Congregation Beth Simchat Torah

Congregation Beth Simchat Torah in New York City is more than just a synagogue, it is a place where gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered Jews can come together and be themselves as queers and Jews. CBST is the largest queer synagogue in the world with over 800 members. During the High Holidays (Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur) the synagogue can have as many as 3,000 people in attendance.

Gay Jews consider themselves twice blessed and with CBST they have a place to express those blessings. In 1973 a small group of gay men - barely the minimum of 10 men required for a service - met for the first time. For many years CBST had no rabbi. Services were led by lay people. The AIDS epidemic struck the congregation. At one point one-third of the congregation's 500 members had AIDS. Many died. It was at this point that CBST opened its doors to women. Soon after that CBST also began to actively search for a rabbi to be the congregation's spiritual leader; someone that could help them through the AIDS crisis. In 1990 CBST chose Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum to lead the congregation. The choice of a female rabbi further opened the door to women. Rabbi Sharon - as she is known to her congregants - was born to a conservative Jewish family, attended Orthodox services - until she discovered she had no place in an Orthodox synagogue, worked for a Reform community organization, and was ordained at a Deconstructionist Rabbinical Seminary. While the synagogue is closest to a Conservative congregation in traditions and beliefs, they offer a wide variety of services to cover all aspects of Jewish beliefs from traditional men only services to a feminist Sabbath service. However; CBST and Rabbi Sharon are not affiliated with any of the Conservative organizations because Conservative doctrine does not permit same sex marriages. The Conservative Rabbinical Assembly describes a marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman for the purpose of having children and creating a family. Many queer Jews saw this as an obstacle in their ability to be both Jewish and queer. But now there are alternative ways for a same sex couple to have children. Presently CBST has about 70 children of members in its congregation. And Rabbi Sharon performs marriage ceremonies for same sex couples in her congregation. In 2000 the Reform movement began to allow such marriages to be performed.

CBST has an open tradition policy, anyone who wishes - straight and queer - may attend. Traditionally Jews attended services at the synagogue out of obligation, but at CBST people attend services because they wish to attend. Even though it is large, the congregation is one big family filled with understanding and warmth. About on-tenth of the 800 member congregation is straight including the associate rabbi Rabbi Ayelet Cohen.

Since CBST began in 1973 it has seen prejudice and controversy, but through it all they remain a warm and caring community and as Rabbi Sharon believes, "as a community we can change the world."