2017 Issue 2 Mar/Apr - Focus Mid-South Magazine

faith+spirituality
Temple Israel is opening
space in Crosstown
Concourse, embracing
LGBTQ Jews,
and is now
Keshet certified
as a safe space for
LGBTQ persons.
RABBI BESS
WOHLNER
THRILLED TO HELP LEAD THE REFORM
story by Melinda Lejman | photo courtesy Bess Wohlner
Rabbi Bess Wohlner isn’t a
native Memphian, though you’d
be hard pressed to make a
case against her. I was certain
her friendly, frank demeanor
and endearing concern for
my comfort when we first met
were tell-tale signs that I was in
good Southern company.
“It takes a rare bird to get
my humor,” she laughed. Born
and raised in Kansas, Rabbi
Bess didn’t move to Memphis
until 2015, when she accepted
an assistant rabbinical position
with Temple Israel, the only
Reform synagogue in the city.
With just over a year and
a half under her belt, Rabbi
Bess has helped facilitate
a progressive movement
towards LGBTQ inclusion
among Temple’s congregation.
Beginning with a mitzvah
project spearheaded by
a gay conversion student,
synagogue leadership have
embraced LGBTQ inclusion and
equality. The mitzvah project
culminated in Temple’s recent
certification as a safe space for
LGBTQ individuals by Keshet,
a national Jewish organization
that advocates for full inclusion
in all aspects of Jewish
communities.
To become Keshet approved,
an organization must meet
certain requirements such
as providing unisex or nongendered
bathrooms, using
non-gendered language on
membership application
forms, performing same-sex
ceremonies and weddings at
the synagogue, and the ability
for an LGBTQ congregant to
wholly participate in religious
services.
In addition, a Keshet
organization must be willing
to participate in LGBTQ
advocacy work. “It’s something
I appreciate about the Reform
movement, because it comes
from prophetic Judaism which
calls for speaking out against
things that are wrong,” explains
Rabbi Bess. For her, anything
that singles out an individual
based on sexual orientation
does not align with Jewish
values, plain and simple.
“Anytime someone’s rights
are threatened, it’s not a
political issue, it’s a moral
issue, and we have a religious
obligation to speak out in
favor of supporting people’s
rights.” In addition to her
daily rabbinical duties, Rabbi
Bess also oversees Temple
Israel’s religious school
program. “When I took over
the religious school, I really
wanted our faculty to reflect
our congregation.” In that
spirit, she’s hired “Jews by
choice”, gay staff, and a non-
Jew to reflect the full spectrum
of individuals who make up
Temple Israel’s community.
Not only is Temple Israel
expanding LGBTQ inclusivity in
their east Memphis synagogue,
they have recently made a
move to create a touchpoint
for Jews living in midtown and
downtown through securing
space inside Crosstown
Concourse. This will enable
Temple Israel to serve more
of the Memphis Jewish
population, as well as facilitate
further opportunities to work
with Mid-South organizations
on social justice initiatives.
“For me, it’s really exciting
as a new rabbi,” Wohlner said,
“to be a part of a congregation
that takes social justice
so seriously that they put
themselves in the center of
doing good in the city with
others who want to do good,
too.”
Learn more about Temple
Israel at timemphis.org.
PASSOVER
begins Monday, April 10.
If you’re interested in
QUEERING
YOUR SEDER
check out Keshet’s
LGBTQ Haggadot at
keshetonline.org.
Page 18 / focusmidsouth.com / MAR+APR 2017 / Homegrown