PINK NEWS: PinkNews.co.uk founder Benjamin Cohen reflects back on yesterday's Jewish festival of Yom Kippur and what it means for an openly gay Jew.
Two years ago, I wrote about my experiences in Synagogue over Yom Kippur, the day of atonement when according to Judaism, all men and women are judged and God decides whether to write them into the book of life for the following year, who will die at his allotted time and who before. It's also the day that God decides who will have a good year and who will have a year of struggle. As I left yesterday's service, I felt that it would be apt to update the original article.
As I sat in Synagogue yesterday during Yom Kippur I once again regretted that I'm still an attendee of the United Synagogue.
The United Synagogue is Britain's largest Jewish community and represents what it defines as "modern Orthodoxy", a centre ground which aims to embrace modernity with a traditional slant.
Despite their orthodox claims, the majority of those who belong to the movement are certainly not orthodox in the strictest sense of the word. They may attend synagogue regularly but they'll often watch television and drive on Shabbat (the Sabbath) something which is banned.
But in terms of morality, particularly sexual morality, those Rabbis in charge of the synagogues have failed to recognise the strides forward both society as a whole and the Jewish community in particular have made in the past few years.
Many of my parent's friends are clearly subscribers to the modern orthodox doctrines; strictly keeping Kosher, refraining from all forms of work on the Sabbath (even switching a light on) and attend Synagogue at least once a week. But all have accepted my sexuality, one even saying that I was "silly to have thought they would have behaved otherwise."
Yet as I sat in the Yom Kippur service yesterday afternoon, I was reminded that the movement still has a long way to go. The Torah reading for the afternoon was from Leviticus, particularly those verses concerning forbidden sexual relationships. >>> Benjamin Cohen | Tuesday, September 29, 2009
