At his last synagogue, Rabbi David Mark had to turn away gay couples seeking commitment ceremonies. He’s determined to change that at Temple Sholom.
“It hurt me so much—to my very core—that I could not help these people,” Mark told the Sun Sentinel.
He wants Temple Sholom to be the first of its kind in Broward County to hold commitment ceremonies for gay couples.
Judaism has a sliding-scale approach toward same-sex coupling. The Orthodox branch rejects them; the liberal Reform Movement embraces them; and the Conservative Movement lies somewhere in the middle. In 2006, the Conservative Movement’s Committee of Jewish Law and Standards voted to give rabbis the authority to conduct commitment ceremonies if they wish.
Commitment ceremonies have been offered for years at Congregation Etz Chaim in Wilton Manors, the only religious home for Reform Jewish members of the LGBT community.
Mark said the commitment ceremony at Temple Sholom—called a “Jewish Covenant of Love”—will not include some aspects of a traditional Jewish marriage ceremony. But couples will exchange rings, recite vows, and break a glass symbolizing the fragility of love.
“Even though Florida doesn’t recognize gay marriage, I felt that gay people are entitled,” Mark said. “People fall in love, and that should be able to express that love in a public setting.”
