Apr 15, 2005  |  By: YUSEF NAJAFI  | COMMENTS     

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, the secular public policy umbrella board for more than 200 Jewish organizations in the Washington area, recently implemented a new non-discrimination policy to protect its gay members.

Beverly Nissenbaum, a lesbian delegate to the JCRC, said the new policy, which took effect in late March, came about primarily due to the recent anti-gay bills that have been proposed or approved in Virginia’s General Assembly, including House Bill 751, known as the Marriage Affirmation Act, which outlaws marriage, civil unions and partnerships between same-sex couples in the state.

The new policy states that the JCRC “affirms its opposition to discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation.”

Secondly, JCRC “expresses its support for government action that provides civil status to committed same-sex couples and their families equal to the civil status provided to the committed relationships of men and women and their families, with all associated legal rights and obligations, both federal and state.”

And lastly, JCRC “opposes efforts at the federal and state level (whether through legislation or constitutional amendment) that would limit or deny legal benefits to same sex couples and their families.”

“Sexual orientation should not be the basis for denying personal and economic rights and obligations that the law and market automatically confer on straight couples,” Nissenbaum said.

“This is about separation of church and state. This is about civil marriage, but not about religiously sanctioned marriage,” she added.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington does not advocate for or against religious issues.

Paul Greenberg, vice president of the JCRC, said he was surprised at how the board handled the policy vote.

“What was striking about this resolution is that it was adopted from our board or directors without any amendment. That’s unusual, because typically drafting committees bring a resolution, and the board alters it, but this one, there was no amendment to change it,” he said.

Statement backs ‘full equality’

Even though the JCRC represents more than 200 local area Jewish organizations, including congregation Bet Mishpachah, the GLBT synagogue in Washington D.C., each one may have its own non-discrimination policy, Nissenbaum said.

Nissenbaum said the new statement “formally allows the council to lend its voice, advocacy efforts and coalitions in support of positive GLBT legislation in Virginia, Maryland and D.C.”

Rabbi Barry Freundel, of Kesher Israel, an Orthodox synagogue in downtown Washington, would not disclose his personal reaction to the new policy, but addressed its significance.

“The Jewish teaching doesn’t allow for marriage between same-gender couples, but that doesn’t mean people should be deprived of civil rights.
“The civil status issue is to provide financial support, or things such as hospital visitation rights, it does not confer the same thing as marriage status,” Freundel said.