Download Rabbi Michal Loving of Congregation B`nai Israel is Contributor to

Rabbi Michal Loving of Congregation B’nai Israel is Contributor to Major
New Book The Sacred Encounter: Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality
Book to Be Released April 1, 2014, at the 125th Annual Convention of Central Conference
of American Rabbis, Chicago
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Edited by Rabbi Lisa Grushcow, DPhil
Paperback
ISBN 978-0-88123-203-5
Price: $22.95
Also coming as an ebook
Release date, April 1, 2014
For more information or for review copies:
Ortal Bensky
Marketing and Sales Associate
[email protected]
ccarpress.org
P. (212) 972-3636 x 243
F. (212) 692-0819
Rabbi Michal Loving of Congregation B’nai Israel is a contributor to The Sacred Encounter:
Jewish Perspectives on Sexuality, a major new volume of sexuality and Judaism, edited by
Rabbi Lisa J. Grushcow, published by CCAR Press, to be released during the 125th Annual
Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) Convention on April 1st in Chicago, IL.
The Sacred Encounter is a fundamental resource on the topic of sexuality and Judaism, offering
a much needed voice in the current public discourse. In her introduction to the collection, Rabbi
Lisa J. Grushcow writes, “Those of us whose religious paradigm is a progressive one have a lot
to say about sexuality. In a society where conservative religious voices try to claim a monopoly
on social issues, it is especially important for liberal people of faith to present a different view,
and not to abdicate our religious approach. As adherents to a religion that is based on
interpretation, questioning, and debate, Jews have a special opportunity to show that there is
more than one religious perspective on sexuality.”
This collection contains essays by rabbis and scholars from across the Jewish spectrum, as well
as a selection of one-hundred word “short takes” on the intersection between Judaism and
sexuality by a wide range of individuals. Each section of the book concludes with personal
reflections.
This book provides opportunities for reflection and dialogue on topics including Biblical and
classical rabbinic perspectives on human sexuality, Jewish views on sexuality throughout the
life cycle, sexuality and marriage, sexuality and theology, teens and sexual decision making,
and Jewish sexual ethics. The evolution of liberal Judaism in the area of LGBT issues has been
transformative – the history of LGBT inclusion in the Reform Movement and the power of
coming out in the Jewish community are addressed throughout The Sacred Encounter.
Essays in this volume range from the practical to the provocative. Many of the essays relate to
the Jewish ethical tradition, examining ethical issues related to sexuality. Issues such as
consent, pornography, marital infidelity, family purity, fertility, divorce, and marriage equality are
discussed. Other essays look at the nexus between sexuality and the sacred, as well as political
and intellectual issues connected to sexuality.
Rabbi Michal Loving’s essay, entitled “To Ordain or Not to Ordain: The Tale of the CCAR
Committee on Homosexuality and the Rabbinate” focuses on how the CCAR decided to ordain
gay and lesbian rabbis:
“Today, openly gay and lesbian rabbis serve congregations all over the country. To the
youngest generations, it may seem as though the Reform congregations and institutions have
always been open and inclusive, regardless of a rabbi’s sexual identity or orientation. Yet, there
is always a history behind the status quo, and this is the case regarding the Reform Movement’s
decision to ordain openly gay and lesbian rabbis. How did the Reform Movement make its
decision to ordain men and women who were open about their homosexuality? The decisionmaking process was long and contentious. At the center of this debate was an ad hoc
subcommittee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), the CCAR Ad Hoc
Committee on Homosexuality and the Rabbinate. A critical analysis of the work of this
committee will shed light on the evolving nature of Reform Jewish ideology in the last decades
of the twentieth century.”
One of the sacred tasks of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) is to interpret
ancient Jewish teachings for a modern, liberal world. This book provides rabbis and educators
with a much-needed educational text for teen programming and adult study. As a serious, but
accessible book, it is well-suited for college courses, synagogue based learning, and self-study.
This book does not present an official position; rather, it gives the reader an understanding of
the issues at hand. The CCAR is preparing a companion study guide, which will be available on
their website.
The Sacred Encounter, to be published on April 1, 2014, is the second volume in the CCAR
Challenge and Change Series, following The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic
edited by Rabbi Mary Zamore, which was nominated for a Jewish Book Award in 2011.
About the editor
Rabbi Lisa J. Grushcow is the senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Montreal. She
is a graduate of McGill University and studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, where she
earned her master's and doctoral degrees. She was ordained at the Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion in 2003, and served as the associate rabbi at Congregation Rodeph
Sholom in Manhattan for nine years. Rabbi Grushcow is the author of Writing the Wayward
Wife: Rabbinic Interpretations of Sotah, and contributed to The Torah: A Women's Commentary.
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About the CCAR Press
CCAR Press is a division of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the organization of
Reform Rabbis in North America and around the world. The Central Conference of American
Rabbis enriches and strengthens the Jewish community by empowering Reform Rabbis to
provide religious, spiritual, and organizational leadership. CCAR Press publications are created
to serve its members, the Reform Movement, and the Jewish community as a whole, with a
primary focus on liturgical resources and publications that relate to Jewish practice. In addition
to books, CCAR Press publishes CCAR Journal: The Reform Jewish Quarterly, and a widerange of electronic resources including e-books, apps, and Visual T’filah.
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