Jerusalem – Dozens of American and Israeli Orthodox rabbis have signed a letter in support of the LGBTQ community in response to a letter last week from some 200 Orthodox rabbis in Israel that called its members “perverts” and an “organization of abominations.”
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At least 75 liberal Orthodox rabbis have signed the letter, which was first circulated on Tuesday.They call on the Orthodox community to “redouble our efforts to turn our synagogues, homes and communities into safe and tolerant places for the LGBTQ community.”
“Instead of hate, let us offer love. Where others demean, let us strive for equality,” the letter says.
Signatures are still coming in. Organizers plan to officially present the letter on Thursday at the Jerusalem Pride parade.
The letter comes less than a week after more than 200 religious Zionist rabbis, including heads of yeshivas, released a letter that said “the healthy majority in the State of Israel is shocked by the provocations and the loss of the way of the abomination organizations,” referring to groups that support the LGBTQ community. They also wrote that “the aggressive terrorism, accompanied by media brainwashing, to turn the perverts into heroes will not work.”
The letter reportedly was a show of support for Rabbi Aryeh Stern, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem, after he was criticized for saying that the children of same-sex couples will grow up to be “miserable.” His comments followed the passage of a surrogacy law earlier this month that expands those eligible to hire surrogates in Israel to include single women, but excludes single men and gay couples.
Another letter released Tuesday in response to the original letter came from about 100 members of the LGBT community who grew up in religious homes and mostly still live a religious lifestyle. They said they “read with great pain and sorrow the letter of rabbis written against us.”
“We, who grew up on the values of ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ and ‘beloved is man who was created in the image (of God)’, are hurt by the irresponsible disregard, exclusion and aggression of many of the leaders of the religious public, against us and against our brothers and sisters,” they wrote.
“Know that your words and actions have far-reaching consequences regarding the wellbeing of your loved ones, your students and members of your communities. Bear in mind that we are all responsible for one another.”
The annual March for Pride and Tolerance in Jerusalem, organized by the LGBT community, will take place Thursday, Aug. 2.
These are not rabbis. These are scum.
As they told Ed Koch “Gay in der erd”.
“הרבנים והרבניות” ??????
Read the list of names. All 3rd rate rabbis at best, mostly 5th.
IYH one day chashuva rabbonim will make a real difference in this matter.
Calling people names is rarely a good idea.
I scoured this petition for a single name I might recognize. Not one. There are quite a few women among the signatures. I suppose one could go door to door and add names here. Frankly, I am not impressed by this. We might argue whether the Rabbonim who denounced this event might have used less offensive vocabulary (I can’t think of any). But this document here is a worthless piece of paper with meaningless signatures on it. It is most useful for training a house pet.
Now the LGBTQ try to pretend that they are “Oich Rabbis” by coming out with a Kol Koreh in Hebrew. How dare these people to twist what is clearly forbidden by the Torah. But they have no problem because for them Torah is not Min Hashomayim,
even if they claim to be orthodox, modern or open orthodox.
disgaysting. These “rabbis” are queer.
Zev Farber? Better all the women raabis here than aza apikorus l’chol hatorah(.com) kula!
Hashem yirachem. So many in Klal yisroel have lost their way due to the ravages of golus. Please send moshiach right now!
V’ohavta l’rayacha kamocha doesnt mean I need to agree with what he does.
Sex perverts enjoy being showed ‘love’ by these stupid orthodox rabbis; but it does not help them get out of their perversion. Just the opposite! They and other secular idiots think nothing wrong with perverts!
G-d gave His opinion too:
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22)
“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.” (Leviticus 20:13)
I am distraught that this is taking place in Yerushalayim.
Nebach. They too are pervits
How can they be liberal AND Orthodox?
Most frummies are homophobic until one of their kids comes out. Then they can either turn their back on their own child or sympathise with their difficult situation. If their kid fried out I’m sure they wouldn’t turn their back.
We need organized protests by the mainstream yidden, like Agudah or the Eidah protesting at these parades. Just sending people to scream fooo and gevald won’t help against these gayngsters.
I did not seethe Lakewood Rosh Hayesivos or Bobover Rebbe, or for that matter Satmar or Skulen. Do any of the above signatures have a real following. Are any of them Shomer Torah Umitzvos???
Bottom line is that it is Ossur min HaTorah. Anyone who has an inclination for this toeivah is sick and should seek psychological help. You shouldn’t hate such people but feel sorry for them and treat them like any other mentally ill person. It doesn’t mean you support their lifestyle but if you know someone like that or if you have a close relative like that chas vesholom, you should try to get him help. It is like any other yetzer horah to do wrong things. If someone has such a strong yetzer horah for this perversion, he should be made to realize that it is wrong and he must seek help.
To #19 -PaulinSaudi is a gentile. How many frum Jews do you know who live in Saudi Arabia?
#19 . I am not a Jew. Never said anything else.
And we just finishedd Tishabov !
The press will accept the descriptions of Orthodox & Rabbi to anyone claiming to be that when in fact they are not Orthodox and often not Rabbis. It makes for good copy.
A schizophreniac who kills someone because he hears voices telling him to so would be locked up in a Mental Institution. He would not be considered normal and allowed on the street if he is a danger to someone else. We don’t hate such a person because he is ill. The LGBT people are also mentally ill. We don’t have to hate them but they should not be given legitimacy. They should be treated as sick individuals. What if all the the schizophreniacs decide to get together and have a parade and be potentially dangerous to others? Would we allow this to take place?
Such righteous indignation from all the tzadikim here. Halivi they would have such strong feelings about married frum men who molest little boys.
One of the names on the list is Melech Yisroel. Haha lol. Lehavdil a million times to what the real Melech Yisroel approves of. Disgusting!!
The fact is, that in their name “LGBTG” is an oxymnoron!
What does the B stand for?
Bi means two – ie, there are only 2 genders, not 5!
Guys, I am not a Jew. Nobody can post here during your Sabbath. I try all the time but they never appear. Tell you what, send me your phone number and I’ll call you from Saudi.
Of Nature’s law same sex attraction is a violation
So say those who believe in a worldwide inundation
One man in marriage another may not take
So say believers in the Tree of Knowledge and a talking snake
Gays for their “crimes” must be stoned or hung.
So say those claiming the Earth is 6,000 years young
One man, one woman together for life
So say those who forget the biblical norm was more than one wife
Same sex love is unnatural, immoral and unwise
So say those who worship a bachelor always in the company of 12 guys
Eve came from Adam’s rib, not something new
Since he was a guy, she must have been, too
© 2015
When did you choose to be straight?
Was there even a debate?
Did you wake up hearing a small voice
Urging you then and there to make your choice?
Who was it that spoke to you on that day
When you decided that you wouldn’t be gay?
Did you quickly choose what works for you
Or did you hesitate between the two?
You say being gay is just a selection
And that upon its detection
It can be cured by rejection
But upon further reflection
The truth is not at all as you say
No one chooses to be gay
Surely those who so spitefully depict it
Are themselves deeply conflicted
From homosexuality Yidden were never immune
So for our fellow gay Yidden let us all make room
You can’t catch gay it even if you try
And you can’t hide it forever, even when you lie
© 2017