When being Jewish and gay is a problem

I spend an awful lot of time on this site criticising Israel, so here’s some rare good news that deserves praise: info about an Israeli film regarding gay life in the Orthodox community:

When Chaim Elbaum stood up to field questions last night, he said that Kehilat Yedidya, is the first Israeli Orthodox community to ask him to come to screen and speak about his short film And Thou Shalt Love , and about his personal decision to accept his homosexuality while insisting on remaining an observant and believing Jew.

There is no doubt that the Orthodox Jewish community is largely intolerant of homosexuality, like many religions. But it’s hard to imagine another nation in the Middle East even openly debating these issues (except maybe Beirut in Lebanon. Maybe.)

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