Many students have begun to react to the Conservative movement’s decision last week to provide greater inclusion of gays and lesbians.
“These kinds of changes take painfully long, but it’s amazing to see a step like this happen,” said Margaux Buck, a Conservative student and member of Keshet, a pluralistic association of Jewish lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and allied students.
On the Friday night following the decision, Keshet held a “Conservative Coming Out Party,” placing newspaper articles about the decision and copies of the more-permissive responsum on tables at Hillel’s Friday night dinner.
At mincha on Thursday, December 7, the daily d’var Torah was devoted to summarizing the new position of the Conservative movement, based on an article from the New York Times.
There were mixed feelings among the Conservative Jews present, however most were withholding judgment until they could read the tshuvot for themselves.
Aaron Weininger, a gay student who plans to apply to a Conservative rabbinical school and went to New York to be there for the decision, told CampusJ that “The committee’s work embodies a first step on a sacred journey toward full inclusion,” adding that “I am hopeful that with swift implementation of the CJLS decision, gay and lesbian Jews will be embraced as whole human beings created in the image of God.” Weininger asserted that “full inclusion will strengthen the Conservative movement with a clarified vision and philosophy.”
Weininger (pictured, third from left) continued, “I pray that the voices of gay and lesbian Jews, previously excluded, can help the Conservative movement recognize the importance of full equality.”
The Conservative Minyan Committee is currently forming an official consensus response to the decision.