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Conservative Judaism and homosexuality
Historical position
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Overview:
There are many parallels between Judaism and
Protestant Christianity. Both base their policies on ethical matters on four
main considerations:
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The content of scriptures: The Torah for Jews;
the Hebrew & Christian Scriptures for Christians. |
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Religious tradition. |
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Personal experience. |
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The findings of science and reason. |
Conservative wings of Judaism, Christianity and
other religions stress the first two criteria; more liberal wings stress the
latter two.
In both Judaism and Christianity, the most liberal tradition(s)
have accepted the validity of committed homosexual relationships, hold commitment or marriage
ceremonies for loving committed same-sex couples, ordain homosexual clergy, etc.
The most conservative traditions are unalterably opposed to any recognition of
homosexuality as anything but extremely immoral behavior. The mainline traditions
-- Conservative Judaism in this case -- suffer
from a division among their memberships on an urban/rural, and young/elderly and
other bases.
The Conservative movement:
About 800 Conservative synagogues in the U.S. belong to the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism. Their total membership is about 2 million.
It includes about 750 synagogues
and more than 1,000 North American rabbis. Conservatives, perhaps more than other movement within Judaism, feel torn
between conflicting pressures:
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Honoring received tradition from Scripture, which
they regard as sacred; |
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Integrating the personal experience of present-day believers; |
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Adsorbing the findings of human sexuality researchers and mental
health therapists. |
The Conservative movement generally views "homosexuality as the non-fulfillment
of one mitzvah" (command). But there are 612 other mitzvahs in the
Mosaic Law -- mostly in the book of Leviticus in the Hebrew Scriptures --
that they can obey. As such, their position is that:
"one should
not treat homosexual Jews any different than one would treat a Jew who is
not fully observant in any other way, such as one who drives on Shabbat
(Saturday) to places other than a synagogue, or one who does not keep
kosher, etc. Thus, Conservative Judaism affirms that homosexual men and
women may lead prayers, have an aliyah to read from the Torah, and may even
serve as youth group counselors or Hebrew school teachers." 1
Policies on homosexuality:
At the beginning of the 21st century, Conservative synagogues generally:
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Welcomed members
of all sexual orientations, |
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Supported the decriminalization of homosexual behavior among
consenting adults, and |
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Supported laws which protect gays and lesbians from
discrimination. |
However:
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All gays and lesbians are considered ineligible to be considered for ordination as rabbis.
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They did not approve of same-sex marriages, civil unions, or commitment ceremonies. |
Their official positions were unchanged by 2003. Marianna Matt Newirth, assistant director of media relations at the Jewish
Theological Seminary, said:
"While the Conservative movement does not condone same-sex marriages
or ordain gay men or women as rabbis, Congregations are encouraged to
welcome and reach out to gay members." 2
Two Conservative Jewish organizations, the Rabbinical Assembly (RA) and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
have approved very similar statements concerning homosexuality. The proclamation by the Committee on Jewish Law and
Standards (CJLS) -- the movement's chief law-making body -- of the RA on 1992-MAR-25 states:
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Whereas Judaism affirms that the Divine image reflected by every human being must always be cherished and affirmed, and
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Whereas Jews have always been sensitive to the impact of official and unofficial prejudice and discrimination, whenever directed,
and |
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Whereas gay and lesbian Jews have experienced not only the constant threats of physical violence and homophobic rejection, but
also the pains of anti-Semitism known to all Jews and, additionally, a sense of painful alienation from our own religious institutions,
and |
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Whereas the extended family of gay and lesbian Jews are often members of our congregations who live with concern for the safety,
health, and well being of their children, and |
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Whereas the AIDS crisis has deeply exacerbated the anxiety and suffering of this community of Jews who need in their lives the
compassionate concern and support mandated by Jewish Tradition, |
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Therefore be it resolved that we, the Rabbinical Assembly, while affirming our tradition's prescription for heterosexuality, |
- Support full civil equality for gays and lesbians in our national life, and
- Deplore the violence against gays and lesbians in our society, and
- Reiterate that, as are all Jews, gay men and lesbians are welcome as members in our congregations, and
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Call upon our synagogues and the arms of our movement to increase our awareness, understanding and concern for our fellow Jews
who are gay and lesbian. 3
References: The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
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Robert Kaiser, "Judaism and Homosexuality," 1999-APR-4, at:
http://www.universalway.org/Foreign/judaism-homo.html
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Naomi Grossman, "The Gay Orthodox Underground," Moment
magazine, 2001-APR, at:
http://www.momentmag.com/
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"Homosexuality and Conservative Judaism: A resolution of the
Rabbinical Assembly," at:
http://members.tripod.com/
Copyright © 2000 to 2006 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2000-OCT-25
Latest update: 2007-FEB-03
Author: B.A. Robinson 
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