A Bucks county synagogue has opened its doors to same-sex couples.
Last week, the board of Congregation Beth El, located in Yardley, unanimously voted in favor of marrying Jewish LGBT people.
Rabbi Joshua Gruenberg said, “I have been an open proponent of gay marriage for years. I am proud to be a part of Conservative Judaism and the openness of Congregation Beth El in particular.”
According to Gruenberg, the process of permitting same-sex marriages within his synagogue came about because of one couple’s request.
“We have a few gay couples, but one couple in particular in the synagogue, who we have always treated as family members — never treated different — reached out to us after it became legal in Pennsylvania and said, ‘This is our community, this is our faith community, and we want to get married in this synagogue.’”
Gruenberg then brought the issue to the congregation’s board of directors.
“I brought it to the attention of our board, and made it clear that I wanted to perform the marriages in the sanctuary of our synagogue. Almost immediately, they decided in favor of it.”
The congregation has been nothing but supportive of the decision so far, Gruenberg said.
“I don’t think there is any question that the overwhelming majority of the congregation does support it,” he said. “They are very excited that they are a part of a community where this can happen, and that it can happen here at Beth El.”
Should anyone object, Gruenberg says his office door is open.
“There will always be a few people that do not agree, but so far no one has approached me. And I have made it clear that if anyone does have an issue with it, that we can sit down and talk about it.”
The debate about marriage equality is gaining speed among religious circles as the number of states allowing same-sex marriage quickly increases.
Gruenberg said he believes more Conservative Judaism synagogues will open their doors to perform same-sex marriages.
“As it becomes legal in more states, I think you will see more synagogues in the Conservative movement doing it. I don’t know of anyone in my peer-age rabbinic group that does not support it. As much as our personal beliefs as rabbis might be in favor of it, we very much respect the law of the land,” he said.
Ordination of gay, bisexual and lesbian rabbis was approved in 2006 and ordination of same-sex marriages under Jewish law in 2012.
For more information on Congregation Beth El, visit www.bethelyardley.org.