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Union of Reform Judaism President Rabbi Eric Yoffie. (BauBau Archives)
Last update - 00:00 15/08/2007
Reform Movement publishes blessings for sex change operation
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: homosexuals, transgender 

The Reform Movement recently published an expanded manual for the inclusion of homosexuals and transgender individuals, including a list of three blessings to be said on the occasion of a sex change operation.

"I believe that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) Jews in our midst - our children, our relatives, and our friend - are in great need, as are we all of spiritual support," said Union of Reform Judaism President Rabbi Eric Yoffie in the manual's Statement of Purpose.

The 500-page Kulanu: A Program for Implementing Gay and Lesbian Inclusion contains among other things services for same-sex commitment and marriage ceremonies as well as advice for the inclusion of GLBT individuals in the community.
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The original edition of Kulanu was published 10 years ago, and was considered at the time to be a modern and daring step for the movement, which had recognized homosexual individuals as legitimate and equal members of the community three decades prior.

The movement spent three years formulating the new manual, with the participation of homosexuals and spiritual leaders.

The new edition includes for the first time an entire chapter devoted to transsexual individuals, including the Reform Movement's decisions regarding transsexual persons, and instructions designed to assist them in becoming integrated into the community.

According to the Union of Reform Judaism Web site, Kulanu also includes seven new personal stories including, Neil Spencer Welles' "A Gay Jewish Divorce," Inbal Kashtan's "A Traditional Jewish Lesbian Wedding" and TJ Michels and Ali Cannon's "Whose Side Are You On? Transgender at the Western Wall."

"In the ten years since the first edition of Kulanu was published there has been great progress in the way the Jewish community in general and the Reform synagogue community in particular has welcomed GLBT Jews," says the Web site. "This edition of Kulanu will continue to pave the way towards total inclusion of GLBT individuals and families in Reform Jewish Life."

