Coming Home to Judaism and To Self features the personal journeys of prominent LGBTQ faith leaders, and highlights progress that many Jewish institutions have made toward becoming more welcoming and inclusive. The guide reflects a wide spectrum of personal experiences, and the variety of Jewish responses to welcoming LGBTQ families and friends in their communities.
It also provides advice and resources to help Jews in the United States looking to engage more deeply with their faith. Rather than repudiating religion, Coming Home to Judaism offers strategies for the LGBTQ faithful seeking enriching and meaningful lives in the Jewish faith.
“This guide underscores the reality that being LGBTQ and being Jewish are not mutually exclusive. Our communities of faith need to amplify voices of inclusion and love, not discrimination and hate,”said Rabbi Denise Eger, the first openly LGBT president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) and member of HRC’s Religion Council. “Passover celebrates the return of the Jewish people to their homeland. This guide reminds us that welcoming our LGBTQ families and friends home is something we need to do in every generation.”
On April 17, the HRC Foundation marked the approach of Passover by hosting at HRC headquarters the 9th Annual National Rainbow Seder, with partners GLOE and the Jewish Food Experience.
“This resource seeks to welcome LGBTQ faithful to their rightful place in the tapestry of Jewish pluralism,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, HRC’s Senior Vice President for Programs, Research and Training. “We were so honoured to co-host the National Rainbow Seder here in DC this past week and were reminded of the incredible tradition of leaders like Rabbi Joshua Heschel marching with MLK Jr. in Selma and the long history of the Jewish faithful being champions for justice – including LGBTQ equality.”
Coming Home to Judaism and To Self is the fourth in a series of faith-specific “coming home” guides released by the HRC Foundation. HRC “coming home” faith guides — a Muslim, Catholic and general faith guide were released last year; a guide for LGBTQ Mormons will be issued in coming months.
Learn more about how the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Religion & Faith Program is helping to build a world in which nobody is forced to choose between who they are, who they love and what they believe at www.hrc.org/religion.
Photo By tedeytan (https://www.flickr.com/photos/taedc/18656020369/) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
