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July 23, 2010 | 10:09 am

Incredible Orthodox Response to Homosexuality in Judaism

Posted by Janelle Eagle

Statement of Principles on the Place of Jews with a
Homosexual Orientation in Our Community

For the last six months a number of Orthodox rabbis and educators have been preparing a statement of principles on the place of our brothers and sisters in our community who have a homosexual orientation.

The original draft was prepared by Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot. It was then commented upon by and revised based on the input from dozens of talmidei chachamim, educators, communal rabbis, mental health professionals and a number of individuals in our community who are homosexual in orientation.

Significant revisions were made based upon the input of Rabbi Aryeh Klapper and Rabbi Yitzchak Blau who were intimately involved in the process of editing and improving the document during the last three months.

The statement below is a consensus document arrived at after hundreds of hours of discussion,debate and editing. At the bottom, is the initial cohort of signators.

If you are an Orthodox rabbi, educator, or mental health professional and would like to add your signature to the current list, please send a short e-mail to:
statementnya@hotmail.com with your name, address, cell phone number, and professional affiliation.

Statement of Principles on the Place of Jews with a
Homosexual Orientation in Our Community

We, the undersigned Orthodox rabbis, rashei yeshiva, ramim, Jewish educators and communal leaders affirm the following principles with regard to the place of Jews with a homosexual orientation in our community:

1. All human beings are created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect (kevod haberiyot). Every Jew is obligated to fulfill the entire range of mitzvot between person and person in relation to persons who are homosexual or have feelings of same sex attraction. Embarrassing, harassing or demeaning someone with a homosexual orientation or same-sex attraction is a violation of Torah prohibitions that embody the deepest values of Judaism.

2. The question of whether sexual orientation is primarily genetic, or rather environmentally generated, is irrelevant to our obligation to treat human beings with same-sex attractions and orientations with dignity and respect.

3. Halakhah sees heterosexual marriage as the ideal model and sole legitimate outlet for human sexual expression. The sensitivity and understanding we properly express for human beings with other sexual orientations does not diminish our commitment to that principle.

4. Halakhic Judaism views all male and female same-sex sexual interactions as prohibited. The question of whether sexual orientation is primarily genetic, or rather environmentally generated, is irrelevant to this prohibition. While halakha categorizes various homosexual acts with different degrees of severity and opprobrium, including toeivah, this does not in any way imply that lesser acts are permitted. But it is critical to emphasize that halakha only prohibits homosexual acts; it does not prohibit orientation or feelings of same-sex attraction, and nothing in the Torah devalues the human beings who struggle with them. (We do not here address the issue of hirhurei aveirah, a halakhic category that goes beyond mere feelings and applies to all forms of sexuality and requires precise halakhic definition.)

5. Whatever the origin or cause of homosexual orientation, many individuals believe that for most people this orientation cannot be changed. Others believe that for most people it is a matter of free will. Similarly, while some mental health professionals and rabbis in the community strongly believe in the efficacy of “change therapies”, most of the mental health community, many rabbis, and most people with a homosexual orientation feel that some of these therapies are either ineffective or potentially damaging psychologically for many patients.

We affirm the religious right of those with a homosexual orientation to reject
therapeutic approaches they reasonably see as useless or dangerous.

6. Jews with a homosexual orientation who live in the Orthodox community confront serious emotional, communal and psychological challenges that cause them and their families great pain and suffering. For example, homosexual orientation may greatly increase the risk of suicide among teenagers in our community. Rabbis and communities need to be sensitive and empathetic to that reality. Rabbis and mental health professionals must provide responsible and ethical assistance to congregants and clients dealing with those human challenges.

7. Jews struggling to live their lives in accordance with halakhic values need and deserve our support. Accordingly, we believe that the decision as to whether to be open about one’s sexual orientation should be left to such individuals, who should consider their own needs and those of the community. We are opposed on ethical and moral grounds to both the “outing” of individuals who want to remain private and to coercing those who desire to be open about their orientation to keep it hidden.

8. Accordingly, Jews with homosexual orientations or same sex-attractions should be welcomed as full members of the synagogue and school community. As appropriate with regard to gender and lineage, they should participate and count ritually, be eligible for ritual synagogue honors, and generally be treated in the same fashion and under the same halakhic and hashkafic framework as any other member of the synagogue they join. Conversely, they must accept and fulfill all the responsibilities of such membership, including those generated by communal norms or broad Jewish principles that go beyond formal halakhah.

