New York Jewish
Seminary Will Allow
Gays, Lesbians
By REUTERS, from the
NYTimes on the Web, March 26, 2007
NEW YORK -- A Conservative
Jewish seminary in New York has agreed to admit gays and lesbians who want to
become rabbis, but declined to take a stand on whether rabbis should officiate
at same-sex unions.
The Jewish Theological Seminary announced its decision on Monday, more than
three months after the Rabbinical Assembly's Committee on Jewish Law and
Standards authorized the ordination of gays and lesbians.
While most Orthodox Jews ban same-sex unions or gay rabbis, and Reform Jews have
accepted them for years, Conservative Jews have been split with sentiment
growing for acceptance.
A survey commissioned by the seminary and released in January showed 65 percent
of Conservative rabbis in favor of allowing gay and lesbian rabbis and cantors
compared to 28 percent who were opposed.
"This is really historic. It took a lot of leadership," said Jake Goodman,
a member of the Keshet, a group at the seminary that has advocated gay rights
within the Conservative movement.
The chancellor of the New York seminary, Arnold Eisen, made the decision after
consulting with hundreds of Conservative Jews, rabbis, cantors, educators,
students and lay leaders from the United States and abroad.
"It was really respectful. The opinions are strongly held, but it wasn't a
matter of raised voices or shaking fists," Eisen said.
Earlier this month the country's only other Conservative seminary -- the Ziegler
School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles -- began
accepting gay and lesbian applicants.
The New York seminary extended its application deadline to June 30 from December
31 to accommodate gays and lesbians.
"The immediate issue for congregations and rabbis, which they are already
grappling with, is whether they are going to do commitment ceremonies.
Eventually each congregation will have to decide whether it hires gay and
lesbian clergy," Eisen said.
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