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  1.   They can not be serious... 13:01  |  Maimon 15/08/07
  2.   Sickening 13:24  |  Johnny Weintraub 15/08/07
  3.   They cross their own redlines every 10 years. 13:43  |  Mitch Iginer 15/08/07
  4.   Nothing new... 14:04  |  Saul Goode 15/08/07
  5.   Disappointed 14:24  |  Martin Livingston 15/08/07
  6.   Names confusion 14:30  |  Gene 15/08/07
  7.   Consistency 14:31  |  Asher 15/08/07
  8.   What`s the blessing? 14:40  |  Curious Reader 15/08/07
  9.   Reform Judaism appears to be a form of christianism , 14:43  |  Joseph E . 15/08/07
  10.   Reform = Bad Joke , Micky Mouse is their Halachic Authority 15:11  |  S Judah 15/08/07
  11.   they same nice... 15:15  |  Kobi former swede 15/08/07
  12.   # 9 What A Pathetic Excuse - The Christians Made Us Do It! 15:17  |  Tony Anthony 15/08/07
  13.   Reform Judaism with its actions is moving itself further and 15:22  |  Reut Ami-Ram 15/08/07
  14.   MADNESS EVEN IN ISRAEL,SAD BUT TRUE! 15:31  |  ILSupporter 15/08/07
  15.   Reform Blessings 15:36  |  Avraham 15/08/07
  16.   Reut 15:38  |  Eran 15/08/07
  17.   Should we circumcise transgender males? 15:47  |  Max 15/08/07
  18.   Judaism traditionally not about "spiritual support" 15:48  |  Paul Freedman 15/08/07
  19.   Reform is becoming more and more irrelevant 15:52  |  Baruch 15/08/07
  20.   Reform 16:10  |  JK 15/08/07
  21.   Martin Livingstone..... 16:10  |  Maimon 15/08/07
  22.   When is a Blessing Not Blessed? 16:36  |  Fred 15/08/07
  23.   JK and Reform blessings 16:47  |  Raanan 15/08/07
  24.   #19 16:51  |  djhrs 15/08/07
  25.   GLBT blessings 16:54  |  Chaim Smit 15/08/07
  26.   You don`t get it 17:17  |  Peaches 15/08/07
  27.   I heard they married a man to his daughter 17:31  |  Dave 15/08/07
  28.   Lots of Ignorance 17:35  |  Secular in SoCal 15/08/07
  29.   Changes of lifestyle 17:37  |  Elisabeth Almqvist 15/08/07
  30.   Tolerating homosexuality need not be exaggerated! 17:38  |  Alicia 15/08/07
  31.   Why be reform? 17:39  |  Female 15/08/07
  32.   yey for gay!!! 17:41  |  Sam P. 15/08/07
  33.   Huh? Still rubbing my eyes in disbelief. 17:51  |  bat yam 15/08/07
  34.   MEDICAL FACTS 17:54  |  TBART 15/08/07
  35.   Reform blessing = Birkat haMinim 18:06  |  Ezra haGuer 15/08/07
  36.   Reform Movement - Really SICK! 18:10  |  Ed 15/08/07
  37.   Reform NOT Reform Judaism 18:10  |  Simon Green 15/08/07
  38.   To Peaches and Disappointed 18:21  |  Leo 15/08/07
  39.   Doomed move 18:26  |  C McCoy 15/08/07
  40.   Being Born... is a LIE 18:33  |  Daniel HaLevi 15/08/07
  41.   To Peaches 18:34  |  Gene 15/08/07
  42.   LOL - "Judaism" 18:44  |  Dani 15/08/07
  43.   #22, Don`t Insult Kutz 18:48  |  Eli 15/08/07
  44.   #4 Saul Goode - I read the werbpage 18:52  |  Yonatan 15/08/07
  45.   Peaches 19:06  |  Sam 15/08/07
  46.   new blessings 19:07  |  Mark Katzman 15/08/07
  47.   #33 Daniel HaLevi: please explain 19:30  |  Alicia 15/08/07
  48.   To Peaches 19:37  |  Dena 15/08/07
  49.   Baruch...Me`shane Ha`briot? 19:38  |  Dan 15/08/07
  50.   To Sam in Canada 19:50  |  Peaches 15/08/07
  51.   Reasonable and halakhically proper for transgenders 19:52  |  Tosefta 15/08/07
  52.   Jews and the Family 20:06  |  me 15/08/07
  53.   reform/deform 20:11  |  dean wormer@farber 15/08/07
  54.   You know it`s a great thing when the bigots are upset, mozoltov 20:16  |  anti-racist 15/08/07
  55.   LIES! THEY REFUSED TO BLESS ME TO CHANGE BACK !! 20:28  |  Jason 15/08/07
  56.   Peaches- "May you all find enlightenment" 20:33  |  Sam 15/08/07
  57.   It isnt immoral to be born transgendered 20:45  |  Joe 15/08/07
  58.   Orthodox is becoming a "sect", not authentic Judaism. 20:51  |  David 15/08/07
  59.   Blessin for sex-change operation 20:53  |  Sam 15/08/07
  60.   Sometimes, Orthodox Jews are shockingly ignorant 20:54  |  Jack 15/08/07
