That Jewish News Show: An Orthodox rabbi on why his synagogue supports the LGBTQ+ community
That Jewish News Show
An Orthodox rabbi on why his synagogue supports the LGBTQ+ community
June 7, 2023
On the June 7, 2023 episode of That Jewish News Show, Laura E. Adkins and Benyamin Cohen of the Forward discuss the revelation of eye-popping antisemitic emails between two Los Angeles attorneys, and what advice the Talmud and Jewish tradition has for Taylor Swift fans. They were joined by Rabbi Jonathan Leener of the Prospect Heights Shul, a Modern Orthodox congregation in Brooklyn, to discuss why his synagogue supports the LGBTQ+ community, and how he’s working to convince his colleagues in the Orthodox community to do the same. Rabbis, he said, “should be a voice for the most vulnerable members of a community.”
Listen on Apple Podcasts:
We want to hear from you! Leave a review below and email thatjewishnewsshow@forward.com with your questions and comments. You can also text or call us at (201) 228-0412.
That Jewish News Show is hosted and produced by Laura E. Adkins and Benyamin Cohen of the Forward. Our theme music is by The Fly Guy Five.
Listen on Spotify:
Subscribe to the Forward’s free daily newsletters at forward.com/newsletters
To ensure you never miss an episode, follow That Jewish News Show on
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
And follow the Forward on
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Referenced articles, books and music
News of the Week
“Prominent law firm partners who made offensive comments about Jews and others resign” by Jacob Kornbluh in the Forward
“Taylor Swift fans have amnesia. So did Jews after Sinai” by Mira Fox in the Forward
Main Interview:
Why I, as an Orthodox rabbi, am committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion
Recommendations:
Laura: Meyer Lemon pasta recipe from The New York Times
Benyamin: Shiny Happy People on Amazon Prime
That Jewish News Show is a thoughtful look at the week in Jewish news from journalists at the Forward, which has been driving the American Jewish conversation since 1897. In each episode, hosts Laura E. Adkins, the opinion editor, and Benyamin Cohen, the news director, bring you beyond the headlines and interview the newsmakers behind those stories.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30