בס׳ד

"Where does it say that you have a contract with G-d to have an easy life?"

the Lubavitcher Rebbe



"Failure is not the enemy of success; it is its prerequisite."

Rabbi Nosson Scherman



4 Oct 2009

To everything there is a season

The executive editor of the Jewish Exponent wrote an article explaining the decision of the newspaper to accept publish notices of same-gender unions.

"The holiday of Sukkot is rich with many rituals, but none is more symbolic than the sukkah itself, the makeshift hut we build to welcome our family, friends and other guests. Exposed to both the elements and the stars, it reminds us simultaneously of the fragile nature of our existence and the joy we find when we join together to celebrate Jewish tradition."
The executive editor then goes on to say that perhaps it is fitting that the board of directors has seen fit to include notices of same-gender unions "as we approach this most welcoming of holidays."
The article concludes with the following paragraph.

"Another important Sukkot tradition is to read Kohelet, which includes these eternal words of Ecclesiastes: "To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens." This holiday season, the time has come to take one more step to widen our communal hut, to create a place where all who wish to share in the Jewish enterprise feel welcome and validated."
http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/19740/

To the executive editor of the Jewish Exponent, I am not taking issue with you on what you print or don't print. I take exception with you for using Jewish rituals, symbols and texts to lend credence to your decision. With your reasoning, a person who wishes to commit adultery is perfectly justified because "to everything there is a season." Perhaps the newspaper will publish notices of marital affairs, in keeping with the evolution of societal norms and because, just as the sukkah is welcoming, the newspaper should aim to be all inclusive.
You quote one sentence from Kohelet. What about the sentence in Kohelet (9:9) "Enjoy life with the wife you love.....?"
So, go ahead and write your justification and the reasons behind your decision, be it increased readership, not alienating certain segments of the society, being afraid of being sued if the newspaper is deemed to be discriminatory in its ad acceptance policy, or whatever the real reason may be. But, please don't use a sentence from a religious text or a Jewish holiday to justify your actions.

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