Conservative synagogues open to gay staff

The United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism decided to allow the hiring of openly gay employees. In a vote Sunday, the union representing about 700 Conservative synagogues moved to change its hiring practices, according to a press release. The change applies only to the union itself; Conservative synagogues retain the right to decide independently whether to modify their hiring guidelines or not. “As a movement that has always integrated our commitment to halachah – Jewish law – with our desire to see the spirit of God in all people, we are glad to be able to take this step,” said Rabbi Jerome Epstein, the organization’s executive vice president.The decision comes six months after the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards voted to permit the ordination of gays and lesbians and to allow rabbis to perform same-sex commitment ceremonies. The committee also endorsed a rabbinic opinion upholding the traditional ban on gay rabbis and gay unions. The Jewish Theological Seminary and the University of Judaism, the Conservative movement’s two American rabbinical seminaries, have both changed their admissions guidelines to permit gays and lesbians to study for the rabbinate.Raymond Goldstein, United Synagogue’s international president, said that following the law committee’s adoption of a more permissive stance on homosexuality, “there is no reason not to broaden our candidate pool.”