Hillel hosts first gay orthodox rabbi
By: Marie Lindberg
Issue date: 12/9/09 Section: News
Three words are generally viewed as a contradiction in the Jewish community: gay, Orthodox, rabbi. Traditionally Orthodox Jews would only fit the latter two together, but Rabbi Steven Greenberg challenged this when he declared his homosexuality in 1991, becoming the first ordained Orthodox rabbi to do so.
HAMSA, a student organization that works to make the Jewish community a more comfortable place for LGBTQ students, sponsored Greenberg's weekend visit to the campus Hillel on Nov. 20- 21 where he talked about "how one succeeds in being a self-contradistinction."
The award-winning author argued there are several alternative translations of two biblical verses that have traditionally condemned sex between two men as punishable by death. "I'm trying to make a space for being coherently Orthodox and gay," he said about his work.
The only direct reference to homosexuality can be found in Leviticus, where intercourse between men is deemed problematic, but women are not mentioned, he said.
"Thus the sameness of the gender isn't the problem," he argues, "as it doesn't pose a problem for women."
Greenberg told Aaron Shapiro, the founder and president of HAMSA, that the University of Maryland was the first large campus he has spoken at that had organizations co-sponsor his visit. "It was a real testament to our community," he told Shapiro.
"I was really proud of our community to have the discussions even if they do not agree with them," said Shapiro. "I was really happy because I heard many people coming up to me afterwards saying they were talking about it. Even if they didn't attend [the] dinners they were having the same debate. I'm glad it sparked dialogue…you know baby steps."
At the Friday lunch, located in Holzapfel Hall, about 25 students gathered together with Greenberg who discussed the evolution of how the Jewish community deals this issue.
He spoke again to about 120 students at Hillel Friday night.
"The Jewish community is supposed to be somewhere you feel safe, not somewhere you should suppress your emotion," he told the group before sharing his own story of his 10-year struggle between his sexuality and religion before deciding to come out.
HAMSA, a student organization that works to make the Jewish community a more comfortable place for LGBTQ students, sponsored Greenberg's weekend visit to the campus Hillel on Nov. 20- 21 where he talked about "how one succeeds in being a self-contradistinction."
The award-winning author argued there are several alternative translations of two biblical verses that have traditionally condemned sex between two men as punishable by death. "I'm trying to make a space for being coherently Orthodox and gay," he said about his work.
The only direct reference to homosexuality can be found in Leviticus, where intercourse between men is deemed problematic, but women are not mentioned, he said.
"Thus the sameness of the gender isn't the problem," he argues, "as it doesn't pose a problem for women."
Greenberg told Aaron Shapiro, the founder and president of HAMSA, that the University of Maryland was the first large campus he has spoken at that had organizations co-sponsor his visit. "It was a real testament to our community," he told Shapiro.
"I was really proud of our community to have the discussions even if they do not agree with them," said Shapiro. "I was really happy because I heard many people coming up to me afterwards saying they were talking about it. Even if they didn't attend [the] dinners they were having the same debate. I'm glad it sparked dialogue…you know baby steps."
At the Friday lunch, located in Holzapfel Hall, about 25 students gathered together with Greenberg who discussed the evolution of how the Jewish community deals this issue.
He spoke again to about 120 students at Hillel Friday night.
"The Jewish community is supposed to be somewhere you feel safe, not somewhere you should suppress your emotion," he told the group before sharing his own story of his 10-year struggle between his sexuality and religion before deciding to come out.
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posted 12/13/09 @ 8:13 AM EST
It is great that at the Friday lunch, located in Holzapfel Hall, about 25 students gathered together with Greenberg who discussed the evolution of how the Jewish community deals this issue. (Continued…)
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posted 12/15/09 @ 11:00 AM EST
The only direct reference to homosexuality can be found in Leviticus, where intercourse between men is deemed problematic, but women are not mentioned. (Continued…)
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