Tag: Michael Barnett
A desperate play | J-Wire
Wallace and the Nazis – It has to stop << Gregory Storer
Australian Masorti welcomes same-sex ceremony guidelines | AJN
8 Jun 2012
The Australian Jewish News Melbourne edition
PETER KOHN
Australian Masorti welcomes same-sex ceremony guidelines
AUSTRALIAN Masorti rabbis and Jewish communal figures have welcomed Conservative Judaism’s decision to issue guidelines for its rabbis to conduct same-sex commitment ceremonies.
But groups representing the Jewish Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or Intersex (GLBTI) communities, while endorsing the move, noted it fell short of a fully fledged gay chuppah. Gay marriage is not legal in Australia.
The Rabbinical Assembly (RA), the American organisation for Conservative (Masorti) rabbis, voted last week in favour of issuing the rules under which its rabbis can conduct these ceremonies.
It follows the RA’s decision six years ago to allow its rabbis to officiate at same-sex ceremonies if they wished.
The RA has published two sets of guidelines, for ceremonies that more closely resemble a marriage, and for those that are more distinct from marriage.
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins of Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney, who has officiated at a same-sex commitment ceremony in Australia, welcomed the decision “which supports civil rights and equal rights for all Jews, regardless of their sexual orientation”.
Rabbi Adam Stein of Kehilat Nitzan in Melbourne said he was glad his movement approved same-sex ceremonies in 2006 and that it has now issued guidelines, but he would need to consult with Nitzan’s board before conducting such a ceremony. John Rosenberg, a founder of Kehilat Nitzan, told The AJN the guidelines are a positive move. “Masorti Judaism strongly supports inclusion and I think this is a wonderful move towards inclusion for all members of our community. But Rabbi Stein will need to provide guidance for the congregation in terms of what we do.”
Michael Barnett, convenor of GLBTI support group Aleph Melbourne, welcomed the guidelines, but called for a commitment ceremony to be made available to heterosexual couples. “Separate is not equal. With the Conservative Jewish movement creating a special class of religious marriage ceremony for same-sex couples, despite the positive message given by the recognition of these relationships, they are sending the message that the relationships between same-sex couples are second class and not equal to that of heterosexual couples.”
In Sydney, GLBTI support group Dayenu’s acting president, Kim Gotlieb, saw it as “a wonderful step forward in legitimising the loving bond and commitment that many same-sex couples feel for one another”, but noted that “kedushin” – the concept of a sanctified Jewish marriage – continues to be excluded from the ceremony. “However, the Masorti and Progressive synagogues in this country are poised to provide gay marriage, whenever the groundswell of public support manages to convince our politicians to move into line with prevailing international trends.”
[ Clarification: the reference to commitment ceremonies for heterosexual couples was printed out of context. It was submitted to the paper by way of comparison, in relation to Progressive Judaism in Australia currently offering same-sex Jewish couples a commitment ceremony, but denying this option to those heterosexual couples who would like religious recognition of their relationship but who do not want to get married. — Michael Barnett ]
AJN Letters: Maurice Sendak + Chaim Ingram on Marriage Equality – May 18 2012
18 May 2012
The Australian Jewish News Melbourne edition
Letters to the editor should be no more than 250 words and may be edited for length and content. Only letters sent to letters@jewishnews.net.au will be considered for publication. Please supply an address and daytime phone number for verification.
Wild thing made my heart sing
THE death of Maurice Sendak takes me back to my childhood, on a journey that many of us could share similarly. I recall turning the pages of his Wild Things book with wonderment and enjoying the scariness of the story and illustrations.
Not knowing until today that Sendak was of Jewish heritage, it is but one of the many things about him of which I was previously unaware. Another is that he had a male partner of 50 years, Eugene Glynn, who pre-deceased him in 2007.
I’m confident that Sendak’s diverse legacy will live on and enrich the lives of future generations, as it did mine.
MICHAEL BARNETT
Ashwood, Vic
Rabbis opposition to same sex marriages
DIKLA Blum (AJN 11/04) need be neither surprised nor baffled by the Rabbinical Council of NSW submissions (in consort with those of the Organisation of Rabbis in Australasia and the Rabbinical Council of Victoria) to the Senate and the House of Representatives opposing a change in the law that would recognise samesex marriage.
As a self-describing “mainstream” Orthodox Jew, Ms. Blum ought to be aware that the concept of homosexual marriage – and indeed homosexual relations – is incompatible with Orthodox, i.e. halachic Judaism.
Moreover since homosexuality is outlawed in the Noachide Code which is the basis of the JudaeoChristian ethic that has governed modern Australia since its inception, rabbinical organisations as guardians of that ethic have seen fit to fight to guard and protect that ethic.
Regarding the RCNSW’S use of the word “mainstream”, our president Rabbi Ulman has already clarified (AJN 27/04) that “by its very definition Reform/progressive theology deviates from the mainstream” and therefore it is an adjective we are fully entitled to use.
As for the representation issue: the rabbinic bodies in Australia purport to represent Torah and Torah values as is our mandate.
If this happens to conflict with the dogmas and mantras of the modern age which have turned some heads 180 degrees on this particular issue within a single generation, we the teachers of Judaism cannot be held to blame.
As it happens, I believe that were a survey of the opinions of the Orthodox community, and for that matter the wider Jewish community, to be conducted anonymously Ms Blum would again be surprised.
RABBI CHAIM INGRAM
Bondi Junction, NSW
My short perspective of Melbourne’s PRIDE << Musas/Muses
Rabbi’s homophobic comments provoke criticism, petition | Gay News Network
Rabbi’s remarks dubbed delusional | Melbourne mX
This story appeared on page 2 in the Melbourne mX on February 16, 2012, following on from the previous day’s cover story.
[PDF]
Rabbi’s remarks
dubbed delusional
Nadia Salemme
Jewish community groups have
distanced themselves from a
rabbi who criticised antibullying
programs for gay teens.
Aleph, a social and support
group for Jewish gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender
people, has condemned the
remarks by Rabbi Dr Shimon
Cowen as deluded.
He had claimed support programs
about gender and sexual
diversity in schools ‘‘could in fact
cultivate and encourage homosexuality
amongst many children
who would ordinarily grow
into heterosexual lifestyles’’.
Aleph spokesman Michael
Barnett said of Cowen: ‘‘He
needs to understand that people
who impose their religious
beliefs on same-sex-attracted
people are doing more harm
than good, and that it actually
adds to their suffering, misery
and is completely unacceptable.
‘‘It’s not a very helpful perspective
when it comes to
understanding the issues behind
sexuality and the very sensitive
nature of young children.’’
Barnett said he regularly received
calls from ‘‘distressed’’
Jewish families who needed
support for young gay people.
‘‘These people are suffering
badly – it’s because of the attitudes
of people like this rabbi
who have repressed discussion
in the community, repressed
tolerance and inclusion, and
unconditional love,’’ he said.
The Executive Council of Australian
Jewry has also distanced
itself from Cowen’s comments.
In a statement, it described
Cowen as ‘‘highly respected in
our community, but that does
not mean that his views on any
subject are representative’’.