We do not here address what synagogues should do about accepting members
who are openly practicing homosexuals and/or living with a same-sex partner.
Each synagogue together with its rabbi must establish its own standard with
regard to membership for open violators of halakha.
Those standards should be applied fairly and objectively.


9. Halakha articulates very exacting criteria and standards of eligibility for particular religious offices, such as officially appointed cantor during the year or baal tefillah on the High Holidays. Among the most important of those criteria is that the entire congregation must be fully comfortable with having that person serve as its representative. This legitimately prevents even the most admirable individuals, who are otherwise perfectly fit halakhically, from serving in those roles. It is the responsibility of the lay and rabbinic leadership in each individual community to determine eligibility for those offices in line with those principles, the importance of maintaining communal harmony, and the unique context of its community culture.

10. Jews with a homosexual orientation or same sex attraction, even if they engage in same sex interactions, should be encouraged to fulfill mitzvot to the best of their ability. All Jews are challenged to fulfill mitzvot to the best of their ability, and the attitude of “all or nothing” was not the traditional approach adopted by the majority of halakhic thinkers and poskim throughout the ages.

11. Halakhic Judaism cannot give its blessing and imprimatur to Jewish religious
same-sex commitment ceremonies and weddings, and halakhic values proscribe individuals and communities from encouraging practices that grant religious legitimacy to gay marriage and couplehood. But communities should display sensitivity, acceptance and full embrace of the adopted or biological children of homosexually active Jews in the synagogue and school setting, and we encourage parents and family of homosexually partnered Jews to make every effort to maintain harmonious family relations and connections.

12. Jews who have an exclusively homosexual orientation should, under most circumstances, not be encouraged to marry someone of the other gender, as
this can lead to great tragedy, unrequited love, shame, dishonesty and ruined
lives. They should be directed to contribute to Jewish and general society in
other meaningful ways. Any such person who is planning to marry someone of
the opposite gender is halakhically and ethically required to fully inform their
potential spouse of their sexual orientation.


We hope and pray that by sharing these thoughts we will help the Orthodox
community to fully live out its commitment to the principles and values of
Torah and Halakha as practiced and cherished by the children of Abraham, who
our sages teach us are recognized by the qualities of being rahamanim
(merciful), bayshanim (modest), and gomelei hasadim
engaging in acts of loving-kindness).

 

(as of 7/23/10)
Rabbi Yosef Adler
Rabbi Elisha Anscelovits
Rabbi Hayyim Angel
Rabbi Marc Angel
Rabbi Maurice Appelbaum
Mrs. Nechama Goldman Barash
Rabbi Avi Baumol
Rabbi Dr. Shalom Berger
Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman
Rabbi Todd Berman
Dr. David Bernstein
Rabbi David Bigman
Rabbi Yitzchak Blau
Dr. Erica Brown
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
Rabbi Mark Dratch
Rabbi Ira Ebbin
Rabbi Rafi Eis
Mrs. Atara Eis
Rabbi Yitzhak Etshalom
Rabbi Dr. Shaul (Seth) Farber
Ms. Rachel Feingold
Rabbi Jeffrey Fox
Rabbi Aaron Frank
Rabbi Aharon Frazier
Rabbi Avidan Freedman
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
Rabbi Mark Gottlieb
Rabbi Barry Gelman
Rabbi Benjamin Greenberg
Rabbi Zvi Grumet
Rabbi Alan Haber
Dr. Aviad Hacohen
Rabbi Tully Harcsztark
Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot
Rabbi Josh Hess
Dr. Daniel Kahn
Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky
Rabbi Jay Kellman
Rabbi Aryeh Klapper
Mrs. Judy Klitsner
Rabbi Shmuel Klitsner
Rabbi Jeff Kobrin
Dr. Aaron Koller
Rabbi Barry Kornblau
Dr. Meesh Hammer Kossoy
Rabbi Binny Krauss
Mrs. Esther Krauss
Rabbi Dr. Benny Lau
Rabbi Zvi Leshem
Rabbi Dr. Martin Lockshin
Rabbi Dr. Haskel Lookstein
Rabbi Asher Lopatin
Rabbi Chaim Marder
Rabbi Dr. Adam Mintz
Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern
Rabbi Dr. Yaacov Nagen (Genack)
Mrs. C.B. Neugroschl
Rabbi Yossi Pollak
Dr. Caroline Pyser
Rabbi Daniel Reifman
Rabbi Avi Robinson
Rabii Chaim Sacknovitz
Rabbi Jeremy Savitsky
Rabbi Noam Shapiro
Rabbi Yehuda Seif
Rabbi Adam Schier
Ms. Lisa Schlaff
Rabbi Yehuda Septimus
Rabbi Yair Silverman
Rabbi Adam Starr
Rabbi Chaim Strauchler
Rabbi Yehuda Sussman
Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner
Rabbi Jacob Traub
Rabbi Zach Truboff
Mrs. Dara Unterberg
Rabbi Michael Unterberg
Rabbi Dr. Avie Walfish
Dr. Dina Weiner
Ms. Sara Weinerman
Rabbi David Wolkenfeld
Rabbi Elie Weinstock
Rabbi Alan Yuter
Dr. Yael Ziegler
Rabbi Dr. Stuart Zweiter

