Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the LGBTQS Synagogue in New York City announced a new initiative today entitled Strength Through Community. The project is centered around a video campaign but is focused on three principles:

1. To offer a specifically Jewish message that is positive, sincere, and LGBTQ affirming.
2. To present many individual video messages as part of an entire community reaching out, and that the value of a series presented by a community is that its strength, diversity, and very existence can provide a meaningful amount of comfort and guidance.
3. To use the best knowledge of Prevention experts to guide messaging and ensure that all attempts are made to have a true and positive impact on the individuals who will see these videos.

The first video, by Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum has gone up and CBST expects to roll out videos from community members on a regular basis over the next month at least.

More information is at http://cbst.org/Community/Strength-Through-Community

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If you’re not new to the LGBTQ Jewish events and retreats in New York, then you’ve probably met Justin Rosen and his partner Avi Smolen. Justin is one of those guys who couldn’t help but devote his life to Judaism.

So what wonderful news it was when these two announced that they were getting married. And, as a good Jewish couple, they were doing it young so they can undoubtedly start a family. Pure speculation. But the point is, if you’re looking for model Jewish families, this is one that if they were straight more of the Jewish world would celebrate.

Even more exciting was that their announcement was carried in The New Jersey Jewish Standard. One of the fun things about being a young LGBTQ Jew is that a lot of what we do gets to be the first or among the first of its kind.  In this case, the first announcement of a same-sex couple in that paper.

Long story short, some Orthodox leaders objected, the paper said it would no longer publish such announcements of same-sex couples, and then they reconsidered and said they would continue to publish same-sex marriage announcements.

There is plenty of coverage but I think the initial response, even though it has since been retracted, is worth looking at:

A group of rabbis has reached out to us and conveyed the deep sensitivities within the traditional/Orthodox community to this issue. Our subsequent discussions with representatives from that community have made us aware that publication of the announcement caused pain and consternation, and we apologize for any pain we may have caused.

The Jewish Standard has always striven to draw the community together, rather than drive its many segments apart. We have decided, therefore, since this is such a divisive issue, not to run such announcements in the future.

I’ll simply say this, is it not astounding that anyone, even for a moment, in this day and age, in this area, could think that the way to draw the community together is to exclude part of it?

JTA has good coverage, with a video of the couple:

Jewish organizations from around the world today released a joint pledge in response to five suicides committed by young LGBT people in the past three weeks that have been highly publicized recently. The pledge was created by Keshet, a national organization with a focus on creating more inclusive Jewish communities through education and programming about and/or for LGBT Jews and our issues.

Do Not Stand Idly By: A Jewish Community Pledge to Save Lives

As members of a tradition that sees each person as created in the divine image, we respond with anguish and outrage at the spate of suicides brought on by homophobic bullying and intolerance.

We hereby commit to ending homophobic bullying or harassment of any kind in our synagogues, schools, organizations, and communities. As a signatory, I pledge to speak out when I witness anyone being demeaned for their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. I commit myself to do whatever I can to ensure that each and every person in my community is treated with dignity and respect.

Campaign launched by Keshet [www.keshetonline.org] in partnership with (as of 10.5.10):
The Adventure Rabbi Program
Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado
The Anshe Emet Synagogue, Chicago, IL
Bay Area Masorti
Beth Chayim Chadashim, Los Angeles, CA
The Bronfman Youth Fellowships (BYFI)
California Faith for Equality
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR)
Cleveland Jewish LGBTQ2A Inclusion Project
Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston
Congregation Am Tikva, Boston, MA
Congregation Bet Haverim, Atlanta, GA
Congregation Beth Ahavah, Philadelphia, PA
Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn, NY
Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, New York, NY
Congregation Beth El, Berkeley, California
Congregation Beth El Binah, Dallas, TX
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, New York, NY
Congregation Kol Ami, West Hollywood, CA
Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley, CA
Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, San Francisco, CA
The Dobkin Family Foundation
Gay and Lesbian Yeshiva Day School Alumni Association (GLYDSA)
Gay and Lesbian Outreach and Engagement Program (GLOE)/Washington DC Jewish Community Center
Hebrew College
He’bro
Hazon
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Institute for Judaism & Sexual Orientation, Hebrew Union College-JIR
InterfaithFamily.com
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
JALSA - The Jewish Alliance for Law & Social Action
Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance
JESNA - The Jewish Education Service of North America
JewishBoston.com
Jewish Communal Leadership Program, University of Michigan
The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
Jewish Gay and Lesbian Group, London, UK
Jewish Gay Network of Michigan
Jewish Milestones
The Jewish Multiracial Network
Jewish Organizing Initiative
Jewish Outreach Institute
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Jewish Transitions
Jews United for Justice
Joshua Venture Group
Judaism Your Way, Denver, CO
Jumpstart
Just Congregations of the Union for Reform Judaism
JQ International
JQYouth
Kehilat Hadar, New York, NY
Kehilla Community Synagogue, Piedmont, CA
Kehilla School
Kolenu, Seattle’s Young Adult GLBTQ Group
LGBT Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation, San Francisco, CA
Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation
Ma’yan
Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh
Mechon Hadar
Moishe House Boston: Kavod Jewish Social Justice House
The Morningstar Foundation
The Natan Fund
Nathan Cummings Foundation
Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue, Jamaica Plain, MA
Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality
New Jersey’s Lesbian & Gay Havurah
North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY)
Orthodykes NY Progressive Jewish Alliance
Rabbinical Assembly Rabbinical School of Hebrew College
The Rainbow Center, Atlanta, GA
RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School Network
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Repair the World
ROI Community
Romemu
Ruth Allen
Ziegler Foundation
The Samuel Bronfman Foundation
Shalom Amigos, Mexico
ShefaNetwork: The Conservative/Masorti Movement Dreaming from Within
Storahtelling
SVARA
TBS Keshet, Temple Beth Shalom, Needham, MA
Trembling Before G-d Outreach Project
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)
University of Washington Hillel
UpStart Bay Area
A Wider Bridge
Women of Reform Judaism
Zeek Media, Inc.
Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies