Jewish leaders ‘delighted’ to see gay couples tying the knot
Jewish leaders have spoken of how they are “delighted” to see the first gay couples tying the knot.
Gay marriage has been opposed by the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church but the faith traditions who will marry same sex couples include the Movement for Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism.
Alex Benyehuda, spokeswoman for Liberal Judaism, said the movement had several same sex marriages scheduled for this year.
“We are delighted, we have pressed for it, we have campaigned and spoken at the public bill committee stage for religious organisations to be able to perform same sex marriages,” she said.
“In 2005 we were the first religious movement in the whole country to be able to publish official liturgy for same sex partnerships blessings, just before civil partnerships were brought in.
“We have always seen it as a matter of justice, so we are absolutely delighted that from tomorrow all couples will be able to celebrate their love and commitment equally under UK law and under Liberal Jewish law.”
Nicola Pettit, a nursery manager, 29, and Tania Ward, 28, a bakery chef, from Brighton, will get married in Brighton Town Hall tomorrow and will be blessed later in the day by a Liberal Judaism rabbi.
The couple have been together for six years and Ms Pettit, who is Jewish, said adding a “religious element” was important to her. “It was so important for me to have a Jewish element to the day. The Jewish side of it has been so supportive.”
Rabbi Laura Janner Klausner, senior rabbi for the Movement for Reform Judaism, said she was “thrilled” by the introduction of same sex marriage.
“Amongst our rabbis and our membership people are united on this issue. People are thrilled,” she said.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
