Dear Friends,
As we prepare to celebrate Pride Shabbat, I would like to share a few observations from my experiences at Greene Family Camp last week as they relate to the LGBTQI + community.
Camp is one of the most accepting places in the world. It is a place where every child finds support and feels embraced by peers and counselors regardless of who they are or how they look. It is a place where teens are able to be themselves without feeling judged or rejected. Camp is a remarkable place that models an atmosphere for gender identity for all to emulate.
One of the things I have observed at camp (as well as in my discussions with students in our Religious School) is that most of today’s youth are able to accept the complexities of gender identity in a way that is virtually free of politics and judgment. For the youth of today, issues concerning the LGBTQI + community, which often dominate political discourse, do not seem to be meaningful measurements of human character.
This is a perspective is embraced by Jewish teachings as well. While there may be many Biblical sources used to promote or reject non-binary gender identities, Judaism’s primary text is found in the story of creation. In Genesis 1:27, we are taught that we are all created in the image God.
This week’s Pride Shabbat service will strive to elevate this eternal truth. Our service will be shaped the masterful music of flautist Joel Luks and by the personal testimony of a family in our congregation who is currently facing the challenges of raising a transgender child in State that has become intolerant of his identity.
Services begin at 6:30pm.
L’Shalom,
Steve