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Conservative Jews Expected to Permit Homosexual Rabbis

By Gudrun Schultz

NEW YORK, New York, September 8, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is expected to vote in favour of permitting the ordination of homosexual rabbis in December, the Associated Press reported yesterday.

The vote by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards will likely trigger serious discord among the conservative Jewish community in the U.S. and Canada, Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice-president of the USCJ, told the AP.

“It could cause confusion, it could cause tremendous angst, it could cause tremendous tension, it could cause tremendous disagreement,” Rabbi Epstein said.

He predicted the vote would at the same time give individual synagogues the freedom to refuse to hire homosexual rabbis, in an attempt to avoid alienating more traditional congregations that hold to the ancient Jewish law banning same-sex relationships.

According to Rabbi Elliot Dorff, who supports the changes, “it is simply not natural” to expect homosexuals to remain celibate.

“We have to interpret God’s will in our time,” the vice-chairman of the Law Committee said.

Rabbi Joel Roth, prominent religious scholar and a member of the conservative Law Committee, believes the Jewish texts are unmistakable in barring homosexuality.

“I know the law as it stands causes pain,” Roth said. “But pain is not to be equated with immorality.”

The central text in question is Leviticus 18:22, “Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman.”

Rabbi Roth suggested the decision would lead to an exodus of traditional communities, despite placation efforts by the panel. “The Committee on Jewish Laws and Standards is debating the future of the entire movement. Nothing less.”

The 25 members of the panel will vote on policies for and against change, with each policy requiring the vote of six members to be accepted. Contradicting policies, though rare, are allowed to stand if voted in, with implementation decisions passing to the synagogues and seminaries.

Read the full AP coverage:
http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=156396

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