Pride March 2018 will see the strongest ever Jewish contingent in its two-decade history, bringing together a dynamic range of organisations from our community.
After months of planning by Aleph co-convenor Colin Krycer we can now announce that for the first time “Barbra the Beaut Ute”, resplendent with rainbow Magen David decals, will lead the Jewish groups, pumping out professionally remixed upbeat Jewish and Israeli hits.
Colin’s idea for the combined Jewish contingent was to demonstrate the harmony, inclusiveness and togetherness within the Jewish community. His dream is to see everyone dance their way down Fitzroy Street to the liveliest Jewish music.
Participating in the “Jew Crew”* are Aleph Melbourne, Jews of Pride, Temple Beth Israel, Keshet Australia, Hashomer Hatzair, Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria, Progressive Judaism Victoria, and Netzer Melbourne.
Be at the marshalling area, corner of Lakeside Drive and Fitzroy Street St Kilda this Sunday January 28 by 1:30pm for a 2pm sharp start.
Everyone is welcome to attend and show their support for LGBTIQ Jews. Bring your family, friends, allies and even your pets.
CONCERNS OVER SECRECY OF RUDDOCK RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REVIEW
Aleph Melbourne is deeply concerned with the announcement that all public submissions to the Ruddock Religious Freedom Review will be kept secret.
There is a lot at stake for the respect and dignity of LGBTIQ people alongside that of members of religious communities. Any review of freedom of speech requires a full, frank and honest exchange of views.
The notion that submissions to an inquiry should be kept secret flies in the face of the very intention to investigate the freedoms that are under threat.
It would be better for the Turnbull Government to provide full transparency rather than create a tension in our communities. There should be no freedom that is so important that the decision-making process needs to be hidden from view.
The Jewish community is well aware of the risk that discrimination carries. For decades we have been at the forefront of ensuring that people of all backgrounds are free to go about their lives with minimal impact to their personal liberties.
The potential is that the Ruddock Review will see the introduction of new rights giving faith-based organisations greater freedom to discriminate. It may well be that a Christian business that could refuse to provide goods or services for a same-sex wedding, because of their sincerely held religious beliefs, could also refuse to serve a Jewish wedding based on the same sincerely held beliefs.
For further comment contact Michael Barnett – 0417-595-541
Maccabi Victoria is delighted that marriage equality has now been legislated and that all Australians regardless of their sexual orientation will be treated equally under Australian law.
Maccabi Victoria President Brian Swersky stated, “I am both a proud member of the Jewish community and a proud ally of the LGBTIQ community. At a community level, I think it is of utmost importance that all people, no matter their gender, sexuality or orientation are welcome to each and every Maccabi club or program. On a personal level, I have seen the hurt this debate has caused, as my daughter and her wife have been called hurtful things because of their love for each other.
May every child of every Maccabi Victoria club always know that they have a place in our clubs and our hearts no matter who they are or who they love. No matter the colour of their skin or the language that they speak. No matter their physical or cognitive ability.
No matter.”
We recognise the impact that the debate and survey has had on some members of our community and hope that anyone facing mental health concerns as a result will seek appropriate support and assistance.”
Anyone seeking support and assistance can download a copy of the JCCV LGBTI Services Directory at www.jccv.org.au to seek support from an appropriate service provider.
January 1995 saw the formation of a social group for gay Jewish men in Melbourne. The group was called Aleph Melbourne, to be distinct from the now long-defunct Aleph Sydney.
The need for a separate men’s group was due to the existence of the Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria, formed in 1992. It was JLGV’s desire to remain women-only, so Aleph filled the niche for men.
In the early years Aleph convened in private houses, had a committee, a meet-and-greet arrangement for new members, and a busy calendar of events.
Aleph was promoted through a small advert in the Jewish News, and also word of mouth.
I helped set up the first web page and email address for Aleph, both hosted on the then-popular Geocities service offered by Yahoo.
Due to a change in the group’s leadership in the late 1990s the committee decided to hold monthly drop-in meetings at the premises of the Victorian AIDS Council, then at 6 Claremont Street, South Yarra. The drop-in nights were a success for a long time, however dwindling attendance saw an end to these meetings in 1999.