24 Comments — Leave your comment

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This is a shanda.  There should be no acceptance whatsoever of gay people.  It is an abomination.

Comment by S C RUB on 7/23/10 at 10:28 am

“The question of whether sexual orientation is primarily genetic, or rather environmentally generated, is irrelevant to our obligation to treat human beings with same-sex attractions and orientations with dignity and respect.”

Comment by Janelle Eagle on 7/23/10 at 10:40 am

This is a pretty remarkable stance for the Orthodox community to take. I’m amazed at the courage of these rabbis, even as I think to myself, “go farther.”

Comment by Naomi Goldberg on 7/23/10 at 1:13 pm

It is pathetic to me that after reading this statement of principles, someone would dare make a negative comment like that. I highly recommend rereading and reflecting on this document that was carefully and concisely written by Orthodox Rabbis and educators.  If you consider yourself to be Jewish, then I can only assume you would respect the words of these Rabbis, which you clearly have not so far.

Comment by Jamie Machotka on 7/23/10 at 1:21 pm

This indeed is a great step forward!  Clearly a bit unrealistic in the real world, but a major mitzvah in displaying compassion which too many religions seem to toss out when it comes to us mos.  As for anyone who still feels that it is “kosher” to denigrate us with words or violence, I remember many years ago this young man always made snide comments about gays.  One day a friend of his told him that such remarks were the sign of a closet case.  That lead to my finally coming out.

Shabbat shalom

Comment by Nicky Arnstein on 7/23/10 at 4:23 pm

Well I do consider myself to be of Jewish background and descent.  I was raised in the Jewish religion by Jewish parents.  Jewish history has been a serious interest of mine.  Based upon my study of Jewish history I have little to no respect for your creepy rabbis.  They have no voice in my life.  I blame them (and the morons who respect them w/o question) for the Holocaust and the other tragedies in Jewish history.  Trajedies of which most of you are quite proud.  This means you’d like these trajedies to continue (I am quite confident they will).  This means the real enemy of the Jew is the Jew.  However these statements are a sign of some progress.

Comment by theleviteline.com on 7/24/10 at 2:16 am

Not for gay equality, hunh?  I now hate ‘jews…fuk all Jews…Fuck you.

Comment by jerry on 7/24/10 at 12:31 pm

So jerry do you have the ballz to say the same about your pagan so-called Christian friends who are generally not for gay equality either?  Where did you ever get the idea that jews (as you typed it) or any other religion or group were for gay equality, until recent times.  Now I realize I am in all liklihood responding to a nearly complete moron, or you are acting the part.  If you were acting, bravo, cause you certainly had me convinced.  Bravo!

Also this Jewish column is obviously by a group of gay jews, whom I assume are for gay equality, or did this fact elude your lovely disposition and searing intellect. 

Now you “hate ‘jews”?  You mean up ‘til now you liked jews because previously you thought they were for “gay equality”?  How far up your a** is your head?  I think you’ll need surgery to get it outta there dude.  Good luck.  You could probably find some excellent jewish doctors on this site to help you out.  LOL

Comment by theleviteline.com on 7/24/10 at 6:26 pm

This a wonderful step the right direction! This is truly a wonderful document.

