ABSTRACT
Slomowitz introduces the section on “Sexual identity, psychoanalysis and traditional Judaism.” In the opening chapter the question is raised: What are the respective roles of the rabbi and the psychotherapist when dealing with LGBTQ members of the Orthodox Jewish community? Rabbis and psychoanalysts sharply clash when it comes to LGBTQ issues. Even though same-sex marriage is now legal in the United States we still face the quintessential psychoanalytic question: “What is going on around here?” Slomowitz attempts to set the tone for answering this crucial question.
Based on Dr. Tamar Ross, a noted orthodox Jewish feminist scholar, he points out that, given today’s cultural changes, rabbis must address questions that apply not only to an individual’s private life but also to dilemmas that apply to the public sphere and the community at large. With this in mind the contributors to this section address the critical issues that the LGBTQ members face in the orthodox community: the collateral damage to families of closeted orthodox gay men; beginning Rabbinic acceptance of gay identities; critical training of rabbinic leaders; bringing the voices of orthodox gay women and men to the fore; envisioning wedding ceremonies that incorporate Jewish holiness and law.
As Slomowitz writes in the Preface, the goal of this collection is for the reader to engage with the chapters in authentic dialogue. To connect as closely as possible with the content, the author and the points of view, even if they radically disagree with your own. We will all benefit from such an engagement