Toward the latter half of 1998 the committee decided to apply for membership of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, in an effort to increase awareness in the Jewish community of issues that gay and bisexual men faced. Such issues included social isolation, discrimination, HIV/AIDS, and the emerging awareness of negative mental health outcomes and suicide.
In May 1999 our membership application failed to receive the two-thirds majority vote required from the council’s membership. To say our application for membership was controversial was an understatement, as it attracted front-page news, heated debate and full letter columns in the Jewish News for weeks and weeks.
Aleph felt the white-hot anger of the Orthodox leadership for daring to stand up for our individuality and acceptance. We also discovered there was a ground-swell of acceptance from many socially inclusive organisations, most notably the Progressive Jewish community, along with a large number of high school students, Zionist youth organisations and university students.
The rejection of our application by the JCCV took a huge toll on our small group which led to the committee folding and the group going into hiatus. However I felt that the need for the group was still strong and maintained a vigilant telephone and email presence.
Operating on a shoestring budget, we continued holding functions in private homes and offered support as best as we could.
Around 2007 we felt that continuing on as a gay and bisexual men’s group was marginalising those in the community who were transgender and so after consulting our membership we elected to become fully inclusive, accepting anyone with a Jewish identity as a member, irrespective of sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
We also noticed a need to cater specifically to Jewish youth and so Young Aleph was formed in 2007. A dynamic leadership team and fun events saw packed attendances for weeks and weeks. Young Aleph was a hugely successful experiment that ran until approximately 2009.
The shooting at the Tel Aviv LGBT Centre on August 1 2009 was a turning point for Aleph Melbourne. The now-dormant Melbourne-based AJN Watch blog wrote some hideous commentary about this event, degrading and vilifying gay men in the process. As an advocacy group, Aleph Melbourne reached out to the JCCV and asked for their help to combat this intolerance.
Whilst no practical support was initially forthcoming, the JCCV eventually succumbed to strong pressure from Aleph Melbourne and in late 2009 formed a reference group to start investigating the needs of LGBTIQ Jews. The JCCV has since become an advocate for LGBTIQ inclusion and awareness.
Over the years Aleph Melbourne has attended Pride March, Mardi Gras, In One Voice / Concert in the Park, International Holocaust Remembrance Day events, and the Midsumma Festival.
We made a documentary in 2016 commemorating our 20 year anniversary (1995-2015). This short film has screened in many film festivals around Australia and overseas. Most notably it was included in the Belfast Human Rights Film Festival and the prestigious St Kilda Film Festival.
Whilst Aleph Melbourne has provided a safe space for same-sex attracted Jews for many years now, most recently we have seen an increase in the need for support for transgender and gender-diverse people.
Statements calling for respect for LGBTIQ people together with statements of support for marriage equality, from organisations like the JCCV, Maccabi Victoria and the National Council of Jewish Women, have paved the way for a greater level of acceptance for LGBTIQ people.
Aleph Melbourne continues to offer a home for those Jews who do not identify as heterosexual, who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, or who may identify outside the gender-binary.
The tide has turned in the Jewish community. We have come a long way since 1995 and look forward to an exciting 2018 and beyond.
Ten years ago, in December 2007, the Australian Jewish News published two letters authored by Robert Weil: “AIDS is a gay disease” and “AIDS does discriminate”. It’s worth reflecting on the strong-held beliefs of Robert Weil to understand the toxic attitudes held by some in Melbourne’s Jewish community.
Robert Weil | AJN | 07-DEC-2007 | “AIDS DOES DISCRIMINATE”Robert Weil | AJN | 21/12/2007 | “AIDS A GAY DISEASE”
Passed unanimously at the ECAJ Annual Conference in Melbourne on Sunday November 26 2017.
