The Dr. Bertram J. z”l and Ann Newman Adult Education Program of the Young Israel of Teaneck (YIOT) will host Rabbi Chaim Rapoport on Sunday, November 4, at 8 p.m. He will address the Teaneck community on the topic: Orthodox Judaism and the LGBTQ Community.
According to Rabbi Binyamin Krohn, rabbi of the YIOT, “This is an issue that is affecting many individuals and families within the Orthodox community. Rabbi Rapoport has shown time and again that he has the scholarship and sensitivity to help us have an honest, respectful and thoughtful conversation.”
“Yiddishkeit has not shied away from societal and religious issues in the past,” said Dr. Daniel Lowe, YIOT adult education committee chairman. “I am excited and proud that the Young Israel of Teaneck, under Rabbi Krohn’s leadership, is confronting this challenge, carefully balancing ViAhavta Lirayacha Kamocha on the one hand, and fealty to our tradition on the other. Rabbi Rapoport is a world-renowned scholar who is uniquely qualified to speak to this issue, offering our community some much-needed guidance.”
Rabbi Rapoport told The Jewish Link, “This issue is becoming an ever-increasingly relevant one within all types of Orthodox Jewish communities, therefore it is something we must address with religious integrity and sensitivity.”
Rabbi Rapport is a senior rabbinic scholar and a widely-sought out speaker, educator and counselor. His encyclopedic knowledge of both classical and contemporary Jewish sources alongside his unique humane sensitivity, have shaped his authentic, compassionate and nuanced approach to the challenges of modernity. In his capacity as advisor to Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks on matters of bioethics, Rabbi Rapoport has authored many works addressing critical contemporary problems, including his widely acclaimed 2004 book, “Judaism and Homosexuality.’ Rabbi Rapoport contributes regularly to both halachic and academic publications.
The Young Israel is located at 868 Perry Lane in Teaneck. The event is free and open to the public. For more information email [email protected].
By Sara Kosowsky Gross
