the rules
and values of traditional Judaism.

— Rabbi Daniel Nevins

agogue," said Rabbi Nevins.
"Although some maverick rabbis are
already exploring gay commitment
ceremonies, we do not have a halachic
rationale - or permission for this."

The Larger Issues

Rabbi J.B. Sacks-Rosen of
Congregation Beth Shalom in
Corona, Calif., one of the few openly
gay Conservative pulpit rabbis, wel-
comed steps toward reconsideration
amid what he called increasing "frus-
tration" over the issue.
The movement attempted to "draw
a thin line between getting no publici-
ty and putting out the message they're
welcoming gay Jews and their families,
without doing anything really to wel-
come them and without dealing with
many of the larger issues involved,"

mulating her own effort.
The chairman of the law committee,
Rabbi Kassel Abelson, has opposed
legalizing homosexuality while the
committee's vice chairman, Rabbi
Elliot Rabbi Dorff, has been an out-
spoken advocate for overturning the
gay ban. Rabbi Dorff said he supports
revising Halachah because the relevant
verse in Leviticus assumed being gay
and lesbian is voluntary, while in
modern times, "We know people are
born with a sex orientation that, if not
there at birth, is there by age 6."
Since the law panel meets only four
times a year, it is not likely to actually
take up the question until June 2004.
However, Rabbi Hammer's request is
more than likely to set the debate in
motion, with the panel handing his

RABBINIC DISCUSSION on page 33

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— Compiled by Holly Teasdle,

archivist,
the Rabbi Leo M Franklin Archives
of Temple Beth El