Add a new Policy Item 54 as follows:
Same Sex civil marriage
This Council:
54.1NOTES the high response rate to the survey on same sex marriage conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2017, participation in which was entirely voluntary;
54.2NOTES FURTHER that there was a strong majority in favour of same sex marriage being recognised in Australia’s civil law;
54.3RECOGNISES that the survey did not relate in any way to religious marriages;
54.4CALLS ON the Federal government to:
enact an amendment to the civil law definition of marriage in the Marriage Act as soon as is practicable in order to give effect to the clear result of the survey;
ensure that members of the clergy will continue to have the right to refuse to perform or participate in any marriage ceremony at their discretion, as is provided for at present under section 47 of the Marriage Act;
ensure that religious institutions and religious schools will continue to have the same rights they currently enjoy under the law to practice, teach and preach their religious beliefs, including their beliefs about the institution of marriage being between a man and a woman; and
ensure that parents and legal guardians will continue to have the same freedoms they currently enjoy to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.
54.5REJECTS any proposal that would permit businesses to refuse to provide goods, services and facilities on the basis that these are to be used in connection with a same-sex marriage ceremony; and
54.6AFFIRMS that in matters of ordinary trade and commerce, as distinct from matters of religious practice and belief, all people are entitled to be protected from adverse discriminatory treatment on the basis of their race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family or carer’s responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin.
On Monday November 14 2017 the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) distanced itself from Isi Leibler’s intolerant views of LGBTIQ people and marriage equality by way of an unrestrained apology sent to their mailing list:
Disclaimer and apology regarding Update 11/17 #03
Nov. 14, 2017
Earlier today, as part of the “Update from AIJAC” email newsletter, a link was included to Isi Leibler’s latest column, in which he stated his opinions on same sex marriage. Isi Leibler’s columns are routinely linked in the Update newsletter, and the decision to include this column was taken without the input of senior AIJAC management. Given the nature of this column, linking it at this time was clearly an error, for which AIJAC apologises. AIJAC did not intend to and does not endorse Isi Leibler’s opposition to same sex marriage, which does not reflect AIJAC’s views.
A response to Isi Leibler’s column can be found here.
Aleph Melbourne welcomes the result of the “Same-Sex Marriage” Postal Survey and looks forward to seeing marriage equality enacted under law in Australia without additional restrictions or degradation of dignity to LGBTIQ people.
We acknowledge that the mechanism the government used to gauge the sentiment of the population was unnecessary and hurtful to LGBTIQ people and hoped that the government would have simply voted on the legislation up-front, as they are elected to do.
We commend the Jewish Community Council of Victoria for their positive contribution to the welfare of LGBTIQ people and look forward to their further support of vulnerable members of the community over coming days and weeks. We also commend the support from the growing number of congregations and community organisations that have been instrumental in advocating for equality, both the stalwarts and the newly supportive.
It is our hope that before long we will be seeing members of the Jewish community in gender-diverse and same-sex relationships celebrating their marriages, with the affirmation of their families, friends and community. We know that such inclusion and celebration will bring families together, reduce the levels of mental health problems in young people and even save lives.
Lastly, we are deeply grateful to those in the community, and also to those beyond, who voted Yes. Whilst the temptation to stick to old traditions may be enticing, the prospect of making new traditions will be incredibly rewarding, beyond expectations. Thank you.
One of the sticking points in this decision about legalising same-sex marriage has been whether the religious freedoms of people with objections to such a change will be restricted.
Senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney, Dr Benjamin Elton, says the vast majority of Jews in NSW are in favour of legalising same-sex marriage.
Dr Elton says as long as a Rabbi in a synagogue only needs to marry two people according to his conscience, he is sure the community will be “perfectly calm and content about the change”.
“We all deserve equal treatment under the law,” the Rabbi told The World Today.
Duration: 4min 52sec
Broadcast: Wed 15 Nov 2017, 12:19pm
More Information
Featured:
Dr Benjamin Elton, Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney
Transcript
LINDA MOTTRAM: One of the sticking points in this decision about legalising same-sex marriage has been whether the religious freedoms of people with objections to such a change will be restricted.
Shortly we’ll hear from the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies.
In the studio with me now though is the senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney, Dr Benjamin Elton.
Dr Elton, thank you for your time today.
