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CLAL Rabbi Steve Greenberg Featured in Award Winning Film on Being Gay and Orthodox

By Judy Epstein, Director of Public Affairs

In March of 1998, Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Senior Teaching Fellow and long-time faculty member at CLAL came out publicly for the first time. "It would be hard for me to believe that God would want five out of every hundred Jews to live out lonely broken lives." The article appeared in the Israeli newspaper, Maariv and was entitled, "In the Name of Partnership."

After years of grappling with his identity, Rabbi Greenberg came out publicly while living in Israel. During that time, he helped establish Jerusalem's Gay and Lesbian community center, The Jerusalem Open House. The Open House is a safe haven, a support network, a resource center and clubhouse café for a very threatened minority in the holy city. "I felt that it was time to be responsible, time to carry my own growing self-acceptance into action. It was clear that a community center would make a big difference, especially for religious population of the city."

When Greenberg was living in Israel, he was approached by filmmaker Sandi DuBowski to participate in a groundbreaking documentary on the profound difficulties of living as both a gay and orthodox person. "The film portrays a group of people who face a tremendous dilemma," says Greenberg. "How do they reconcile a passionate love of Judaism and God with the Biblical prohibitions that forbid homosexuality?"

Greenberg agreed to be interviewed for the film, and is among a number of Orthodox rabbis whose contributions helps to ground the journeys of the seven different gay people in the film. "Trembling Before G-d" was accepted at the Sundance film festival and has already won awards international film awards. As part of the screenings, Greenberg participated in panel discussions with DuBowski and others on the message of the film and the lesson of connection.

"The film lives as a community organizing tool," says Greenberg. "Wherever it's been shown, individuals and families have come up to us to thank us for showing them that they are not as isolated as they feel. The film has helped people find their place, and offers a tool for intervention."

Greenberg pointed out that a number of support groups have now arisen around the world to help Orthodox gay people to know they are not alone. He says it's his job to be an ally and help portray a hopeful resolution.

While at Sundance, Greenberg led a Shabbaton and met with members of the Mormon community facing the same dilemmas. "We find that people from all walks of life can relate to the film. It's as much about the specifics as about a lesson in tolerance, respect and diversity."

Greenberg says that film's message is very much the vision of CLAL and pluralism. "CLAL asks us to think about Judaism from outside of the box. For some, religion provides a security blanket. But a religion that can't also provoke and mark the uncertainty as well as the certainty is dead."

He continued, "For me, the film is about the costs of finding love and happiness. It is deeply connected to Torah. It is not about sexual freedom and restraint, but rather, about intimacy and emptiness."

"Trembling Before G-d" is scheduled to be shown at several film festivals throughout the world. Later this year, it will be released in theaters around the country.