Homosexuality in Judaism: a Look Across the Denominational Spectrum

Homosexuality in Judaism: A Look Across the Denominational Spectrum

Author: Rachel Ackerman

Content Areas:Conservative Movement, Jewish Law, Jewish Values, Orthodox Movement, Reconstructionist Movement, Reform Movement

Grades: 9th –12th grade

Goals:

•ToprovideparticipantswithanoverviewaboutJudaism’sstancesonhomosexuality.

•Toencouragesparticipantstograpplewiththetensionsbetweenremainingtrueto the textanddiscountingaspectsoftextwhichfeelunethicaltomodernsenses.

Objectives:Bytheendofthislesson,participantswillbeableto:

•summarizetwobiblicaltextsrelatedtoprohibitionsonhomosexualmalesex.

•analyzethetwobiblicaltextsrelatedtoprohibitionsonhomosexualmalesex.

•compareandcontrastdifferentJewishdenominationalstancesonhomosexuality.

•discussthetensionbetweentheintentionofthetextandliberalethicalstandards.

Materials:

•Butcherpaperandtapeorwhiteboard

•Markersforbutcherpaperorwhiteboard

•Computers

•WebsitesAboutJudaismandHomosexualityforeachgroup(below)

•DenominationalInquiryCharts(below)

•Pens/pencils

Set-Induction:JewishTextsRelatedtoHomosexuality

00:00-00:02

Whentheparticipantsarrivein theroomthefacilitatorshouldalreadyhavethefollowingwrittenuponawhiteboardoronalargepieceof butcherpaper:

Donotliewithamaleasonelieswithawoman;itisanabhorrence.

—Leviticus18:20

Ifamanlieswithamaleasonelieswithawoman,thetwoof themhavedonean abhorrentthing;theyshallbeputtodeath—theirbloodguiltisuponthem.

— Leviticus20:13

Thefacilitatorshouldhavesomeonereadthetextsaloudandthenaskstheparticipantstoraise theirhandsiftheyrecognizethesetexts.

Activity1:TextDiscussion

00:02-00:10

Thefacilitatorshouldasktheparticipantsthe followingquestionspertainingtothetextsonthewhiteboardorbutcherpaper:

1)Whatarethesetextstalkingabout?

PossibleAnswers:

-Homosexuality

-Homosexualsex

-Sinning

-Lyingdown

2) Isit surprisingtoyouthatthesetextscomefromtheTorah?Why?

PossibleAnswers:

-Yes,becauseit isunethical.

-Yes,becausemyvaluescontradictthis.

-No,Irecognizeit.

-Yes,becausewedon’tkillpeoplebecausetheyaregaytoday.

-Yes,becausejustbecausepeopledosomethingthatothersthinkiswrongdoesnotmean weshouldkillthem.

4)Arethesetextsreferringtomenortowomen?

-Men

-Itsaysmen,butit mightbeaprohibitionformaleandfemalehomosexualsex.

5)Whatareyourfeelingsaboutthesetexts?

-Theymakemeuncomfortable.

-TheTorahisold;it’snotreallyrelevantanymore.

-I’mconfused,don’twefollowthelawsintheTorah.Doesthatmeanweshouldbe againsthomosexuality?

6) Isthereatensionbetweenwhat you feelismorallyand ethicallyrightandwhatthese textssayoraretheyinlinewithyourethicsand morals?

Thefacilitatorshouldsay:Jewsfromalldifferentbackgroundsstrugglewiththe implicationsthattheseverseshaveinmodernlife.Todaywearegoingtoseehow differentJewishmovementsstruggleand workwiththesetexts.

Activity2:DenominationalInquiry:JigsawPartI

00:10-00:45

Thefacilitatorshouldbreaktheparticipantsintofour groups.Each groupisassignedtooneof

thefollowing:Conservative,Orthodox,Reconstructionist,orReform.Each groupshould begivenacopyofWebsitesAboutJudaismandHomosexuality(below)and eachparticipantshouldbe givenachart(below).Withintheirgroups,theparticipantswillsearch throughthe articlesand websiteslistedinordertofillintherowonthechart correspondingtothedenominationtheyareassignedto.

Theissuesthattheparticipantsare inquiringaboutarelistedacrossthetopofthe chart(Understandingof Leviticus18:22 and20:23,DifferenceBetweenMale-Maleand Female-FemaleRelationships,Stanceon Same-SexUnions,StanceonOrdainingRabbisWhoAreHomosexual,Mentionof Bisexualityand/orTransgender/sexualIssues,LGBTSynagoguesandOrganizations AffiliatedwiththisMovement,Sexuality:BiologicaloraChoice?).Thereisalotof informationtosiftthrough,buttheparticipantsneedtobeencouragedtobebriefintheir summaries.It isokayoftheydonot getthrougheverything.

