Israel, Religion, Sex & Gender

Masorti Movement: Whatever The Decision, No Gay Rabbis For Us

JPost reports,

The Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel will not be bound by the Committee of Jewish Law and Standards’ (CJLS) decision to be made in New York on Wednesday on the halachic status of homosexuals, said Masorti Movement leaders Tuesday.
“There is a wide consensus among rabbis and leaders here that we are not obliged to adhere to the CJLS’s decision,” said Rabbi Prof. Chanan Alexander, chairman of the Schechter Rabbinical School’s Executive Committee. “Obviously, we will respect the decision, whatever it is, but we also believe that the Torah should be taught from the land of Israel.”
Alexander, who will be instrumental in setting up the Israeli decision-making apparatus and, as a result, has made an effort to remain impartial on the homosexuality issue, said Israeli and American views on homosexuality were very different.
“The Israeli public is in a different place from the US on this issue,” said Alexander. “We have to be responsive to our public.”

Full story.
[Update]
This headline is FALSE! The Masorti Movement has made no such statement. Nor does it appear anywhere in the article.
Indeed we will undertake a process, subsequent to the NY decision, to decide on a couse of action regarding ordination of Out Gay men and women.
This is, to a large extent what is also planned at JTS.
What is true is that a decision in NY does not force the Masorti Movement to decide imediately on a specific policy.
Rabbi Andrew Sacks
Rabbinical Assembly-Masorti Movement

10 thoughts on “Masorti Movement: Whatever The Decision, No Gay Rabbis For Us

  1. “The Israeli public is in a different place from the US on this issue,”
    I.e., in Israel, people expect religious institutions to be homophobic and inflexible, so no one thinks that change is in the realm of possibility. They must be proud.

  2. ““The Israeli public is in a different place from the US on this issue,” said Alexander. “We have to be responsive to our public.””
    Ah yes, good ‘ol Conservative Movement taking cues from marketing research firms how to conduct their affairs. It’s Gap Judaism folks.

  3. This headline is FALSE! The Masorti Movement has made no such statement. Nor does it appear anywhere in the article.
    Indeed we will undertake a process, subsequent to the NY decision, to decide on a couse of action regarding ordination of Out Gay men and women.
    This is, to a large extent what is also planned at JTS.
    What is true is that a decision in NY does not force the Masorti Movement to decide imediately on a specific policy.
    Rabbi Andrew Sacks
    Rabbinical Assembly-Masorti Movement

  4. This has been on my mind since yesterday:
    How can a group of people simultaneously be opposed to anal pentration and have their heads completely up their asses?

  5. You honor me with your laughter, Marisa.
    Now I hope the movement that gave me me Judaism can honor my friends, collegues and teachers by making the right decision today. It’s the first time I’ve prayed for anything with true kavanah in quite a while.

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