Comment by Jiff on 7/25/10 at 5:56 am

So what other parts of the bronze age sun revolves around the flat earth slave-owner manual genocidal bible do these rabbis agree with too?
How about the part about it being okay to own slaves?
Or about how it’s okay to murder everyone who does not believe in your god - oh btw the Christians adopted that one and murdered millions of Jews for 2010 years.
Or how about the one that considers women to be owned by their husbands?
Or how about the one about murdering those abominable homosexuals, adulterers and anyone who eats shrimp?
So I take it that those rabbis are against marriage for all the adulterers out there, too.
Do they know that Jews were arrested by their Nazi neighbors along with gay men and lesbians for the same reasons they are citing here - the belief that they are superior to other human beings because they believe they are of the heterosexual orientation.
Do they know that when the allies freed the Jews from the Nazi prisons, they kept the gay men and lesbians incarcerated, for the same reasons the rabbis quote here.

If the bible is the revealed word of your sky god, how come your sky god forgot to mention that the earth is round and revolves around the sun?

The answer is in your creation myth - when Eve is tempted by knowledge she and Adam (the first heterosexuals) are kicked out of paradise - that’s why people pray to be led from temptation (knowledge) and delivered from evil (knowledge).

Believing that gay and lesbian Jews are not fully Jews is the same as believing that we are not fully human either, and these rabbis won’t be the first people to perpetuate that tyrannical theocRAT hate, and won’t be the last.

Comment by Demanding Equality on 7/27/10 at 9:33 pm

As the person who posted this blog entry, I am excited that this entry has been viewed so many times and that is the most commented-on entry in the “Oy Gay” series. To me- it indicates that this is a subject people care about.

I deleted a comment just now because I believe it was a personal attack, as opposed to an expression of an opinion about the entry. As someone who has a passion for creating “safe space,” I wish to carry the same principle into the blogs and resulting comments. Disagreement is one thing, but personal ridicule is not.

Everyone is free to comment and share their opinion without fear of being attacked by another reader.

Comment by Janelle Eagle on 7/28/10 at 7:53 am

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!this is beautiful…
-Lia

Comment by Lia Mandelbaum on 7/28/10 at 9:20 am

I don’t understand those who look at this as a first step, (maybe towards accepting gay marriages). This is a statement of Halacha, which by its nature is unchanging, but was made to distinguish between the pure Halachic approach, and the emotional approach that most people take.

Comment by Stewart on 7/29/10 at 5:19 am

As I read several of these judgmental and hateful comments, I believe that the intention of them is to knock someone down from rejoicing in the fact that these Rabbis, scholars and mental health professionals are acknowledging that EVERYONE is a child of god, who deserves the freedom to live a decent, healthy and happy life while walking with dignity on G-d’s path.

I have come to realize that there is a rampant addiction to misery in the world.  It is scary to think about how hatred is so often used as a drug.  “There is cutting-edge research in neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology – suggesting that nearly all of us develop unconscious biochemical addictions to our own pain and emotional distress. Because states of emotional distress release stress hormones that act in the brain much like addictive drugs, the research suggests that people can develop literal addictions to states such as hatred, anger, anxiety, hurt, regret, and self-pity.”  I believe that several of the comments to this blog are a part of the same addiction that this research is talking about.

The same hatred that is found in the comments are what have fueled violence throughout history.  You should step off your high horse and realize that by making these judgmental and hateful comments, you are ultimately perpetuating the same dehumanization.  G-d would not want us, who are all created in G-d’s image, to perpetuate hatred. 

I believe that hatred ultimately stems from not feeling good about yourself, which I can empathize with.  When you truly feel connected with G-d there isn’t the need to be hateful or judgmental, because you are at peace with yourself and others.

These thoughts I have just revealed, are what I see as the underlying message of several of the comments.

Comment by Lia Mandelbaum on 7/29/10 at 7:02 am

I’m so proud right now to be a jew!

Comment by Anna on 7/29/10 at 7:12 am

I am Reform, with gay family members who are open about their sexual orientation.  I commend the sages who wrote this document for their open acceptance of reality and their definitive statement supporting gay people.  That they believe that they can go no further I accept as an honest position, as much as I wish they would.