NOTETOFACILITATOR:Thesewebsitesshouldbesufficienttofill inmostof the chart.Ifnecessary,participantscansearchotherlinksfoundatthesesites.

Activity3:DenominationalInquiry:JigsawPartII

00:45-01:20

Theparticipantsshouldregroupsothattheyareingroupsoffourwithonerepresentativewhocoveredeachdenominationintheirgroup.Theparticiapntssharewhattheylearnedwithone anotherand fillintheremainderoftheircharts.Ifregroupedcorrectly,attheendofthe

15minuteseveryonewillhaveanentirechartfilledin.

Wrap-upDiscussion

01:20-01:30

CITsjoinbacktogetherasawholegroup.Facilitatorasksthefollowing:

1)Whatwerethemostsurprisingfindingsthatyoudiscoveredthroughfilling-inand sharingyourfindingswithoneanother?

PossibleAnswers:

-AllJewsstrugglewiththeseissues.

-IfoundmyselfverycomfortablewiththeresponsesthatIfound.

-Iwasveryangrybysomeoftheresultsinmychart.

2)Didyoulearnanythingabout yourdenomination’sstancetowardhomosexualitythat youdidn’tknowbefore?(Modifythisquestionifinanon-denominationalcamp.) Answerswillvarybycampaffiliation.

3)Are youparticularlyuncomfortablewithanyfindingsthatyoucameacross?Why?

Answerswillvarybycampaffiliation.

4)Doyoufeelanytensionsbetweenwhat youfeelismorallyand ethicallyrightand what ourdenomination’sstanceisregardinghomosexuality?

Answerswillvarybycampaffiliation.

5)Howdowenavigatethesetensions?

PossibleAnswers:

-Weignorethetext.

-WeactdifferentlyinJewishsettingsthanwhenwearenotinJewishsettings.

-Itdoesn’tmatter;wepickandchoosefromtheTorahanyway.

-ObviouslytheTorahiscorrect,sowe’rejustgoingtohavetolivewithit.

Thefacilitatorshouldsay:Therearelikelypeopleatourcamp,ifnotinthisroom,from varyingsexualorientations.Whilecampisaveryopenandwelcomingplace,it can also beadifficultplaceattimesforindividualswhoarenotheterosexual.Thefactthat Judaismandourcultureisnotalwayscompletelywelcomingofpeoplewhoarenotstraightmeansthatthesetensionsthatyoumayhavefeltdoingthisexaminationtodayare presentforsomeofusonaregularbasis.

It’s important toworkon navigatingthesetensionsandmakingsurethatwe candoourbesttofacilitateasafeand caringspaceforeveryone,regardlessofsexualorientation.Overthenextseveraldays, stayattunedtothelanguagethatyouhear,thewayactivitiesaredone,andconversations thatoccurthatmaybealienatingforthosewho arenotheterosexual.Thisisthebeginningof anongoingdiscussion.

Beforeweleave,Iwanteveryonetoshareonewordthatexpresseshowtheyfeelabout thesubjectmatterthatwecoveredtoday.

When reproducing this lesson please give credit to the author and Keshet.

WebsitesAboutJudaismandHomosexuality

GENERALOVERVIEW

“Overview:JewishViewsonHomosexuality”:

alsomakesbriefmentionofReconstructionistandOrthodoxJudaism.

GENERALOVERVIEW “HomosexualityandJudaism”:

ThisarticlediscussesJewishperspectivesonhomosexualitybymovement,including

Conservative,Orthodox,Reconstructionist,andReform.

SAME-SEXMARRIAGE

“JudaismandSame-sexMarriage:ThemajorJewishdenominations,notsurprisingly,

havecometodifferentconclusionsaboutsame-sexmarriage,”byRabbiAmber Powers

_Marriage.shtml

Thisarticlediscussestheviewsofsame-sexmarriagebymovement,including

Conservative,Orthodox,Reconstructionist,andReform.

ORDAININGHOMOSEXUAL RABBIS

“OrdainingGaysand Lesbians:DenominationalApproaches:Reconstructionistand

Reformrabbinicalschoolsadmitgaystudents;Conservativeand Orthodoxschoolsdo not,”byNaomiGrossman

Thisarticlediscussesthestancesofordainingrabbiswhoarehomosexualby movement,includingConservative,Orthodox,Reconstructionist,andReform.

LINKS

JewishLesbian,Gay,Bisexual,andTransgenderlinks

ThissiteoffersaseriesoflinkstovariousLGBTsynagogues,groups,and organizations.Clickonthelinkstofindoutmoreaboutwhotheyserve.