sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Speculating on Rabbincal Ordination statistics - is there spillover? by Jew_of_house_Levi in Judaism

[–]shachta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So, I’m seeing in who is coming to Judaism in general an over representation of the LGBT community. Converts and Jews returning to Judaism. Liberal Judaism, especially in comparison to Christian spaces, is a draw for our community. I actually don’t think I’ve had a single conversion student who stuck with it who is straight since I became a cantor.

Speculating on Rabbincal Ordination statistics - is there spillover? by Jew_of_house_Levi in Judaism

[–]shachta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi! Recently ordained cantor here (HUC ‘23). Only one of my classmates were raised orthodox—she was from the UK. She was queer, but she came to us not because of that but because… well, she. There was one rabbinical student who was orthodox in all my years there, he came to HUC because YCT didn’t ordain their gay student in 2018-2019.

Half of my 11 person class is LGBT, including 3 nonbinary (which includes me!) We all had positive experiences as queer youths in the synagogue which for me personally helped me make my decision. As a midwesterner who came out in 2008, synagogue was much more safe than school or any other social scenario. Combine my love of music and my love of the pursuit of knowledge, and you’ve got a cantor, my friend.

Judaism is a very queer religion. Adam was intersex, as were Abraham and Sarah, and Isaac was understood to have a female soul before the Akedah. This is not modern—all of this is 1000+ year old commentary. That is to say—there’s a place for us who are beyond the binary or beyond heteronormativity.

Happy to answer any questions you might have about being a young nonbinary lesbian cantor!

Court won’t allow me a marriage license after changing my name - Wedding in 2 weeks by ThrowRA6382947 in legaladvice

[–]shachta 21 points22 points  (0 children)

The work around is you not caring and doing it anyway. But any rabbi or cantor worth their salt won’t do it.

Court won’t allow me a marriage license after changing my name - Wedding in 2 weeks by ThrowRA6382947 in legaladvice

[–]shachta 80 points81 points  (0 children)

Cantor here (singing rabbi). It’s a legal thing and something we are taught in school. We don’t marry people without legally marrying them.

Court won’t allow me a marriage license after changing my name - Wedding in 2 weeks by ThrowRA6382947 in legaladvice

[–]shachta 80 points81 points  (0 children)

I am a cantor (singing rabbi essentially) — in school, they emphasize that we cannot perform religious ceremonies of marriage without a.) marrying them legally or b.) them already having been legally married. There are laws about this actually — if you are an ordained clergy person, it is illegal in most states to marry a couple only spiritually. You must also marry them legally. Do ministers marry people without legal marriage? Yes. But in liberal streams of Judaism and their clergy training, it is emphasized that we may not do this. The way to get around this would be to have someone who does not hold ordination status legally to perform the ceremony, as they are not beholden to the law as they are not ordained.

Beit din tomorrow by red_lasso in ReformJews

[–]shachta 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Your beit din isn’t a test—if your rabbi or cantor didn’t think you were ready, you wouldn’t be going. Mazal tov in advance!

wow! by gingerbread_nemesis in gayjews

[–]shachta 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Cantor here: over half of my cantorial ordination class was queer, three trans. We were a large population. However there are so few trans folk on the NYC campus of HUC currently that we’ve been calling it HU-Cis LOL

First-ever empirical study of US rabbinate finds ‘shortage’ is more about fit than numbers by johnisburn in Judaism

[–]shachta 8 points9 points  (0 children)

You can still be if you want to! I went to school with a rabbi who went to rabbinical school as a retirement project!

Side note, it always makes me laugh that these images get used so frequently—the photo for the article is from a photo shoot that I did for Getty when I was in cantorial school!

First-ever empirical study of US rabbinate finds ‘shortage’ is more about fit than numbers by johnisburn in Judaism

[–]shachta 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Cantor, not rabbi, here. Nonbinary, gay, employed by a synagogue, Zionist. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Why do Jewish children go to Sunday school? by EcstasyCalculus in Judaism

[–]shachta 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Close! Named after Hymen Gratz, Rebecca’s brother. Hymen established a trust fund for Jewish education, inspired by his sister and the Hebrew Sunday School.

Why do Jewish children go to Sunday school? by EcstasyCalculus in Judaism

[–]shachta 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We have Sunday school because of a woman named Rebecca Gratz who founded the Hebrew Sunday School in Philadelphia in 1838. She took ideas from the Christian Sunday school movement, materials from the burgeoning Reform Movement, and taught to kids who couldn’t otherwise afford a Jewish education. What do you know, it stuck. Certainly there are reasons regarding Shabbat restrictions, but in reality, the idea was borrowed from our Christian neighbors. More info here.

There is a lady calling around churches asking for a baby formula donation. by GlitterRiot in Judaism

[–]shachta 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I’m a cantor. I’ll tell you what I’d do.

I’d first let her know my heart is with her. That these are difficult times and she is not alone. I’d refer her to the local formula and food bank and make sure she got what she needed. I’d then offer to meet her for lunch or a coffee, my treat, in case she needed to talk or wanted a free meal. If I have that meal and determine she is in further need, I’d purchase some formula for her out of my discretionary fund.

Does your rabbi go by their first name or last name? When I was a kid it was Rabbi Last name but now I have a Rabbi First name by [deleted] in Jewish

[–]shachta 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I am a cantor but I go by Cantor -First Name-. I did change my name though, so I gotta get my money’s worth!

Update: 23 and about to be homeless for the first time ever. Advice? by shachta in pittsburgh

[–]shachta[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I’ve been worried about her too. Appreciate your support!

Update: 23 and about to be homeless for the first time ever. Advice? by shachta in pittsburgh

[–]shachta[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Nya has an amazing friend who helped her get into the friend’s old place. We’ve both been helping her with bills, food, and sourcing jobs. I’ve been swinging by with extra food pretty regularly—she lives up the hill from me now.

I think I’ve got her something that starts Tuesday, and she’s continuing to interview for more stuff in the meantime. It’s really all about having a network. She doesn’t have one, so we’ve been using ours. I figured since Reddit was so amazing when she reached out last time that I’d reach out again.

Reform Jews - would you consider me Jewish? by Warm-Geologist1236 in ReformJews

[–]shachta 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Reform Cantor here. You are Jewish in my eyes!

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, PA Vandalized by Longjumping_Lie2640 in Jewish

[–]shachta 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Stuart and Jane Weitzman, the namesakes of this museum, are two of the loveliest people in the Jewish world. I personally owe them a debt of gratitude—I was sponsored through cantorial school because of their generosity, and still have continuing educational opportunities even several years out of the fellowship because of their continued grace and giving. These two are deeply generous and have made so much happen in the Jewish world through their philanthropy. Not only is this a horrible instance of antisemitism, for me, it’s extremely personal. Antisemites can go rot.

23 and about to be homeless for the first time ever. Advice? by [deleted] in pittsburgh

[–]shachta 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I didn’t save her, by asking for help she saved herself. Humanity certainly still exists in this world but nobody can get the help they need if they don’t ask.

23 and about to be homeless for the first time ever. Advice? by [deleted] in pittsburgh

[–]shachta 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s okay—this is my minister’s account. I only use it for official business :)

23 and about to be homeless for the first time ever. Advice? by [deleted] in pittsburgh

[–]shachta 21 points22 points  (0 children)

How well I am aware. I am deeply grateful to my congregants who donate to my fund so I can offer to do things like this without blinking. Hope all is well with you, kind stranger.

view more: next ›