Bet Mishpachah
Encyclopedia
Bet Mishpachah is a Jewish
egalitarian
worship
ing community in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C.
It is one of a number of national and international Jewish communities of "LGBT affirming congregations"
that specifically welcome and "embrace" the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community
, along with all others who "wish to participate in an inclusive, egalitarian, and mutually supportive community." Membership is open to all singles, couples, and families, regardless of religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Special worship services, programs, and events are sometimes held in various locations in the Dupont Circle area based on space or scheduling requirements, but the normal location for Sabbath worship is the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center
(DCJCC).
resolution equating Zionism
with racism
, in an effort to create a forum for communications and mutual support among gay and lesbian Jews.
In 1978, the congregation elected a Board of Directors, and began holding weekly worship services, using rented spaces in Washington, D.C. The following year, the congregation received a Torah Scroll
, rescued from The Holocaust
, on permanent loan from the Westminster Synagogue in London
. The scroll (a Sefer Torah, in Hebrew) once belonged to a small 500-year-old Jewish community in Dolní Kounice
, a town destroyed in 1940, in the former Czechoslovakia
.
In 1980, the congregation formally adopted its present name, Bet Mishpachah, "House of Family," and co-founded the World Congress of Gay & Lesbian Jews at the Third International Conference of Gay & Lesbian Jews, in San Francisco, California
. In 1985, the congregation hosted the Ninth International Conference of the World Congress of Gay & Lesbian Jews.
In 1991, Bet Mishpachah hired its first rabbi—on a part-time basis, Robert Saks. During that same year, it purchased its second Torah Scroll. Like the first one, this was an historic scroll. It was written in 1917 in Czarist Russia
, but never mounted on Etzei Chaim
, the wooden poles to which the parchment is attached, and never used in synagogue services.
Also in 1991, the synagogue published its own siddur
, prayerbook, for Sabbath/Shabbat
and festivals
. In 1992, a second prayerbook, Ti'filot Nachumim (Prayers of Consolation), was created for use during shiva worship—special prayers during the first week following the death of a loved one, and memorial services.
In 1997, the congregation moved to the newly restored and reopened Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center (closed since 1968). The following year, 1998, work was completed on a special five-volume High Holy Days
machzor, prayerbook, "Chadeish Yameinu" ("Renew Our Days").
In 1998, the congregation hosted the Eighth Eastern Regional Conference of the World Congress of GLBT Jews, and in 2000, engaged its second rabbi, again on a part-time basis, Rabbi Leila Gal Berner. Rabbi Berner remained with the congregation through 2004.
In 2009, Rabbi Saks retired and became the official rabbi emeritus
of the congregation. That same year, Rabbi Toby Manewith began serving as rabbi.
However, at the heart of congregational activities are worship services. As of 2010, Friday evening Sabbath Eve services are held weekly and Saturday morning Sabbath services are held on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, at the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center. At special times, such as the High Holy Days, when larger spaces are needed, services are held elsewhere in the Washington, D.C. area.
Music is an integral element of Bet Mishpachah, and its choir, Tach'shitim (Jewels), originally formed as a trio in the 1980s, has added to worship services and special events for the congregation, and has also been featured in Jewish and interfaith services and concerts at other settings within the D.C. and Baltimore areas. Additionally, the choir released the recording, "Family and Friends," in 2000, and in 2004 it participated in the 7th International GALA Choruses Festival, in Montreal
, Canada
. The choir was also featured in the 2006 documentary, "Why We Sing."
Leadership for individual worship services is rotated between lay leaders, Rabbi Manewith, and occasional guest rabbis.
"Celebration of the Spirit Coalition." It is a participating member of the http://www.jirs.org/jirs/jirs0014aq.htmlNetwork of Independent Jewish Communities & Havurot
], administered by The Am Kolel Jewish Renewal Community of Greater Washington; the http://www.jewish-funerals.orgJewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington
]; and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC
) of Greater Washington.
To achieve these goals, the organization's guiding principles are to value, promote, and support:
This coalition of faith communities supports and celebrates the rights of LGBT religious groups who practice both their spirituality and their personal identities openly, freely, and joyously. Partner organizations include communities representing the Abrahamic religion of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Eastern religions including Buddhism and Hinduism; and a host of other paths to spiritual understanding and strength, including Pagan, Wiccan, and Earth religions. The coalition "celebrates the diversity of these communities as well as their common bonds."