  61.   Orthodox Judaism believes in polygamy 20:57  |  Dave 15/08/07
  62.   "Reform Judaism is like religion that`s seen a therapist" 21:06  |  AV 15/08/07
  63.   The Tora doesnt condemn transsexuals, Orthodox interpretations do 21:15  |  Hal 15/08/07
  64.   largest and most generous group 21:37  |  scott 15/08/07
  65.   it is pointless to have reform rabbis 21:43  |  Barry 15/08/07
  66.   The GoldenCalf 21:46  |  Salty 15/08/07
  67.   Reform Movement publishes blessings for sex change operation 21:46  |  Berl 15/08/07
  68.   embracing us 21:59  |  Sarit 15/08/07
  69.   largest and most generous group 22:00  |  scott 15/08/07
  70.   Critique of the new Reform blessing 22:01  |  Hal 15/08/07
  71.   #49 Tosefta - Re: Rabbi Waldenberg 22:07  |  Yonatan 15/08/07
  72.   Explanation for Alicia 22:10  |  Daniel HaLevi 15/08/07
  73.   reform movement 22:13  |  simon 15/08/07
  74.   bravo 22:21  |  Pssd Off American 15/08/07
  75.   I found the 3 blessings 22:24  |  MB 15/08/07
  76.   Jonah 22:29  |  Talpiot, jerusalem 15/08/07
  77.   Ezra haGuer, excellent! 22:39  |  Akiva Patysh 15/08/07
  78.   Everyone is evil who demonizes transsexuals and homosexuals 22:41  |  Hal 15/08/07
  79.   Are the reform really Jewish? 22:41  |  Avraham 15/08/07
  80.   #22 23:05  |  Fred 15/08/07
  81.   im sooo proud to be a reform jew 23:12  |  alan 15/08/07
  82.   Hater Hal 23:19  |  Daniel HaLevi 15/08/07
  83.   log live reform judiasm ! 23:22  |  glen 15/08/07
  84.   #59 HaLevi: so there is hope 23:44  |  Alicia 15/08/07
  85.   Yonatan #58 00:00  |  Tosefta 16/08/07
  86.   Judaism is pluralistic and evolving. No sect can be Judaism. 00:04  |  AV 16/08/07
  87.   I dont hate people. I hate hate. 00:07  |  Hal 16/08/07
  88.   Yonatan #58 00:12  |  Tosefta 16/08/07
  89.   You have a point 00:18  |  Hal 16/08/07
  90.   Gay Pride 00:26  |  Simon 16/08/07
  91.   seinfeld 00:28  |  ron 16/08/07
  92.   Issues regarding transsexuality require normal halakhic debate 00:31  |  Hal 16/08/07
  93.   So When Will Conservative Adopt THis and How Can They COmplain 00:36  |  Me 16/08/07
  94.   transexuality, psychiatry & religion 01:14  |  curious 16/08/07
  95.   The Tora doesnt forbid transsexuality or homosexuality 01:55  |  Hal 16/08/07
  96.   what next 01:58  |  Billy Jack 16/08/07
  97.   #90 Hate the sinner not the sinner ,,, unless you do it in spite? 02:06  |  pace306 16/08/07
  98.   #78, Fred 02:44  |  Eli 16/08/07
  99.   Good job Tosefta and Yonatan 02:57  |  Saul Goode 16/08/07
  100.   We are making ourselves ridiculous 03:15  |  Reform Rabbi 16/08/07
  101.   If Reform were the only Judaism left, I`d become a Moslem 03:17  |  Baruch 16/08/07
  102.   Why worry about a blessing? 06:00  |  Moises 16/08/07
  103.   Hal, are you nut? 06:00  |  Gene 16/08/07
  104.   Daniel HaLevi #40 - I don`t know about that 06:04  |  Moises 16/08/07
  105.   100 reform rabbi 06:12  |  alan 16/08/07
  106.   Tosefta#88 06:41  |  Danite 16/08/07
  107.   Reform does (!) believe in God officially 06:57  |  Miryam 16/08/07
  108.   Apologist Danite the comprehension-challenged, II 07:45  |  Tosefta 16/08/07
  109.   Reincarnation (sotospeak) 07:51  |  Hal 16/08/07
  110.   Response to Moises 15:58  |  Daniel HaLevi 16/08/07
  111.   Our Gate Are Always Open 17:36  |  Sidney Davis 17/08/07
  112.   #111, sounds like Christianity 20:45  |  Baruch 17/08/07
  113.   reply to #112 23:10  |  Sidney Davis 17/08/07
  114.   Pinchas 05:39  |  Pinchas 26/08/07
  115.   Thank You! 05:45  |  Pinchas ben Moshe 26/08/07
  116.   Reform 10:07  |  Moriah 24/12/07
  117.   #75, You found the blessings 23:20  |  SK 24/12/07
  118.   Blessings 22:10  |  Manny 25/12/07
  119.   Insight 20:40  |  John Stolar, RN Phd 29/06/08
  120.   Re If Reform Judaism were the only Judaism I`d become Muslim 22:27  |  Michal 30/08/08
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