New GLBT Prayer Book
Just in time for Pride Month, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah (CBST), the world's largest GLBT synagogue led by Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum (featured in JWA's exhibit Jewish Women and the Feminist Revolution), has published a new siddur.
It's called Siddur B'chol L'vav'cha (With All Your Heart) and, as described in CBST's press release, it's "created for individuals coming from a broad spectrum of Jewish practice and tradition [and] introduces numerous liturgical innovations that expand definitions of Jewish family and community to explicitly embrace lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families." Some of the liturgy includes texts by Muriel Rukeyser and Adrienne Rich, two of my favorite poets.
With marriage equality in the news quite a bit lately (boo, California; yay, New Hampshire), and having recently attended a Prop. 8 protest where the Massachusetts Jewish community was well-represented in support of equal marriage, it's affirming to see Jewish communities elsewhere becoming increasingly GLBT-inclusive, in the synagogue and out in the world.
Check out JWA's feature on Jewish Women and GLBT Pride and stay tuned for our Pride-related "Podcast of the Month."
Many speak of the positive influence: the Jewish tradition of social justice.I grew up in a home where advancing social justice was as integral to Judaism as lighting Shabbat candlesÌ¢âÂå_ Having learned from [my parents] to stand up for my dignity as a Jew, I suppose it was natural for me to stand up for my dignity as a woman, which, after all, is what feminism is all about. In this association of Jewishness and progressiveness, feminism becomes an expression of Jewish values. ------------------------------------------- Submited by : Bebe
CBST is a unique Jewish community in Jewish history. Never before has there been a community that reaches across all borders to welcome all Jews, regardless of orientation or identity, Ashkenazic or Sephardic, Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, or Reform, GLBT or straight. -------------------------------------- Submited by : Bebe