The Retreat

The pictures you can find on google, amazing!

I went to the retreat this weekend. Let me clarify, it was a retreat sponsored by Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, the only LGBT synagogue in NYC and the largest in the world and the spiritual home of BL. It's the shul that refused marriage to us because I am not Jewish 6 years ago. (note, they did rent us the shul, but we had to hunt for our own rabbi, a lovely rabbi, Ellen Lippman who has her own synagogue in Brooklyn and a Christian partner.)

For a while, after BL joined, I attended services and became part of the community,and really enjoyed them and except for the Jesus problem, was considering becoming a member. Then the marriage issue came up. I mean, for Christ's sake! This is the only place of it's kind in NYC and embraces, orthodox to reform and plenty of people are coupled with non-Jews (as the head rabbi likes to call us.)

So I went to the retreat with a chip on my shoulder that just kept getting bigger as the weekend went on. I found that we were not in the usual accessible  cabins-that we usually have. This was Bl's fault. She forgot to ask. But they gave the extras of these to parents with children! and refused to switch one when they realized I needed one (I need a seated shower or I fall down.)

As you can see I was carrying around this big chip that had a tendency to grow.

I approached the new president to ask him about ways of making non-Jewish partners more welcome. He said "Well it is a Synagogue!" Ow, that chip was starting to hurt!

This will be my last retreat.