LGBT-affirming denominations in Judaism

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) affirming denominations in Judaism (also called gay-affirming) are Jewish religious groups that welcome LGBTQ members and do not consider homosexuality to be a sin. They include both entire Jewish denominations, as well as individual synagogues. Some are composed mainly of non-LGBT members and also have specific programs to welcome LGBT people, while others are composed mainly of LGBT members.

Denominations

Conservative Judaism - (Mixed support)^[1]
Reform Judaism^[2]^[3]
Reconstructionist Judaism^[4]^[5]
Jewish Renewal^[6]
Humanistic Judaism^[7]

Individual congregations

First Narayever Congregation (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)^[8]
Bet Mishpachah (Washington, D.C.)^[9]
Fabrangen Havurah (Washington, D.C.)^[9]
Sha'ar Zahav (San Francisco, California)^[10]
Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (New York, New York)^[11]
Congregation Bet Haverim (Atlanta, Georgia)^[12]
Temple Israel (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)^[13]
Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)^[14]

Denomination-sanctioned programmes

Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation Archived 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine - Reform Judaism^[15]

Unofficial programmes

Keshet Rabbis - Conservative Judaism^[16]
KOACH College Outreach - Conservative Judaism^{[citation needed]}
Kirtzono - Orthodox Judaism^{[citation needed]}
Hod - Orthodox Judaism^{[citation needed]}
Bat Kol - Orthodox Judaism^[17]
Orthodykes - Orthodox Judaism^{[citation needed]}

Programmes not affiliated with any particular denomination

References

^ "Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: Conservative Judaism". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
^ "Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ Issues: Reform Judaism". HRC. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Today, the web pages of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism state, "Each of us, created in God's image, has a unique talent, with which we can contribute to the high moral purpose of tikkun olam, the repair of our world. Excluding anyone from our community lessens our chance of achieving this goal of a more perfect world."
^ "Jewish Views on Homosexuality". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Indeed, the Reform movement does not condemn homosexual sex, and openly gay people are eligible for admittance into Reform rabbinical schools. In addition, the Reform movement approves of rabbinic officiation at same-sex marriages and commitment ceremonies.
^ "Stances of Faiths on #LGBT Issues: #Reconstructionist #Judaism". HRC. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Of the four leading Jewish denominations, the Reconstructionist Movement is considered the most consistently welcoming and affirming. The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College was the first Jewish seminary to accept openly LGBTQ students, and the Reconstructionist Movement is committed to creating communities that welcome all people, including LGBTQ individuals and their families. The Movement celebrates same-sex marriages, allows LGBTQ ordination, and includes the representation of LGBTQ people in its religious school curricula.
^ "Jewish Views on Homosexuality". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Daniel Siegel, the Rabbinic Director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has endorsed same-sex marriage specifically because he believes that holiness should not be limited only to certain people and certain relationships. Similarly, in Reconstructionist Judaism same-sex marriage is considered a religious value. Using this as her starting point, Rebecca Alpert, a Reconstructionist rabbi, has argued that the government's refusal to recognize same-sex marriage violates religious liberties.
^ "Jewish Views on Homosexuality". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Daniel Siegel, the Rabbinic Director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has endorsed same-sex marriage specifically because he believes that holiness should not be limited only to certain people and certain relationships.
^ "Society for Humanistic Judaism supports marriage rights of same-sex couples". Society for Humanistic Judaism. 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
^ "Diversity and Inclusion - First Narayever Congregation". www.narayever.ca. Retrieved 2022-11-20. Narayever welcomes all Jews who wish to pray with us in our Traditional-Egalitarian environment. Whether you are young or old, a Jew by birth or by conversion, we want you to feel comfortable. We welcome members of the LGBT community, both individuals and couples, to participate fully in the life of the congregation.
^ ^a ^b Affirming Churches, Synagogues, and Religious Groups Archived 2010-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, District of Columbia
^ "SIDDUR SHA'AR ZAHAV". SIDDUR SHA'AR ZAHAV was created in 2009, it speaks directly to experiences which are not found in other published siddurim — prayers for being single, contemplations for nonbelievers, and blessings for coming out of dark places. It engages traditional Jewish liturgy and goes beyond. It is also a complete LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) and egalitarian Jewish prayer book. It is for those who are learning prayers and those who are deeply knowledgeable.
^ "About". Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Since 1973, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) has been a home and haven for LGBTQ Jews and our allies, in and around New York City.
^ "Our History - Congregation Bet Haverim". www.congregationbethaverim.org. Retrieved 2021-02-21. We warmly welcome you if you are queer, straight, bisexual, gay, questioning, lesbian, asexual, confused or prefer no label at all. We welcome all those who are single, happily married or maybe not so happily, divorced and separated. We welcome women, drag queens and kings, men, folks who are gender queer, transgender and people who are intersex.
^ "Temple Israel Ottawa". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-02-21. We are an egalitarian, LGBTQ inclusive synagogue that welcomes non-traditional families, Jews by Choice and Inter-Faith couples and families.
^ "Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism". MakomTO.org. Retrieved 2022-11-20. We are a diverse community and actively welcome participants of all ages; religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds; sexual orientations; gender identities; and approaches to Jewish practice.
^ "IJSO". ijso.huc.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-21. The Institute was founded in 2000 to educate HUC-JIR students on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues to help them challenge and eliminate homophobia and heterosexism; and to learn tools to be able to transform the communities they encounter into ones that are inclusive and welcoming of LGBT Jews.
^ "Keshet - For LGBTQ Equality in Jewish Life". Keshet. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life.
^ "English | בת-קול | ארגון לסביות דתיות". www.bat-kol.org. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Bat-Kol organization was founded about 15 years ago, back in 2005. Today it's a home for over 500 omen of various queer and religious identities. Today, it's the only NGO of LGBTQ women in Israel.