What’s your response, first of all, to the vote result and that turnout?
BENJAMIN ELTON: The turnout was very high, I think. I, coming from an English background, we dream of having turnouts of 80 per cent.
I think the Australian public are used to voting and it comes naturally to them and it is very important with a change of this magnitude that there was a high turnout and I think a 60 per cent or more result for yes is pretty decisive and the people have spoken.
I think we now have to proceed with legislation to legalise same-sex marriage.
LINDA MOTTRAM: Can you just give me a sense of what the responses to this debate has been in the Jewish community. Like all communities, a range of views, but do you think are there some dominant themes?
BENJAMIN ELTON: The community in general has been very supportive of legalising same-sex marriage. The Board of Deputies, which is the lay leadership body of the New South Wales community has voted 99 to 1 at a plenary in favour of same-sex marriage.
So there’s no question that the vast majority of Jews in New South Wales are in favour.
Of course, there’s concerns about religious freedoms, but as long as in a synagogue, a rabbi only needs to marry two people according to his conscience, as long as that is protected and safeguarded, I’m sure the community will feel perfectly calm and content about the change.
LINDA MOTTRAM: And do you believe that that capability is currently protected or do you think new protections will be needed?
BENJAMIN ELTON: I don’t think we need new protections. At the moment I can only marry, according to my faith, I can only marry people in a very narrow range of eligibilities – a man and a woman, both Jews, both either single or have received a Jewish divorce if they were married before.
I’m totally protected by the law in marrying only according to my own faith principles and I don’t expect that to change.
LINDA MOTTRAM: So this will be now legislated and it is complicated in Canberra. I’m sure everybody is aware of that now.
Religious protections will be discussed and it’s not just about who you can marry. It is about a range of issues like schools and decision making around children and sex education. Are there any other elements there that concern you or your community?
BENJAMIN ELTON: I think it’s important that Jewish schools and other faith schools can be allowed to teach marriage according to their own principles without being, in any way, insulting or denigrating towards other people.
We can say that we believe that marriage according to the Jewish tradition is between a man and a woman and just as we believe that marriage should take place between two Jews. We believe in marriage within the faith as well.
We teach that, and I expect we’ll continue to teach, I know we’ll continue to teach that in the Jewish faith, marriage between a man and a woman.
What is done in civil marriage is a different matter and we certainly shouldn’t teach that these marriages are illegitimate or they are inappropriate. The law of the land is the law, and as long as we can teach our own traditional story and our own children, that is all we need to safeguard.
LINDA MOTTRAM: The Prime Minister made a point yesterday saying that he didn’t think the Parliament, his Government or the Australian people, would countenance making things legal which are currently illegal and this discussion has been around that some of the protections some people want might require the overriding of state anti-discrimination legislation, some of which has been in place for 25 years.
Are you concerned that there might be a rolling back of anti-discrimination legislation in this process?
BENJAMIN ELTON: I would be very concerned to see a rolling back. I don’t think it will happen. I suspect that the way Parliament will vote will be to retain those elements of anti-discrimination legislation. I hope they do.
I don’t think we need more protections for religious freedom than we have at the moment.
I think the big difference between baking a cake and performing a marriage.
LINDA MOTTRAM: And will you be lobbying to that effect, because other religious entities, people will be…
BENJAMIN ELTON: I’ve made my views very clear here, and whenever else I’m asked. I think the current safeguards, which protect us all actually, are essential.
And I mean, what if a Jewish person married a non-Jewish person and not in a synagogue obviously, but they wanted to buy a cake and some person refused to sell them a cake because it didn’t approve of Jews marrying non-Jews. I think that would be appalling.
So whether or not we live entirely by the tenets of our own faith, we all deserve equal treatment under the law and if you are doing something legal like marrying somebody according to the law, you should be served and be entitled to the goods and services you asked for.
LINDA MOTTRAM: Dr Elton, thank you very much for joining us today.
Dr Benjamin Elton is the senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney.
Maccabi Victoria is delighted that marriage equality has now been legislated and that all Australians regardless of their sexual orientation will be treated equally under Australian law.