In addition to ongoing support of individual congregations and communities, the Coalition coordinates an annual service, open to everyone who supports their vision of celebrating spiritual and personal diversity.
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
egalitarian
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
ing community in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It is one of a number of national and international Jewish communities of "LGBT affirming congregations"
LGBT-affirming denominations in Judaism
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender affirming denominations in Judaism are Jewish religious groups that welcome LGBT members and do not consider homosexuality to be a sin. They include both entire Jewish denominations, as well as individual synagogues...
that specifically welcome and "embrace" the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
, along with all others who "wish to participate in an inclusive, egalitarian, and mutually supportive community." Membership is open to all singles, couples, and families, regardless of religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Special worship services, programs, and events are sometimes held in various locations in the Dupont Circle area based on space or scheduling requirements, but the normal location for Sabbath worship is the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center
Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center
The Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center is a Jewish Community Center located in the historic district of Dupont Circle. It serves the Washington, D.C...
(DCJCC).
History
Bet Mishpachah was founded in 1975, as the "Metropolitan Community Temple Mishpocheh." In 1976, it hosted the First International Conference of Gay & Lesbian Jews, which was organized in response to the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
resolution equating Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
with racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, in an effort to create a forum for communications and mutual support among gay and lesbian Jews.
In 1978, the congregation elected a Board of Directors, and began holding weekly worship services, using rented spaces in Washington, D.C. The following year, the congregation received a Torah Scroll
Sefer Torah
A Sefer Torah of Torah” or “Torah scroll”) is a handwritten copy of the Torah or Pentateuch, the holiest book within Judaism. It must meet extremely strict standards of production. The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Torah reading during Jewish services...
, rescued from The Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, on permanent loan from the Westminster Synagogue in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The scroll (a Sefer Torah, in Hebrew) once belonged to a small 500-year-old Jewish community in Dolní Kounice
Dolní Kounice
Dolní Kounice is a small town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 2,400 inhabitants.-External links:*...
, a town destroyed in 1940, in the former Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
In 1980, the congregation formally adopted its present name, Bet Mishpachah, "House of Family," and co-founded the World Congress of Gay & Lesbian Jews at the Third International Conference of Gay & Lesbian Jews, in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In 1985, the congregation hosted the Ninth International Conference of the World Congress of Gay & Lesbian Jews.
In 1991, Bet Mishpachah hired its first rabbi—on a part-time basis, Robert Saks. During that same year, it purchased its second Torah Scroll. Like the first one, this was an historic scroll. It was written in 1917 in Czarist Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, but never mounted on Etzei Chaim
Etz Chaim
Etz Chaim Center for Jewish Learning is an Orthodox Jewish organization designed to reach out to secular and non-Orthodox Jews in the hopes of bring them into the Baal teshuva Movement . It is under the direction of...
, the wooden poles to which the parchment is attached, and never used in synagogue services.
Also in 1991, the synagogue published its own siddur
Siddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
, prayerbook, for Sabbath/Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and festivals
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
. In 1992, a second prayerbook, Ti'filot Nachumim (Prayers of Consolation), was created for use during shiva worship—special prayers during the first week following the death of a loved one, and memorial services.
In 1997, the congregation moved to the newly restored and reopened Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center (closed since 1968). The following year, 1998, work was completed on a special five-volume High Holy Days
High Holy Days
The High Holidays or High Holy Days, in Judaism, more properly known as the Yamim Noraim , may mean:#strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur ;...
machzor, prayerbook, "Chadeish Yameinu" ("Renew Our Days").
In 1998, the congregation hosted the Eighth Eastern Regional Conference of the World Congress of GLBT Jews, and in 2000, engaged its second rabbi, again on a part-time basis, Rabbi Leila Gal Berner. Rabbi Berner remained with the congregation through 2004.
In 2009, Rabbi Saks retired and became the official rabbi emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of the congregation. That same year, Rabbi Toby Manewith began serving as rabbi.
Worship, education, and special events
The congregation is known as a "House of Family"—a place of "homecoming"—true to its name. Programs offer opportunities for education, celebration, social interaction—including home hospitality, and in cooperation with other local, national, and international organizations, opportunities to promote freedom, faith, social justice, and human rights.However, at the heart of congregational activities are worship services. As of 2010, Friday evening Sabbath Eve services are held weekly and Saturday morning Sabbath services are held on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, at the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center. At special times, such as the High Holy Days, when larger spaces are needed, services are held elsewhere in the Washington, D.C. area.
