Congregation Beit Simchat Torah

Introduction

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah is a cornerstone of the LGBT+ and Jewish community in New York City. Founded in February of 1973, the synagogue quickly became integral to the lives of many queer Jewish New Yorkers in more ways than one, proving definitively that one could be queer and devoutly Jewish as well – no compromise necessary. CBST placed itself at the heart of various social engagement efforts, such as the inclusion of LGBT+ people within Jewish clergy and in more difficult times such as the heart of the AIDS epidemic. Through it all, the synagogue continually provided spiritual guidance and sanctuary to queer Jewish people from all paths of life.

The synagogue inspires art, writing, and activism in its own right -- visible here in the form of photographs from congregants, newspaper articles, and excerpts of independent publications written about this revolutionary congregation. Serving as a place of safety and inclusion for decades past and decades to come, this exhibit focuses on how much CBST supports the city it calls home and the community it has always sheltered and uplifted— a community for queer people, by queer people first and foremost.