External links

Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation Archived 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine of Hebrew Union College (Reform Judaism)
Jewish, Bisexual, Feminist in a Christian Heterosexual World: Oy Vey!, by Sari H. Dworkin, Ph.D.

[1] "Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: Conservative Judaism". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2022-10-15.

[2] "Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ Issues: Reform Judaism". HRC. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Today, the web pages of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism state, "Each of us, created in God's image, has a unique talent, with which we can contribute to the high moral purpose of tikkun olam, the repair of our world. Excluding anyone from our community lessens our chance of achieving this goal of a more perfect world."

[3] "Jewish Views on Homosexuality". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Indeed, the Reform movement does not condemn homosexual sex, and openly gay people are eligible for admittance into Reform rabbinical schools. In addition, the Reform movement approves of rabbinic officiation at same-sex marriages and commitment ceremonies.

[4] "Stances of Faiths on #LGBT Issues: #Reconstructionist #Judaism". HRC. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Of the four leading Jewish denominations, the Reconstructionist Movement is considered the most consistently welcoming and affirming. The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College was the first Jewish seminary to accept openly LGBTQ students, and the Reconstructionist Movement is committed to creating communities that welcome all people, including LGBTQ individuals and their families. The Movement celebrates same-sex marriages, allows LGBTQ ordination, and includes the representation of LGBTQ people in its religious school curricula.

[5] "Jewish Views on Homosexuality". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Daniel Siegel, the Rabbinic Director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has endorsed same-sex marriage specifically because he believes that holiness should not be limited only to certain people and certain relationships. Similarly, in Reconstructionist Judaism same-sex marriage is considered a religious value. Using this as her starting point, Rebecca Alpert, a Reconstructionist rabbi, has argued that the government's refusal to recognize same-sex marriage violates religious liberties.

[6] "Jewish Views on Homosexuality". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Daniel Siegel, the Rabbinic Director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has endorsed same-sex marriage specifically because he believes that holiness should not be limited only to certain people and certain relationships.

[7] "Society for Humanistic Judaism supports marriage rights of same-sex couples". Society for Humanistic Judaism. 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2021-02-21.

[8] "Diversity and Inclusion - First Narayever Congregation". www.narayever.ca. Retrieved 2022-11-20. Narayever welcomes all Jews who wish to pray with us in our Traditional-Egalitarian environment. Whether you are young or old, a Jew by birth or by conversion, we want you to feel comfortable. We welcome members of the LGBT community, both individuals and couples, to participate fully in the life of the congregation.

[DC-9] Affirming Churches, Synagogues, and Religious Groups Archived 2010-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, District of Columbia

[10] "SIDDUR SHA'AR ZAHAV". SIDDUR SHA'AR ZAHAV was created in 2009, it speaks directly to experiences which are not found in other published siddurim — prayers for being single, contemplations for nonbelievers, and blessings for coming out of dark places. It engages traditional Jewish liturgy and goes beyond. It is also a complete LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) and egalitarian Jewish prayer book. It is for those who are learning prayers and those who are deeply knowledgeable.

[11] "About". Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Since 1973, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) has been a home and haven for LGBTQ Jews and our allies, in and around New York City.

[12] "Our History - Congregation Bet Haverim". www.congregationbethaverim.org. Retrieved 2021-02-21. We warmly welcome you if you are queer, straight, bisexual, gay, questioning, lesbian, asexual, confused or prefer no label at all. We welcome all those who are single, happily married or maybe not so happily, divorced and separated. We welcome women, drag queens and kings, men, folks who are gender queer, transgender and people who are intersex.

[13] "Temple Israel Ottawa". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-02-21. We are an egalitarian, LGBTQ inclusive synagogue that welcomes non-traditional families, Jews by Choice and Inter-Faith couples and families.

[14] "Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism". MakomTO.org. Retrieved 2022-11-20. We are a diverse community and actively welcome participants of all ages; religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds; sexual orientations; gender identities; and approaches to Jewish practice.

[15] "IJSO". ijso.huc.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-21. The Institute was founded in 2000 to educate HUC-JIR students on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues to help them challenge and eliminate homophobia and heterosexism; and to learn tools to be able to transform the communities they encounter into ones that are inclusive and welcoming of LGBT Jews.

[16] "Keshet - For LGBTQ Equality in Jewish Life". Keshet. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life.

[17] "English | בת-קול | ארגון לסביות דתיות". www.bat-kol.org. Retrieved 2021-02-21. Bat-Kol organization was founded about 15 years ago, back in 2005. Today it's a home for over 500 omen of various queer and religious identities. Today, it's the only NGO of LGBTQ women in Israel.

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