| Title: |
A Gay Synagogue in New York |
| Author: |
Moshe Shokeid |
| Published by: |
Columbia University Press, 1995 |
| ISBN: |
0-231-08461-7 [trade paperback, 263 pages] |
While many Jewish gay men and lesbian women
have been prominent in the gay and lesbian liberation movements, they have
remained closeted in most synagogues. Homosexuality is considered an abomination
within Jewish scripture, and segments of the Jewish community at large
remain hostile toward a way of life that they consider antithetical to
their major values - the traditional family in particular. Since the early
1970s, however, gay synagogues have emerged to offer their members spiritual
and social outlet.
Moshe Shokeid spent thirteen months with the congregation
of Beth Simchat Torah in Greenwich village, whose membership has grown
to over one thousand since its founding in 1973, making it the largest
gay congregation in the United States. Drawing upon interview and direct
observation during services, committee meetings, congregational dinners,
parties, trips, and other social activities, Shokeid describes the struggles
this institution has undergone and the important role the synagogue plays
in the lives of its members. A Gay Synagogue in New York recounts
the persona experiences and life histories of many of the congregants,
illustrating the communal issues and personal dilemmas involved in being
both Jewish and gay or lesbian.
