Orthodox Rabbi Officiates At Same-Sex Wedding
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
An Orthodox rabbi, Steve Greenberg, officiated at a same-sex wedding.
Greenberg, who is openly gay, married Yoni Bock and Ron Kaplan at the 6th & I Synagogue in Washington last week, Roee Ruttenberg reported in +972 Magazine.
The ceremony was held under a chuppah and included the breaking of a glass and the exchanging of rings. The ketubah, or marriage contract, was replaced with a Shtar Shetufim, or partnership contract.
"We were encouraged by the legislation of same-sex marriage in our home ‘state’ of Washington, D.C.,” Bock and Kaplan wrote in a guide to the ceremony, according to Ruttenberg. “At the same time, both of us wanted a ceremony that would be meaningful halachically (in terms of religious Jewish law) and create a set of Jewish legal obligations between us."
It is believed to be the first time that an ordained Orthodox rabbi has officiated at a same-sex marriage in the United States.
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The headline is misleading. Greenberg was ORDAINED Orthodox, but by definition is no longer Orthodox in practice or thought. There is not a single Orthodox organization, institution, or synagogue which would approve of him officiating this wedding. You should really change the headline or the text to indicate this.
This article is inaccurate in a most fundamental manner. Greenberg should be referred to as a Jew who was once ordained as an Orthodox Rabbi, not as "an ordained Orthodox Rabbi" It is virtually guaranteed that about 100% of the Orthodox-ordained Rabbis in this country from Modern to Haredi would not consider Greenberg an "Orthodox Rabbi" at this point - and he didn't have to perform the so-called "marriage" to lose that title either. Unlike one's status as a Jew which is virtually irrevocable, status as an "Orthodox Rabbi" would surely require public adherence to traditional halacha, at the very least. The fact that whoever issued him his ordination has not publically revoked or retracted it is of no moment, as the organized Rabbinate on any level has demonstrated such a pre-occupation with political correctness as to relegate themselves to essential obscurity on this issue.
For the one millionth time:
Rabbi Steve Greenburg is not Orthodox.
He was ordained Orthodox but he is no longer Orthodox.
He is certainly not the first former Orthodox rabbi to officiate at a same-sex wedding.
There are plenty of Conservative rabbis that have received Orthodox ordination in their youth.
By claiming that something the Torah forbids is not in fact forbiden, Steve Greenburg, is ipso facto NOT Orthodox.
He's not an Orthodox Rabbi - he's not accepted across the board of Orthodoxy and you need to correct your headline!!!!
BS"D
100% correct! It would be an giving an "othodox" kosher certificate to non kosher food.
By calling Greenburg adn orthodox rabbi, but the journal and he himself, are violating the commandment BIFNEI IVER LO TITEN MICHSHOL [You should not place an obstcle before a blind person]. People might think this practice is permitted or tolerated by Torah, wich is Hashem´s Law, and it is not!
There are many diverse customs in the orthodox community. Some eat rice on Passover; some don't. Some feel that men must have beards; some feel it's ok to shave.
There are many issues like this. And it's all orthodox.
Same-sex marriage is not one of those issues. There is no such thing as orthodox same-sex marriage. Regardless of what Greenberg may have believed once-upon-a-time, his actions demonstrate that he is, by definition, not orthodox.
How sad, that Jews here have no compassion or empathy for injustice. There comes a time when one should question if discrimination and cruelty against another human being for their difference, is RIGHT. Do Jews have this question with the difference of color in a person? With their gender? Is the rightness or wrongness of how they are treated, carry into harming that person? We are all unique, there is vast diversity and immense opportunity to know something different among millions of differences.
Perhaps identity, and one's tribe does have less importance than recognizing what is unjust in order to maintain it.
You are welcome to your point of view, but Orthodox Judaism gives no legitimacy to homosexual practice.
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