Sukkah Selfies!
Marylanders for Marriage Equality
To Everyone at Congregation Chevrei Tzedek,
I wanted to let you know that our congregation has chosen to formally endorse marriage equality in the upcoming November referendum and to join the interfaith coalition of Marylanders for Marriage Equality (http://www.mdfme.org/). To our knowledge we are the first Conservative synagogue in the Baltimore area to take such a stand, though several local Reform synagogues have also joined the coalition.
Our coordinating committee thought long and hard about making a move that might be construed as a secular political stand, but ultimately we thought that defending human dignity and equal rights were legitimate expressions of Judaism, in keeping with the commitment to social justice expressed in our congregation's very name. We were also proud to stand behind the Conservative movement's recent approval of liturgy for same-sex unions, co-written by our own Rabbi Reisner. After long discussion, the coordinating committee voted unanimously to endorse marriage equality and join the coalition, and we have received only positive feedback from our congregation.
Thank you,
Deborah Steinig
Recording Secretary, Congregation Chevrei Tzedek
I wanted to let you know that our congregation has chosen to formally endorse marriage equality in the upcoming November referendum and to join the interfaith coalition of Marylanders for Marriage Equality (http://www.mdfme.org/). To our knowledge we are the first Conservative synagogue in the Baltimore area to take such a stand, though several local Reform synagogues have also joined the coalition.
Our coordinating committee thought long and hard about making a move that might be construed as a secular political stand, but ultimately we thought that defending human dignity and equal rights were legitimate expressions of Judaism, in keeping with the commitment to social justice expressed in our congregation's very name. We were also proud to stand behind the Conservative movement's recent approval of liturgy for same-sex unions, co-written by our own Rabbi Reisner. After long discussion, the coordinating committee voted unanimously to endorse marriage equality and join the coalition, and we have received only positive feedback from our congregation.
Thank you,
Deborah Steinig
Recording Secretary, Congregation Chevrei Tzedek
Mazel Tov to Chevrei's Green Committee!
Chevrei Tzedek will be honored amongst 12 other congregations in the area that completed the objectives of the Green Synagogue Covenant of Commitment that was signed in September of 2009. The mission of THE ASSOCIATED Sustanability Initiative is to foster, enable and enhance environmental-consciousness in the operations of THE ASSOCIATED and ASSOCIATED agencies and to educate Jewish Baltimore about the impact and import of personal/organizational behavior toward creating a more sustainable future. For more information feel free to visit their web page THE ASSOCIATED's Sustainability Initiative.
