March 9, 1991 Press Release

March 9, 1991 Press Release

CBST Archives

CONGREGATION BETH SIMCHAT TORAH
NEW YORK'S SYNAGOGUE SERVING THE GAY & LESBIAN JEWISH COMMUNl1Y

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
March 9, 1991
Contacts:
Rosanne Leipzig, 212-548-5760 (evening number)
Arthur Leonard, 212-431-2156 (daytime number)

NEW YORK'S GAY AND LESBIAN SYNAGOGUE SEEKS TO IDRE ITS
FIRST RABBI

Congregation Beth Simchat Torah (CBST), the egalitarian gay and lesbian synagogue
serving the greater New York City area, has initiated a nationwide search to hire its first rabbi.
Founded in 1973, the 1150-member congregation made the decision to hire a rabbi after more
than a year of study and discussion by the congregants and the Board of Trustees.

"Our continued growth, the diversity of our members and the increasing need for
counseling and spiritual guidance in this time of the AIDS crisis have created the desire among
the Board and the congregation for a full-time rabbi to provide pastoral care and spiritual
leadership," explained Arthur Leonard, co-chair of the Rabbi Search Committee.

"We believe that this position offers a unique opportunity to a progressive rabbi who
would enjoy the challenges and rewards our synagogue has to offer," added Rosanne Leipzig,
the Committee's other co-chair.

Since CBST is an unaffiliated synagogue, the congregation welcomes applicants from all
backgrounds. The congregation is seeking an ordained rabbi with a minimum of two years of
pulpit experience and a willingness to share the pulpit with lay leaders. Until now, congregants
at CBST have conducted all services, and men and women participate on an equal basis. The
congregation has adapted traditional liturgy and a wide spectrum of religious and cultural
observances in order to meet the diverse needs of its members.

Interested candidates should submit a resume or an indication of interest no later than June
1, 1991, to:

Professor Arthur Leonard
New York Law School
57 Worth Street
New York, N.Y. 10013-2960