The Jewish Week

Inclusion Gets Boost Across County

As part of an ongoing effort to ensure that Westchester’s Jewish institutions are welcoming to LGBTQ Jews — and their families — Rabbi Steven Greenberg, who is the first openly gay Orthodox rabbi in nation, will be speaking at various venues in the county April 25-27.

“The weekend of April 25-27 is an opportunity for Westchester Jews of all backgrounds to meet with Rabbi Greenberg and hear him speak at one or more of a half-dozen locations in Southern Westchester on topics that include Jewish law and homosexuality, constructing your organization’s welcoming tent, and lessons from the Holocaust,” said Bina Raskin, director of Mosaic, a nonprofit organization that was founded to fully integrate LGBTQ Jews into the county’s community life.

Rabbi Greenberg’s program includes a dinner and speech at Beth El Synagogue Centerin New Rochelle, an informal dinner at a private home, a breakfast at Temple Israel of New Rochelle, a luncheon discussion at Community Synagogue of Rye co-sponsored with Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel and an evening Yom HaShoah program at Temple Israel Center in White Plains, co-sponsored with the JCC of Mid-Westchester. Other co-sponsors of the weekend’s activities include Mosaic of Westchester, Community Synagogue of Rye, Westchester Jewish Community Services and Westchester Jewish Council.

Rabbi Greenberg, a senior teaching fellow at CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a think tank, leadership-training institute and resource center, is also the director of the CLAL Diversity Project. He also serves as co-director of Eshel, an organization that focuses on the integration of Orthodox LGBTQ Jews into their families and communities.

www.mosaicofwestchester.org

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