Comment by Julia Stein on 7/29/10 at 2:44 pm

A Statement of Principles
We the undersigned Orthodox Rabbis, Roshei Yeshiva, Jewish Educators and Communal leaders affirm the following principles with regard to the place of Jews with an orientation towards sexual relations with married women (who are not their wives), bestiality (whether mammals or reptiles), and incest (whether father-daughter, mother-son, Brother-sister, or any of the other halachic categories known as “arayot” ).

Halacha sees heterosexual marriage (i.e. man and woman, or as they are affectionately referred to by some in the so called gay community, “breeders”), as the ideal model and sole legitimate outlet for human sexual expression. The sensitivity and understanding we have towards those involved in adulterous relationships or towards those who have an irresistible crush on a family member or a family pet does not diminish our commitment to that principle.

Whatever the cause or origin of sexual attraction to animals, family members
or other people’s wives, many individuals believe that for most people these types of orientations cannot be changed. Others believe that for most people it is a matter of free will. We affirm the religious right of those with tendencies to violate prohibited sexual relationships to reject therapeutic approaches they reasonably see as useless or dangerous.
Just so there is no misunderstanding: This of course applies to people dealing with any type of problem in their lives. It is not just sexual deviants who have the right to reject therapy that is useless or dangerous ($150/hour is a bit pricey when the product is useless or dangerous).

We believe that the decision as to whether to be open about the fact that you are cohabiting with members of your immediate family, having an affair with a German Shepherd, etc. should be left to such individuals. Accordingly, Jews who are oriented towards arayot should be welcomed as full members of the synagogue and school community. This also includes any mamzerim who are the result of those unions.
Actually in keeping with our enlightened approach, we encourage safe-sex education for those involved in these relationships. We all know the terrible stigma attached to mamzerim, and it would be inconsiderate and inconsistent with the halachic principle of “kavod habriyot” to bring one into the world. We also feel that it would be best not to bring one’s animal partner into the synagogue because of the halachic problems involved in saying shemoneh esrei and krias shma in front of animal droppings.

Halachic Judaism cannot give its blessing to arayot commitment ceremonies, and halachic values forbid us to encourage in any way (arguably under the category of yehareg v’al yavor) practices that grant legitimacy to arayot. (We hope we did not offend anybody with the phrase “yehareg v’al yavor”. We know it is very “unmodern” to mention such things, but we assure you that it is also an “halachic value”.)

We also hope everyone reading this statement appreciates that we scrupulously avoided invoking the deity in any of this. We only used polite euphemisms such as “halachic values”, “halachic Judaism”,and “Torah hashkafa”. It would have been so very politically incorrect to say that God has declared to us that arayot (including homosexuality) are horribly destructive to human beings.

Comment by rick on 8/01/10 at 9:10 pm

How should brothers who have a gay relationship be treated, hmm?

Comment by Anonymous on 8/08/10 at 3:50 am

When I visited Las Vegas I met a lesbian couple who are prominent, well accepted members of the Young Israel there. Young Israel is the most right-wing of Modern Orthodox synagogues so if having gay members is good enough for them then it should be accepted by the rest of Orthodoxy.

Comment by Sharon on 8/08/10 at 3:58 am

Rick, I am sorry that you feel that you have the right to be so ugly and hateful towards other Jews.  If you really cannot understand the difference between a relationship between consenting adults and forcing oneself on animals, then I feel sorry for you.

Comment by Julia Stein on 8/08/10 at 12:35 pm

Do you agree that the Muslims, Arabs and Palestinians are included in “All human beings are created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect (kevod haberiyot)”?

Comment by Kazi Azizul Huq on 11/22/10 at 11:37 pm

Acceptance does not mean liking something or approving it.  People are gay for one or the other reason.  The evil inclination is to deny human existence and sexuality manifesting in different ways for whatever reason was best reinforced by Hitler—kill everyone who is different and perceived as inferior, including Jews.  Today’s Jews (if they are G-d’s chosen people)are better than Hitler….I hope.

Comment by Margrit Goodhand on 9/24/11 at 10:12 am

You’ve really impressed me with that aswner!

Comment by Daisy on 12/13/11 at 2:55 am

zjQLbO nfrnfrbsfspf

Comment by kjtenfrufjv on 12/13/11 at 11:52 am

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