Music is an integral element of Bet Mishpachah, and its choir, Tach'shitim (Jewels), originally formed as a trio in the 1980s, has added to worship services and special events for the congregation, and has also been featured in Jewish and interfaith services and concerts at other settings within the D.C. and Baltimore areas. Additionally, the choir released the recording, "Family and Friends," in 2000, and in 2004 it participated in the 7th International GALA Choruses Festival, in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The choir was also featured in the 2006 documentary, "Why We Sing."
Leadership for individual worship services is rotated between lay leaders, Rabbi Manewith, and occasional guest rabbis.
Networking and goals
Bet Mishpachah is an active partner with organizations within the LGBT Jewish community, the LGBT community of all faiths, and the larger Jewish community, made up of men and women of all individual identities and sexual orientations. It is a founding member of Keshet Ga’avah - the World Congress of GLBTQ Jews, and the"Celebration of the Spirit Coalition." It is a participating member of the http://www.jirs.org/jirs/jirs0014aq.htmlNetwork of Independent Jewish Communities & Havurot
Chavurah
A chavurah or havurah is a small group of like-minded Jews who assemble for the purposes of facilitating Shabbat and holiday prayer services, sharing communal experiences such as lifecycle events, and Jewish learning...
], administered by The Am Kolel Jewish Renewal Community of Greater Washington; the http://www.jewish-funerals.orgJewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
]; and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC
JCRC
Jewish Community Relations Council is a generic term for local public affairs organizations which operate under the Jewish Council for Public Affairs umbrella organization.-See also:* Jewish Council for Public Affairs...
) of Greater Washington.
Keshet Ga'avah
The participation of Bet Mishpachah in Keshet Ga'avah, the World Congress of GLBTQ Jews, is an especially important and ongoing effort, to create a structure of networking among national and international communities, including those in Israel, and to promote the organization's vision of "an environment where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews worldwide can enjoy free and fulfilling lives." In support of that vision, it seeks to:- be the worldwide voice of LGBT Jews
- support, inspire, and strengthen local groups
- foster a sense of community among diverse individuals and organizations
- and, to achieve equality and security for LGBT Jews worldwide.
To achieve these goals, the organization's guiding principles are to value, promote, and support:
- diversity among groups and individuals;
- self-determination and respect for the autonomy of local organizations and individuals;
- transparent organizational structure; and
- close ties between LGBT Israelis and LGBT Jews around the world.
Celebration of the Spirit Coalition
In addition to Bet Mishpachah's participation in efforts to support the larger LGBT Jewish community, one of its primary opportunities to be part of LGBT interfaith efforts is the Celebration of the Spirit Coalition.This coalition of faith communities supports and celebrates the rights of LGBT religious groups who practice both their spirituality and their personal identities openly, freely, and joyously. Partner organizations include communities representing the Abrahamic religion of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Eastern religions including Buddhism and Hinduism; and a host of other paths to spiritual understanding and strength, including Pagan, Wiccan, and Earth religions. The coalition "celebrates the diversity of these communities as well as their common bonds."
In addition to ongoing support of individual congregations and communities, the Coalition coordinates an annual service, open to everyone who supports their vision of celebrating spiritual and personal diversity.
Awards
In 2010, the congregation received the Mautner Project Healing Works Award.See also
- LGBT matters and religionLGBT matters and religionThe relationship between religion and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people can vary greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and sects, and regarding different forms of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgenderism. Most authoritative bodies and doctrines of...
- LGBT rights in the United States
- LGBT-affirming religious groups
- Ordination of LGBT clergy in JudaismOrdination of LGBT clergy in JudaismThe ordination of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender clergy in Judaism refers to who are open about their sexuality or are in committed same-sex relationships is a debated practice within many contemporary Judaism.-History:...
- LGBT topics and Judaism
- Film, "Trembling Before G-d" (Documentary about LGBT Orthodox Jews.Trembling Before G-dTrembling Before G-d is an 2001 American documentary film about gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews trying to reconcile their sexuality with their faith. It was directed by Sandi Simcha DuBowski, an American who wanted to compare orthodox attitudes to homosexuality with his own upbringing as a gay...
- Queer: reclaiming of a still sometimes controversial termQueerQueer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...