I World

SPECIAL REPORT

Change To Come

Conflicting Conservative opinions expected to open the way for gays.

Ben Harris
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

New York

I

t adopted three conflicting
opinions and lost four mem-
bers, but the Conservative
movement's highest legal body
was claiming victory after its
decision this week that paved the
way for gay rabbis and same-sex
commitment ceremonies.
"We as a movement see the
advantages of pluralism, and we
know that people come to dif-
ferent conclusions drawing from
the same basic resources of our
tradition:' Rabbi Kassel Abelson,
chairman of the Committee
on Jewish Law and Standards
(CJLS), told reporters Dec. 6 fol-
lowing the decision.
"These teshuvot are accepted
as guides so that the gays and
lesbians can be welcomed into
our congregations and communi-
ties and made to feel accepted
and welcomed!"
It was one of the most closely
watched decisions in the history
of the law committee and capped
months of often-divisive debate
within the movement over the
proper approach to gays and
lesbians:
Already its impact is being felt.
0 Rabbi Jerome Epstein, execu-
tive vice president of the United
Synagogue of Conservative

Judaism, the movement's con-
gregational arm, immediately
announced he was recommend-
ing a change in the organization's
hiring practices, which had
required employees to be obser-
vant of Jewish law — effectively
barring gay men and lesbians.
_
"I see no reason why we
should not revise our hiring poli-
cies so we may consider appli-
cants for United Synagogue jobs
no matter what their sexual ori-
entation may be Rabbi Epstein
said in a statement. "United
Synagogue's leadership will dis-
cuss the issue at our next sched-
uled meeting!'
But what exactly do the opin-
ions mean and how did the com-
mittee arrive at its final decisions?
As it has in the past, the com-
mittee endorsed opposing posi-
tions, leaving it to individual rab-
bis to determine such hot-button
questions as whether or not to
officiate at same-sex commit-
ment ceremonies or to allow gays
and lesbians synagogue honors.
"We recognize from the very
beginnings of the movement that
no single position could speak to
alll members of the community;
and, hence, there were always
varying opinions, with the local
rabbinic authority able to select
what he felt or she felt was appro-
priate and teach it to their con-
gregations," Rabbi Abelson said.
Of the three opinions endorsed

Two Jewish women exchange vows under the chuppah in a recent

ceremony in New York.

by the committee, the most lib-
eral, authored by Rabbis Daniel
Nevins, Elliot Dorff and Avrarn
Reisner, allows commitment
ceremonies and gay clergy while
retaining the biblical prohibition
on homosexual intercourse.
This prohibition comes from
the Book of Leviticus, which
says: "Do not lie with a male as
one lies with a woman; it is an
abomination!'
For lesbians, that decision
would affect only their ability
to be ordained as Conservative
rabbis andlave a commitment
ceremony.
Rabbi Joel Roth, a former
Detroiter, presented a conser:
vative opinion upholding the
movement's previous position
barring gay clergy and 'commit-
ment ceremonies.
Both papers were endorsed
by a majority of the 25-member
committee.
A third opinion by Rabbi
Leonard Levy calling for repara-
tive therapy for gays received the
minimum six votes for adoption.
Two other papers, both of
which would have removed all
barriers to homosexual activity;
won the support of seven com-
mittee members but were not
adopted because their designation
as takanot, a halachic (Jewish
law) category requiring an abso-
lute majority for acceptance.
Rabbis Roth and Levy, along"
with Rabbis Mayer Rabinowitz
and Joseph Prouser, resigned from
the law committee in protest of its
adoption of the liberal paper.
In explaining his resignation
from a committee that had just
endorsed his view, Rabbi Roth
said the "ostensible legal reason-
ing in the permissive paper that
was approved was outside the
pale of acceptability of halachic
reasoning."
Rabbi Roth stressed that he
was only resigning from the com-
mittee and would not abandon
the Conservative movement or
the Jewish Theological Seminary,
where he is a professor of Talmud

a

L

Rabbi Joel Roth, a former Detroiter, resigned from the
Conservative movement's law committee in protest of its decision.

Already people are
and Jewish law.
quite divided, frac-
Though the res-
tured internally on this
ignations seemed to
subject — as I am, to
undermine claims
be honest. I don't think
that Conservative
it will fracture the
Judaism can tolerate
movement. Its possible
a diversity of opinion
some will leave over it,
within its ranks, rab-
but it's possible some
bis were celebrating
will come to it because
what they called the
of the decision."
movement's suc-
Rabbi Nevins
"One of the most
cessful balance of
challenging aspects
its commitment to
of this debate is
Jewish law and its
communicating the
embrace of the chal-
process of the debate .
lenges of modern life.
itself' said Rabbi
"Obviously, it's
Steven Rubenstein
a relief after four
of Congregation
years of work that a
Beth Ahm in West
majority of the corn-
Bloomfield. "And with
mittee supported
several papers accepted
our paper, and I'm
by the CJLS, that chal-
Rabbi Epstein
also pleased on
lenge is increased.
behalf of all the gays
"Another challenge is that most
and lesbians and their families
American Jews relate to the issue
who have been hoping for an
of-homosexuality from-the per-
inclusive decision for years:' said
spective of personal experience,
Rabbi Nevins of Adat Shalom
emotions, and/or politics. But the
Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
role of the CJLS is to understand
"But the feeling is tempered
Jewish law, not politics. Rather
because half of the committee
than coming to a conclusion right
[didn't support it] and four felt
away, it must consider the weight
so strongly they resigned."
of precedent and the process of
As far as predictions by some
Halachah. You can't understand
that the decision may fracture
the
conclusions of these papers
the Conservative movement,
without
considering the legal rea-
Rabbi Nevins says, "We have to
soning
behind
them."
avoid irresponsible language.
Change To Come on page 22

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December 14 • 2006

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