A Gay Synagogue in New York Review
Shokeid, Moshe, "A Gay Synagogue in New York", University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995, 2003.
Beit Simchat Torah
Amos Lassen
For some reason for the longest time, spirituality and homosexuality did not mix. In recent years however many homosexual men and women are reaching out to religion with hopes of finding their place in it. "A Gay Synagogue in New York" tells us of Beit Simchat Torah in New York City. It is a real synagogue with a membership of real men and women and it is a fascinating story---for me especially because I can put faces with the names that I read about.
The book examines the beginnings of the synagogue and its history and then looks at the need for separatist facilities for gay Jews. He examines the holy writings to find rustication for the existence of a gay synagogue and he looks at gender in general. One of the most rewarding chapters is how Simchat Torah reacted to the AIDS epidemic and how it survived when so many of its members did not. Finally we look at Simchat Torah as a safe place, as a gay place and as a Jewish place.
This is an example of modern ethnography and it is wonderfully written. Here is an easy read that has a lot to say and it is not just for Jews but for anyone who wants to be included.
A Gay Synagogue in New York Overview
A Gay Synagogue in New York recounts the communal experiences and personal dilemmas of the congregants of Beth Simchat Torah, the largest gay and lesbian synagogue in the United States.
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