Film shows struggle of homosexual Orthodox Jews
From eating figs and reciting psalms as his Rabbi suggested, to biting his tongue every time he felt attracted to a man, David tried to change. But after twenty years of trying, David realized that he couldn’t.
“I don’t want to be less Jewish because I’m gay,” said the man on the screen.
He was one of the dozen gay and lesbian Orthodox and Hasidic Jews featured in the 2001 documentary “Trembling Before G-d,” shown Tuesday night as one of Sex Week’s numerous events to portray different aspects of sexuality.
A discussion led by Northwestern Rabbi Josh Feigelson and campus minister Reverend Julie Windsor Mitchell followed the documentary. Hillel, University Christian Ministry, NUCOR, Rainbow Alliance and A&O Films co-sponsored.
In the candid discussion that followed the screening, Feigelson and Mitchell shared their thoughts on the documentary from their perspective as religious leaders.
Mitchell said she was struck by “this choice that so many people felt that they were faced with in the film, of choosing their sexual identity or orientation, or choosing their religion, which is also their identity.”
The approach of the first openly gay Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg “is very close to the one I would take, which is: You don’t have to choose between the two,” Feigelson said. One of the characters “was a guy who wanted to hear ‘Yeah, I can be an Orthodox, I can observe the Torah and I can be part of the community, and I can be in love with a man.’”
“I would say ‘absolutely,’” Feigelson said.
Mitchell expressed similar views, and underlined the message of love in Christianity.
“I believe orientation is not something you choose, it’s something you’re born with,” she said. “If that’s true, if we are born straight or gay, then that means that God created us that way, and God said it was good.”
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“I don’t want to be less Jewish because I’m gay,” said the man on the screen.
He was one of the dozen gay and lesbian Orthodox and Hasidic Jews featured in the 2001 documentary “Trembling Before G-d,” shown Tuesday night as one of Sex Week’s numerous events to portray different aspects of sexuality.
A discussion led by Northwestern Rabbi Josh Feigelson and campus minister Reverend Julie Windsor Mitchell followed the documentary. Hillel, University Christian Ministry, NUCOR, Rainbow Alliance and A&O Films co-sponsored.
In the candid discussion that followed the screening, Feigelson and Mitchell shared their thoughts on the documentary from their perspective as religious leaders.
Mitchell said she was struck by “this choice that so many people felt that they were faced with in the film, of choosing their sexual identity or orientation, or choosing their religion, which is also their identity.”
The approach of the first openly gay Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg “is very close to the one I would take, which is: You don’t have to choose between the two,” Feigelson said. One of the characters “was a guy who wanted to hear ‘Yeah, I can be an Orthodox, I can observe the Torah and I can be part of the community, and I can be in love with a man.’”
“I would say ‘absolutely,’” Feigelson said.
Mitchell expressed similar views, and underlined the message of love in Christianity.
“I believe orientation is not something you choose, it’s something you’re born with,” she said. “If that’s true, if we are born straight or gay, then that means that God created us that way, and God said it was good.”
full article
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