Gathering / אסיפה Memorial and Solidarity The New York LGBTQS and Jewish Communities August 6, 2015 / 21 Av 5775 Sponsors Congregation Beit Simchat Torah Jewish Queer Youth Co-Sponsors 14th Street Y Lab/Shul A Wider Bridge Manny Cantor Center ARZA Park Slope Jewish Center Brotherhood Synagogue Rabbinical Assembly Central Conference of American Rabbinical Council of America Rabbis Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association Congregation Ansche Chesed Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Congregation Or Chayim Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Downtown Jews Romemu East End Temple Society for the Advancement of Judaism Eshel The Bronfman Center, NYU Hebrew Institute of Riverdale The New Shul Hebrew Union College - Jewish T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights Institute of Religion / NY UJA-Federation of New York JCC Manhattan Union for Reform Judaism Jewish Theological Seminary West End Synagogue Keshet * List in formation We are grateful to our host, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Com- munity Center and to Executive Director Glennda Testone for their generosity and fellowship in providing facilities, equipment, and staff for this event. We are proud to be partners with this important institution. 1 Program אנוש ( תהילים קג) Enosh , Psalm 103:15-17 CBST Community Chorus, led by Music Director Joyce Rosenzweig Music: Louis Lewandowski כחציר ימיו; אנוש, .Our days are like grass כציץ השדה, כן יציץ. .We bloom like flowers of the field כי רוח עברה-בו ואיננו; ;A wind passes by, and we are no more ולא-יכירנו עוד מקומו. .our own place no longer knows us וחסד ה', מעולם ועד- עולם- על- יראיו; But the Eternal’s steadfast love is for all eternity toward וצדקתו , לבני בנים. those who fear God, and God’s righteousness extends to all generations. Candle Lighting: The LGBTQ Jewish Organizations Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST), Nathan E. Goldstein, President Jewish Queer Youth (JQY), Shonna Levin Eshel A Wider Bridge, Alan Schwartz Congregation Or Chayim, Chaim Levin Keshet, Andrew Nagel Welcome Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Senior Rabbi, CBST Remarks Rabbi Mark Dratch, Executive Vice President, Rabbinical Council of America Introduced by Mordechai Levovitz, President of JQY Remarks Sean Herzfeld, age 15, member of JQY Introduced by Justin Spiro, Secretary, JQY ( תהילים קל) Psalm 130 April Baskin, Vice President for Audacious Hospitality, Union for Reform Judaism Rabbi Edie Mencher, Sacred Communities of Caring, Union for Reform Judaism שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת: מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְראתִי ה'. אֲדֹנָי, ,Out of the depths I call You, Adonai, Adonai שִׁמְעָה בְקוֹלִי: תִּהְיֶינָה אָזְנֶי, קַשֻּׁבוֹת לְקוֹל, listen to my cry; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy. You keep account of sins, תַּחֲנוּנָי. אִם עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמָר יָה אֲדֹנָי, מִי Adonai, Adonai, who will survive? Yours is the יַעֲמֹד. כִּי עִמְּ הַסְּלִיחָה לְמַעַן, תִּוָּרא. קִוִּיתִי .power to forgive so that You may be held in Awe ה', קִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי; וְלִדְבָרוֹ הוֹחָלְתִּי. נַפְשִׁי I look to Adonai, I look to God and await God’s לַאדֹנָי מִשֹּׁמְרים לַבֹּקֶר, שֹׁמְרים לַבֹּקֶר. יַחֵל word. I am more eager for God than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning. O יִשְׂראֵל, אֶל ה': כִּי עִם ה' הַחֶסֶד; וְהַרבֵּה עִמּוֹ -Israel, wait for Adonai; for with Adonai is stead פְדוּת. וְהוּא, יִפְדֶּה אֶת יִשְׂראֵל מִכֹּל, עֲוֹנֹתָיו. fast love and great power to redeem. It is God who will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. 