Chevrei Tikva Chavurah

Bruchim ha-ba’im ("Welcome")…
To the Chevrei Tikva Chavurah,
Welcoming gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Cleveland area Jews and their families and friends.

In the summer of 2005, Chevrei Tikva, a synagogue with outreach to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) Jews, and their families and friends, became part of the Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple synagogue-community.

"Anshe Chesed means 'people of loving kindness,' and the clergy, staff, lay leaders, and members of Anshe Chesed have for years demonstrated loving kindness to Chevrei Tikva and its members," said Jonathan Freilich, Chevrei Tikva's Vice President, . "We are pleased and proud to become a chavurah ("group of friends") within the Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple community and we welcome others to become part of this community." 

Chevrei Tikva Chavurah Shabbat Services are held twice a month on the first and third Fridays. Both services begin at 8 p.m. in the Lelyveld Library. These services, like all Fairmount Temple Shabbat Services, are open to all. 

In addition to the Services, the Chevrei Tikva Chavurah hosts an array of programming and special events throughout the year, including Chanukah parties, a play, speakers, and a Second Night Pesach Seder.  In May, Fairmount Temple sponsors a bus to transport Clevelanders to  Lobby Day for Equality in Columbus. This year, Chevrei TIkva celebrates its 25 anniversary.

All are Invited:
CHEVREI TIKVA'S 25^th Anniversary Weekend with Rabbi J.B. Sacks

April 24-26

All are invited to the Victor Karp Memorial GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender) Scholar-in Residence, Faces of Fairmount--Families of Inclusion, celebrating Chevrei Tikva Chavurah’s 25th Anniversary.
 

The keynote speaker will be Rabbi J. B. Sacks who lives with his life partner, Stephen Karash, and their 13-year-old son, Evan, in Los Angeles, where he serves on the faculty of the Academy for the Jewish Religion, a seminary that embraces all four branches of Judaism.  Descended from 17 generations of rabbis on his mother's side, Rabbi Sacks was ordained in 1986 at the Jewish Theological Seminary after graduating summa cum laude from Ohio University.  He is currently working toward his Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible at Claremont Graduate University.  Rabbi Sacks is active in Jews for Marriage Equality which continues to work to overturn California's Proposition 8 in order to ensure equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians. 

Friday, April 24

6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service

Rabbi Sacks will speak on My Personal Journey as a Gay Rabbi and Father - Jewish Values and GLBT Inclusion. Service will be followed by a hot’n’hearty oneg.

Saturday, April 25,

9:15 a.m. Torah Study and Bagel Brunch with Rabbi Sacks

Why Leviticus Poses No Problem For Embracing and Empowering GLBT Jews
10:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Minyan

The service will include the dedication of the new Torah Ark, designed by well- known local designer, Mort Epstein, to be shared by the Chevrei Tikva Chavurah and the Minyan,
6:30 p.m. Anniversary Dinner, Weinberg Hall

Evening includes dinner, the Giver of Light Awards, 25 year historical photomontage, and entertainment by Gene's Jazz Hot Trio with Peggi Cella.  RSVPs are only needed for the dinner. For more information, including costs and to RSVP, please contact Cathy Lipton at 216-464-1330, ext. 126.
SUNDAY, APRIL 26

11 a.m. How To Answer Your Children's Questions About Judaism and Sexuality--Are You an Askable Parent?
Rabbi Sacks will lead a discussion with parents of all generations on the issue of Inclusion: A New Look at the Bible’s Approach to Sexuality.  This is a very timely discussion for parents to help them better respond to our children’s and our grandchildren’s questions, especially in light of what they may see in the media or hear from other children.

 

The Chevrei Tikva Chavurah GLBT Scholar-in Residence is named for Victor Karp who was a lifetime member of Fairmount Temple and an active and committed member of Chevrei Tikva for 10 years until his death. He died in 1996, would have been 90 years old this year and we are proud to memorialize him in this way since he was an integral part of Chevrei Tikva during its early years.

Friday, June 26 --6:15 p.m. Shabbat Service, PRIDE Shabbat with Chevrei Tikva Chavurah, followed by special oneg

To learn more about the Chevrei Tikva Chavurah or events listed, contact Cathy Lipton by at Clipton@fairmounttemple.org
or at 216-464-1330, ext. 126.

Fairmount Temple Receives Equality Award
The Human Rights Campaign Cleveland honored Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple with its annual Equality Award in recognition of its long history of support for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community of Cleveland. The Award was presented April 8, 2006.

In the words of the HRC Board of Governors:  "True to its tradition of being Anshe Chesed, 'People of Loving Kindness', the temple is recognized as a leader not only in the religious community but also in the community as a whole.  We will always remember the Rabbis' conducting services in basements, lending torahs to Chevrei Tikva for services, standing with us on "Issue One," hosting and leading the benediction of our first HRC 'faith-based' event, serving on the GLBT Task Force for JCF, and your inclusion of Chevrei Tikva Chavurah as part of the synagogue."

Click here for recent article in The Jewish Daily Forward Magazine that includes Chevrei Tikva.

Click here for recent article in Cleveland Jewish News featuring several Chevrei Tikva members.

See our Shabbat Calendar for a complete listing of Shabbat services.

Links:   

The World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Jews

 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland

Human Rights Campaign

NUJLS

gaygevalt.com