[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 28, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E46]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CONGREGATION BETH SIMCHAT TORAH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 28, 1998

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah is New York 
City's only, and the world's largest, gay and lesbian synagogue, and on 
February 7th is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
  This remarkable congregation started with barely enough for a minyan 
(ten people) in a borrowed room at a neighborhood Episcopal Church. The 
Kiddush cup, some candles and challah used in the ceremony were carried 
to the services in a shopping bag.
  The congregation grew by word of mouth and small ads in the local 
weekly newspaper. Slowly, at first, the number of congregants grew so 
that it was large enough to have to move to another church in the 
neighborhood for the High Holy Days. By 1975 it was clear that they 
needed still more space so a large loft was rented and the congregation 
moved into it that year. The following year it got its first Torah on 
``permanent loan'' from a Bronx congregation. In 1977 Congregation Beth 
Simchat Torah hosted the Second International Conference on Lesbian and 
Gay Jews and that year a second Torah was acquired.
  Talmud and Hebrew classes were expanded and over the next few years 
the High Holy Day crowds approached a 1,000. By 1992 Rabbi Sharon 
Kleinbaum was hired and more than 2,200 people attended Yom Kippur 
services.
  This dynamic congregation has served its community with distinction. 
With Rabbi Kleinbaum, it looks forward to greater community 
involvement, future growth and a continuance of its traditional/
creative liturgy.

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