2 Remarks Congressman Jerrold Nadler ( תהילים צג) Psalm 94:1-11, 16-19 Rabbi Joel Alter, Jewish Theological Seminary of America אֵ -ל נְקָמוֹת ה' לאֵ נְקָמוֹת הוֹפִיעַ הִנָּשֵׂא, !God of retribution, Adonai, God of retribution, appear Rise up, judge of the earth, give the arrogant their de- שֹׁפֵט הָאָרץ; הָשֵׁב גְּמוּל, עַל גֵּאִים. עַד מָתַי serts! How long shall the wicked, Adonai, how long רשָׁעִים ה' : עַד מָתַי, רשָׁעִים יַעֲלזוּ. יַבִּיעוּ shall the wicked exult, shall they utter insolent יְדַבְּרוּ עָתָק; יִתְאַמְּרוּ, כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן. עַמְּ ה' speech, shall all evildoers vaunt themselves? They crush Your people, Adonai, they afflict Your very own; יְדַכְּאוּ; וְנַחֲלָתְ יְעַנּוּ. אַלְמָנָה וְגֵר יַהֲרגוּ; they kill the widow and the stranger; they murder the וִיתוֹמִים יְרצֵּחוּ. וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לא יִראֶה יָּהּ; וְלא fatherless, thinking, “Adonai does not see it, the God יָבִין, אֱ להֵי יַעֲקֹב. בִּינוּ, בֹּעֲרים בָּעָם; of Jacob does not pay heed.” Take heed, you most brutish people; fools, when will you get wisdom? Shall וּכְסִילִים, מָתַי תַּשְׂכִּילוּ. הֲנֹטַע אֹזֶן, הֲלא the One who implants the ear not hear, the One who יִשְׁמָע; אִם יֹצֵר עַיִן, הֲלא יַבִּיט. הֲיֹסֵר גּוֹיִם, forms the eye not see? Shall the One who disciplines הֲלא יוֹכִיחַ: הַמְלַמֵּד אָדָם דָּעַת. ה' יֹדֵעַ, nations not punish, the One who instructs humans in knowledge? Adonai knows the designs of humanity to מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָדָם: כִּי הֵמָּה הָבֶל. מִי יָקוּם לִי, ?be futile. Who will take my part against evil people עִם מְרעִים; מִי תְיַצֵּב לִי, עִם פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן. לוּלֵי Who will stand up for me against wrongdoers? Were ה', עֶזְרתָה לִּי כִּמְעַט, שָׁכְנָה דוּמָה נַפְשִׁי. אִם .Adonai not my help, I should soon dwell in silence When I think my foot has given way, Your faithfulness, אָמַרתִּי, מָטָה רגְלִי; חַסְדְּ ה', יִסְעָדֵנִי. בְּרב ,Adonai, supports me. When I am filled with cares שַׂרעַפַּי בְּקִרבִּי תַּנְחוּמֶי, יְשַׁעַשְׁעוּ נַפְשִׁי. .Your assurance soothes my soul Remarks: Words of Rabbi Benny Lau, August 1, 2015, Jerusalem Rabbi Steven Greenberg, Executive Director, Eshel שמחתי (תהילים קכב) Samachti , Psalm 122 CBST Community Chorus, led by Music Director Joyce Rosenzweig Music: Charles Osborne שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת, לְדָוִד: שָׂמַחְתִּי, Joy filled me when I heard בְּאֹמְרים לִי בֵּית ה' נֵלֵ. עֹמְדוֹת, הָיוּ ’Let us go to the House of the Eternal‘ Finally our feet — stand within your gates, רגְלֵינוּ בִּשְׁעָריִ, יְרוּשָׁלִָם. יְרוּשָׁלִַם !Jerusalem Yerushalayim, a city rebuilt הַבְּנוּיָה כְּעִיר, שֶׁחֻבְּרה לָּהּ A city where all are welcome יַחְדָּו. שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים, שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ United together in harmony עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂראֵל: לְהֹדוֹת, לְשֵׁם ה'. כִּי Here worshippers would go To give thanks to the Nameless One שָׁמָּה, יָשְׁבוּ כִסְאוֹת לְמִשְׁפָּט: כִּסְאוֹת, Here was the place of David’s justice לְבֵית דָּוִד. שַׁאֲלוּ, שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם; Pray for the peace of Jerusalem יִשְׁלָיוּ, אֹהֲבָיִ. יְהִי שָׁלוֹם בְּחֵילMay all who love you be well ;ֵ שַׁלְוָה, בְּאַרמְנוֹתָיִ. לְמַעַן, אַחַי וְרעָי May there be peace and well-being within your walls אֲדַבְּרה נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּ. לְמַעַן, בֵּית ה' Tranquility within your dwelling places For the sake of kin folk and friends I call out now ‘Peace! אֱלהֵינוּ אֲבַקְשָׁה טוֹב לָ. Peace be with you, Jerusalem!’ For the sake of your holy house I will seek only your good 3 ( תהילים קכא ) Psalm 121 Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, Society for the Advancement of Judaism, Reconstructionist Movement שִׁיר, לַמַּעֲלוֹת: :Song of ascent אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי, אֶל הֶהָרים מֵאַיִן, יָבֹא עֶזְרי. I lift my eyes to the mountain peaks From where does my help come? עֶזְרי, מֵעִם ה' עֹשֵׂה, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרץ. .My help comes from You, Creator of heaven and earth אַל יִתֵּן לַמּוֹט רגְלֶ; אַל יָנוּם, שֹׁמְרLook and see! You hold my foot firm on the ground . הִנֵּה לא יָנוּם, וְלא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר, יִשְׂראֵל. .For You are constantly beside me ה' שֹׁמְר; יְהוָה צִלְּ, עַל יַד יְמִינMy Guardian neither slumbers nor sleeps .ֶ יוֹמָם, הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לא יַכֶּכָּה; וְיָרחַ בַּלָּיְלָה. .But is always at my side to protect me The rays of the sun shall not harm me by day ה', יִשְׁמָר מִכָּל רע: .Nor the light of the moon hurt me at night יִשְׁמֹר, אֶת נַפְשׁYou will guard me from all that is wrong .ֶ ה', יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְ וּבוֹאֶ מֵעַתָּה, וְעַד .Protecting me from whatever may come עוֹלָם. You will safeguard my arrival Protect my departure, now and evermore. Connecting to Jerusalem Sarah Kala, Executive Director, Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance ( תהילים כג) Psalm 23 Larry Kay, Ba’al Tefllah and Joyce Rosenzweig, Music Director, CBST Music: Ben Zion Shenker מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד: ה' רעִי, לא אֶחְסָר. Adonai is my shepherd, I shall not want בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא, יַרבִּיצֵנִי; עַל מֵי מְנֻחוֹת You have me lie down in green pastures You lead me beside restful waters; You restore my soul יְנַהֲלֵנִי. נַפְשִׁי יְשׁוֹבֵב; יַנְחֵנִי בְמַעְגְּלֵי You guide me on the path of truth, for such is Your name צֶדֶק, לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ. גַּם כִּי אֵלֵ בְּגֵיא Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death צַלְמָוֶת, לא אִירא רע כִּי אַתָּה עִמָּדִי; I will fear no evil for You are with me שִׁבְטְ ּמִשְׁעַנְתֶּ, הֵמָּה יְנַחֲמֻנִי. תַּעֲרYour rod and Your staff, they comfort me You prepare a table for me in the midst of my adversaries לְפָנַי, שֻׁלְחָן נֶגֶד צֹררי; דִּשַּׁנְתָּ בַשֶּׁמֶן You drench my head with oil; my cup runs over ראשִׁי, כּוֹסִי רוָיָה. אַ, טוֹב וָחֶסֶד Surely goodness and kindness shall be mine יִרדְּפוּנִי כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּי; וְשַׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית ה' , all the days of my life לְאֹר יָמִים. And I shall dwell in Your house forever Remembering Shira Banki, z”l Rabbi Rachel Weiss, Associate Rabbi, CBST 4 אל מלא רחמים El Maley Rachamim Steve Zeidenberg, Cantorial Intern, CBST אל מלא רחמים שוכן במרומים ,God full of mercy, who dwells in high places המצא מנוחה תחת כנפי grant full repose under Shechinah's wings in the heights of the holy and pure – השכינה במעלות קדושים – like a light glowing in the firmament וטהורים כזהר הרקיע מזהירים .to the soul of our beloved את נשמת יקרינו. בעל Merciful one, conceal her הרחמים יסתירה