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Gay and Lesbian Welcome Page
VBS warmly welcomes gays and lesbians as members (click here to register)
Same-sex couples can apply for family membership at VBS.
Senior Rabbi Ed Feinstein: “Valley Beth Shalom is a community of Jews of many kinds: We are straight, we are gay, we are lesbian. We were born Jewish, we were born into other faith communities. We were born in America, we were born in other lands. We are traditional, we are modern. We are believers, we are doubters. But we are, all of us, committed to creating together a community of holiness, a community embracing the ideals, ethics, faith and culture of the Jewish people. We are committed to answer the call to become God’s partner in bringing wholeness and holiness to the world, to repair the world’s brokenness and heal its suffering. We are committed to seek shalom, the blessings of wholeness, peace, and solidarity in our families, our community, our city and in the world. And we are committed to transmit Judaism’s holiness to a new generation.”.
Rabbi Harold Schulweis: “What is required of us is to accept the dignity of each individual, to make them feel as home with us and to encourage them to live out their own lives with dignity and within a compassionate community.”
VBS History:
Response was the name of an organization established in 1992 at VBS by Rabbi Harold Schulweis. Its purpose was to provide support, education and social networking for gays, lesbians and their families, including VBS members and non-members. Regular meetings were held from 1992 to 2000. During that time, VBS amended its rules to allow family membership for same-sex partners. Response was phased out as families became accepting and no longer felt the need for support.
Position on Boy Scouts - for more than twenty-five years, Valley Beth Shalom has hosted and sponsored Boy Scout Troop 351 in our synagogue. We had always believed that Scouting reflected the ideal meeting point of the best of American democratic values and the Biblical teaching that is the foundation of our faith and tradition. Unfortunately, in 2001, the Boy Scouts of America moved to exclude from leadership positions those who are gay and those who are unable to profess a belief in God. This prompted our then-President Avery Greenberg and Rabbi Harold Schulweis to inform the Boy Scouts of America that we would continue to choose our troop’s leaders based on their integrity and character, without regard to their sexual orientation or belief in God.
Conservative Movement:
On Dec 6, 2006, Conservative Jewish scholars eased their ban on ordaining gays and same-sex marriage. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, which interprets religious law for the movement, adopted three starkly conflicting policies that nonetheless gave gays the chance to serve as clergy and to marry. It leaves seminaries and synagogues to decide on their own which approach to follow. For details, see the following links to the full texts on each approved responsa:
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Gay ordination & marriage - http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/docs/Dorff_Nevins_Reisner_Final.pdf
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http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/docs/Levy_Final.pdf
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http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/docs/Roth_Final.pdf
Community Links:
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Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Los Angeles http://www.pflagla.org
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Jews for Marriage Equality http://www.jewsformarriageequality.org
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Keshet Congregations and Rabbis http://keshetcongregations.org/ and http://www.keshetrabbis.org/?page_id=1
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Equality California http://www.eqca.org
Questions/comments/additions: contact Steve Krantz (VBS member, President of PFLAG Los Angeles, Founder and Chair of Jews for Marriage Equality) via email at stevek@bipedinfo.com.
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