Letter to the chair of the West Side Jewish Peoplehood Week Fair, 1980
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Letter to the chair of the West Side Jewish Peoplehood Week Fair, 1980
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CBST Archives
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Dear Mr. Lieber:
We stood at the base of Mount Sinai as one Jewish people. We endured together at Auschwitz as one Jewish people. We rallied, fought, and won the land of Israel for all Jewish people as one Jewish people. Sadly, the concept of one Jewish people, which has sustained us through thousands of years, is in peril within the ranks of the West Side Jewish Community Council. Your project, the Jewish Peoplehood Fair, is being used as a staffing ground by a bigoted and vocal minority to divide rather than to unite.
We of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, New York's Gay Synagogue, sought in good faith and with the best motives to participate in the Fair, but our participation was blocked by a segment of the Council that believes one part of the Jewish community has the right to deny another part the full enjoyment of Jewish life.
Although we stand firm in our position that we are well within our rights to demand participation in the fair, although numerous members of the council have backed us in this, although governmental agencies concerned with Human Rights have assured us that our participation cannot be denied us, the members, congregants, and friends of the Gay Synagogue of New York have chosen not to press for inclusion in the Fair at this time. Our decision stems, in part, from an awareness that we have become a focal point for infighting and intrigues that seem to be the order of the day at the West Side Jewish Community Council. Should we continue to press for our rights, and should serious division occur within the ranks of the Council, it is inevitable that gay Jews would be used as scapegoats to take the blame for all the troubles of the Council, just as all Jews have been used throughout history as scapegoats for the troubles of others.
In spite of the injury that has been perpetrated upon us because of this matter, the larger issue of human rights and dignity for all Jewish people remains our uppermost concern. We choose to take the lead in easing above petty prejudice and squabbles. Therefore, we have come to our decision for Shalom Bayis, and for our deep commitment to the principles of Am Israel, One Jewish People. But, let it be noted, we are withdrawing our application only for the 1982 Fair.
We hope that those in the Council who have the true feeling of community in their hearts and minds can comprehend the sadness and bitterness within our congregation. Be assured that we will continue to strive toward the day when the term "One Jewish People" can be more to us than an empty slogan.
IRVING COOPERBERG, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
We stood at the base of Mount Sinai as one Jewish people. We endured together at Auschwitz as one Jewish people. We rallied, fought, and won the land of Israel for all Jewish people as one Jewish people. Sadly, the concept of one Jewish people, which has sustained us through thousands of years, is in peril within the ranks of the West Side Jewish Community Council. Your project, the Jewish Peoplehood Fair, is being used as a staffing ground by a bigoted and vocal minority to divide rather than to unite.
We of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, New York's Gay Synagogue, sought in good faith and with the best motives to participate in the Fair, but our participation was blocked by a segment of the Council that believes one part of the Jewish community has the right to deny another part the full enjoyment of Jewish life.
Although we stand firm in our position that we are well within our rights to demand participation in the fair, although numerous members of the council have backed us in this, although governmental agencies concerned with Human Rights have assured us that our participation cannot be denied us, the members, congregants, and friends of the Gay Synagogue of New York have chosen not to press for inclusion in the Fair at this time. Our decision stems, in part, from an awareness that we have become a focal point for infighting and intrigues that seem to be the order of the day at the West Side Jewish Community Council. Should we continue to press for our rights, and should serious division occur within the ranks of the Council, it is inevitable that gay Jews would be used as scapegoats to take the blame for all the troubles of the Council, just as all Jews have been used throughout history as scapegoats for the troubles of others.
In spite of the injury that has been perpetrated upon us because of this matter, the larger issue of human rights and dignity for all Jewish people remains our uppermost concern. We choose to take the lead in easing above petty prejudice and squabbles. Therefore, we have come to our decision for Shalom Bayis, and for our deep commitment to the principles of Am Israel, One Jewish People. But, let it be noted, we are withdrawing our application only for the 1982 Fair.
We hope that those in the Council who have the true feeling of community in their hearts and minds can comprehend the sadness and bitterness within our congregation. Be assured that we will continue to strive toward the day when the term "One Jewish People" can be more to us than an empty slogan.
IRVING COOPERBERG, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Citation
“Letter to the chair of the West Side Jewish Peoplehood Week Fair, 1980”, Congregation Sim Beit Torah, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed November 21, 2024, https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/cbst/item/1896.
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