NJ Jewish mag hounded by Orthodox rabbis over gay wedding announcment
”Avichai David Smolen, son of Robert Smolen and Barbara Schneider of New Milford, and Justin Taylor Rosen, son of Keith and Elizabeth Rosen of Coram, N.Y., plan to be married next month by Rabbi Joshua Gruenberg at North Shore Synagogue in Syosset, N.Y.”
Opening paragraph of a wedding announcement that appeared in the Jewish Standard, a magazine/website that serves New Jersey’s Jewish community. The gay couple’s announcment ran on September 24. (JStandard.com Simchas: Engagement)
”We set off a firestorm last week by publishing a same-sex couple’s announcement of their intent to marry…. A group of rabbis… within the traditional/Orthodox community… made us aware that publication of the announcement caused pain and consternation, and we apologize for any pain we may have caused…. We have decided, therefore, since this is such a divisive issue, not to run such announcements in the future.”
Part of a short editorial announcement made by the New Jersey Jewish Standard on October 4. The editorial seems to be about the Smolen-Schneider gay wedding engagement announcement. (JStandard.com Opinion)
”We ran the wedding announcement because we felt, as a community newspaper, that it was our job to serve the entire community — something we have been doing for 80 years. We did not expect the heated response we got, and — in truth — we believe now that we may have acted too quickly in issuing the follow-up statement, responding only to one segment of the community…. We urge everyone to take a step back and reflect on what this series of events has taught us about the community we care so much about, and about the steps we must take to move forward together.”
James Janoff, Publisher of the New Jersey Jewish Standard, speaking about the controversy that arose after his magazine published a same-sex engagement notice and then apologized for printing that piece despite receiving both positive and negative feedback. (JStandard.com)
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