As I head to Jerusalem this Sunday and begin two months of learning and sabbatical, I am inspired by the voices of my teachers, and particularly during this Pride Month, I invite you to listen to the voices of Rabbi Rachel Adler Ph.D., Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, and Rabbi Abby Stein.
Professor Adler taught at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion for almost 40 years. She is the author of many publications including Engendering Judaism, which is an essential book of Jewish theology.
Shortly before Professor Adler also received rabbinic ordination, she delivered a sermon at Congregation Beth Chayim Chadashim, the world’s first synagogue founded “by and for gay and lesbian Jews.” In her sermon she speaks about Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim and it’s infamous words about male homosexual sex in Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. She asks a question that every one of us must ask: “What do we do with Torah texts that make it impossible for some people–gay men, women, slaves–to live a Jewish life with dignity and joy?”
She goes on to respond to this question with her tremendous scholarship, passion, and even humor. I highly recommend you take the time to hear her teach.
And of course hers is a voice among many who teach us Torah about gender, sex, and Judaism. Rabbi Mike Moskowitz serves as the Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world’s largest LGBT synagogue. He has received three Ultra-Orthodox ordinations, and is a member of my cohort at the Shalom Hartman Institute, which means that next week we will be studying Torah together. Rabbi Moskowitz is a formidable scholar and prolific author who often reminds the world, “As an ally, the most important thing we can do is listen.”
In 2019 when we were last together in Jerusalem, we were able to listen to and learn from Rabbi Abby Stein. Later that year, she published Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman, which she discusses in this interview. I remember her vast knowledge of Jewish texts, her joyful laughter, and I also remember when someone asked her a question which began, “So, you used to be a rabbi…” and she responded, “I am still a rabbi.”
These rabbis are among my many teachers. To be a rabbi is to be a teacher, and it is also to be a learner and a listener. I am so grateful to have time in the next two months to focus on learning and listening. I can’t wait to share what I have learned when I return.