Cast gay-bashers out

Rabbi Yehuda Levin:  you are no longer part of the Jewish community.  With whatever power is vested in me and based on my life-long study of Torah, including ordination at one of the world’s greatest rabbinical schools, I say to you that you are no longer part of the Jewish community. 

For those who may not know, Rabbi Yehuda Levin recently gained notoriety when New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, speaking at Levin’s congregation, ranted about “brainwashing’ our children into thinking homosexuality is acceptable.

I realize, of course, that this pronouncement, my own form cherem, has no standing in the Jewish world.  Yet, in saying this, I want both the Jewish world and the non-Jewish world to know that Rabbi Yehuda Levin is in no manner part of the Jewish community in any way I understand it and in no way represents the values, teachings, ethics and common decency esteemed by the Jewish tradition.

As toxic as it is to many of us in the Jewish community, this incident as a single act does not merit something akin to cherem, the most severe form of censure that can be imposed by a beit din.  And, though in my view, the list of offenses for which Rabbi Levin might correctly be censured is long, there is one egregious act that tips the scales against him:  he has separated himself and his followers by denying legitimacy to any Jew, rabbi or Jewish organization that disagrees with him.

Obviously, Rabbi Levin doesn’t recognize in any meaningful way the progressive Jewish community.  Our reaction has largely been to shrug our shoulders in impotent acceptance and mutter ‘of course,’ under our breath.  For me, no more!  In my opinion, Levin’s interpretation of Judaism has set him beyond the boundaries of everything I know to be Jewish.  And, the final indignation is that Levin himself has cast me and those who share my beliefs out of Judaism. 

I don’t care about Levin.  Honestly, I had never heard of Levin prior to the kerfuffle with Paladino.  However,  Levin represents a much larger group in the Jewish world, including the entire apparatus of the Israeli governmental rabbinical establishment, that share two traits:  first, their preposterous and increasingly bizarre interpretations of Judaism are no longer in line with the vast preponderance of Jewish teaching through the ages. Second, they have said to the vast majority of the Jewish world:  we determine who is Jewish, not merely halachically, but in all ways big and small.  We will not associate with you, acknowledge your organizations, your ordaining institutions or take your Jewish ideas seriously.  And I, for one, am not willing to accept this situation anymore.  Furthermore, I am not willing to cede the tradition and people I love dearly.  So, to Rabbi Yehuda Levin and the entire Israeli rabbinical apparatus, among others, I hereby expel you from the Jewish world.

Beyond Rabbi Levin and apparatchiks of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, I have a very simple and harsh formula for determining who I expel that does not rely upon my interpretation of Judaism.  It is this:  no communal money, from the North American Federations, their international equivalents, the Jewish Agency or the Israeli government will be allocated to any group that forbids its rabbis to enter synagogues of organizations that are in fact recognized by those aforementioned institutions, or that prohibits its rabbis from participating in communal events at which there are other rabbis recognized by those same institutions.  If you are not willing to meet that simple criterion, you’re out. 

Do not allow yourselves to believe that this is a tirade against Orthodox Judaism and Orthodox Jews.  There are many Orthodox Jews who represent everything that is true and enduring in the inspiring tradition that is Judaism.  And, although we disagree on virtually every jot and tittle of the law, I would readily seek their wisdom and insight to help shape my own views.  I will not even dare to mention their names, for merely by doing so will they become targets of derision in their own world.  Yet, I know who you are and I ask you to join me, when you are ready.

As for the Yehuda Levins of the world and the Israeli Rabbinical apparatus, out with them I say.  This is a message that the majority of Jews around the world and so many Jews in Israel yearn to hear. And, until the rest of you who think this way stand with me and reject those who merit such a censure, the future of Judaism is cloudy at best.

Rabbi Joshua M. Aaronson holds the Saidye Rosner Bronfman Rabbinic Chair at Temple Har Shalom, in Park City, Utah.  He was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.  Rabbi Aaronson is currently a rabbinic fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.  This article is based upon a series of sermons delivered during the Holy Days which can be found at www.templeharshalom.com