Open Orthodoxy

Where Open Orthodoxy Ends: Your final destination for open review of fringe Orthodox Judaism. If you have comments, send them to OpenOrthodoxy@hotmail.com

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Interdenominational pluralism: retreat or embrace?


Click here for original source

The previous picture evokes strong disparate emotions depending on your point of view. If you are a religious feminist, the pictures may evoke emotions of pride - reflecting the religious liberation of women. If you are an Orthodox Jew you may feel something different.

The picture was taken at a Jewish interdenominational conference, Panim's Re-Imagining the American Synagogue rabbinical student retreat.

Yeshivat Chovevei Torah participation
The retreat was attended by three YCT students as discussed by YCT seminary student Drew Kaplan:
There, I, along with two other students from YCT, came together with students from several other rabbinical seminaries.
...
I enjoyed it, as I got to spend time working on trying to create some sort of vision towards my rabbinate and future shul(s), which was good.
-Re-Imagining the Synagogue Rabbinical Student Retreat
Drew Kaplan made it convenient to find pictures of the retreat, as photo gallery links were posted by him. For more Panim photos check out: set one, set two

RCA participation
On Dec. 7, the Rabbinical Council of America published a policy statement condemning the ordination of gays and lesbians, and same-sex "commitment ceremonies" in response to the recent acceptance of those practices by the Conservative movement.

On Dec. 8, the RCA published a Meet the Chaverim profile of RCA rabbi, Rabbi Asher Lopatin, a faculty member at the Panim retreat with other Jewish denominations that permit/accept gay and lesbian ordination, same-sex unions and corresponding sexual behaviors. So, it is possible that there were Reform or Reconstructionist gay and lesbian rabbis at the retreat. In the future, there may be Conservative G&L rabbis at such conferences. I assume that the RCA is aware of Rabbi Lopatin’s participation in the retreat as it published that information in his profile.

Is there an incongruity between RCA policy and practice?

Related links:
- What is [Reform] Judaism's view on homosexuality?

Labels: , ,