Celebrating Same-Sex Ruling, As Battle Continues
Like many Americans, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum spent part of her morning last Friday glued to her computer watching the live blog from the U.S. Supreme Court.
The blog, of course, carried the court’s momentous decision granting a constitutional right to same-sex marriage — news that wasn’t unexpected for the rabbi, but that still had her “in shock” five hours later.
“It shows the radical social transformation is possible and that you can’t give up. We’re out of Egypt, so to speak, although we’re not at the Promised Land. We still have work to do, but we’re instructed to celebrate,” said Rabbi Kleinbaum, senior cleric at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, known informally as New York’s gay and lesbian synagogue.
It was a theme that Rabbi Kleinbaum repeated in the comments of other rabbis, activists and communal leaders, all of whom expressed joy over the court’s decision while acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead.
For members of Rabbi Kleinbaum’s congregation, the chance to share their jubilation with others began at Friday night services, which coincided with the start of Gay Pride Weekend. They heard an emotional words from the bima, linked arms while singing “We Shall Overcome,” and listened to the evening’s speaker, Diane Ravitch, the prominent educator who, for the first time publicly, announced she was gay.
Ravitch told The Jewish Week that she decided to “come out” publicly as soon as she was invited to speak at CBST.
The jubilation continued Sunday during New York’s annual Gay Pride Parade, which included contingents from CBST, the American Jewish World Service, Jewish Queer Youth and Mosaic of Westchester.
Each group sported distinct banners, signs, and t-shirts and garnered shouts of “Shalom!” A hora circle formed midway through the route around Congregation Beit Simchat Torah’s float (which featured a chuppah made of a rainbow flag and a spangled Star of David.)
Part civil rights demonstration, part celebration of LGBTQ identities, exuberant onlookers waved and cheered as decorative floats, families, and rainbow flags paraded down Fifth Avenue.
Shonna Levin wore a black suit, white shirt, and wide-brimmed black hat, an outfit Celebrating Same-Sex Ruling, As Battle Continues | The Jewish Week: