Progressive Halakhah and Homosexual Marriage
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The Responsa Committee has received many requests to affirm the use of creative, private religious ceremonies. Some of these have no roots in Jewish tradition or theology. A mohel was asked to officiate at the berit milah of the child of a mixed marriage. The mother is Jewish , the father a believing Catholic. They have requested that the child have a berit and then be baptized. The child is to be educated in both religious traditions.
The responsum, given by Walter Jacob , stated that the circumcision and synagogue education would only lead to the confusion of the child. The mohel is not to proceed with the berit.?>
In another situation, a rabbi, who serves a New England community, has received a request to participate in the annual ceremony of“blessing the fleet” with the Christian clergy of the area. After a thorough analysis, this interfaith ceremony, was revealed to be a sort of Christian ritual, and finding that there is no precedent for blessing things in Jewish tradition, the Responsa Committee responded in the negative.” We can understand from this that not every creative ritual and ceremony may be accepted as properly Jewish .
Nevertheless, if a same-sex couple and the rabbi must choose between a same-sex marriage or a commitment ceremony and cannot avoid either alternative, they should choose the latter. The marriage ceremony can be considered a violation of Jewish Law; the commitment ceremony might be prohibited because it gives the appearance of a wedding ceremony. Neither has any justification in Jewish law and tradition. Of the two, the wedding ceremony is a more serious violation of Jewish law.
A Reform rabbi and a professor posted the following on the Hebrew Union College alumni internet forum:“However, the fact remains that in New York State , among others, it is against the law. to perform a gay/lesbian marriage. If I perform one, I am breaking the law. If I perform some other sort of ceremony which appears to be a wedding but in factis nota wedding,[ am giving the appearance of breaking the law. These are not, in my
thinking, trifling matters.”