Congregation Beit Simchat Torah ("CBST") is a

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

located in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1973, and is the world's largest LGBT synagogue. CBST serves Jews of all sexual orientations and gender identities, their families, and their friends. Members commute from as far away as the Bronx and New Jersey. The congregation is led by Senior Rabbi

Sharon Kleinbaum Sharon Kleinbaum (born 1959) is an American rabbi who serves as spiritual leader of New York City's Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. She has been an active campaigner for human rights and civil marriage for gay couples. On July 30, 2021, Presiden ...

and Assistant Rabbi Yael Rapport. It is not affiliated with any denomination or branch of Judaism.

History

The congregation, founded in 1973 by twelve gay Jewish men led by Jacob Gubbay, originally met in Chelsea's Church of the Holy Apostles and brought its prayer materials to services each week. In 1978 they began renting space in the West Village at 57 Bethune Street, in the Westbeth Artists Community residential-artistic complex, for offices, a Hebrew school, and a sanctuary with a capacity of 300 which they use for Saturday morning services, while continuing to hold Friday night services in the church., pp.98–99 In addition, the synagogue rents the Jacob Javits Convention Center for Yom Kippur services, which draw over 4,000 people. Senior Rabbi

celebrated her 20-year anniversary with CBST in 2012.

New building

In June 2011, after 16 years of searching for a home, the congregation purchased a large space in

midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...

, in a commercial condominium at

130 West 30th Street 130 West 30th Street, also known as The Cass Gilbert, is a luxury condominium on 30th Street between the Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) and Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The 18-story bui ...

between

Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue – also known as Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers, p.24 – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown". It is commercial ...

and Seventh Avenue. The new space is located in the landmarked SJM Building designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert and built in 1927–28. Ground was broken in 2013 and construction was completed in 2016. The "Dedication of Our New Home" was marked that year with a celebration on April 3.

Notable members

* Barbara Gaines (born 1956), television producer * Brad Hoylman (born 1965), New York State Senator * Cynthia Nixon (born 1966), actress and activist *

David L. Reich David L. Reich (born February 7, 1960) is an American academic anesthesiologist, who has been President & Chief Operating Officer of Mount Sinai Hospital (Manhattan), The Mount Sinai Hospital, and President of Mount Sinai Queens (both part of the ...

(born 1960), President & COO of Mount Sinai Hospital, and President of Mount Sinai Queens *

Janet Weinberg Janet Inez Weinberg (April 3, 1955 - September 1, 2018) was an American LGBTQ activist, advocate for people with HIV/AIDS and advocate for disability rights, based in New York City. She was a fund-raiser and executive for social service organizat ...

(1955-2018), advocate for people with HIV/AIDS and

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

Edie Windsor Edith "Edie" Windsor (née Schlain; June 20, 1929 – September 12, 2017) was an American LGBT rights activist and a technology manager at IBM. She was the lead plaintiff in the 2013 Supreme Court of the United States case ''United States v. ...

(1929–2017), successfully brought a federal lawsuit, '' United States v. Windsor'', against the Defense of Marriage Act *Mike Moskowitz, former Orthodox Rabbi who became an LGBTQ Ally and now works as a Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at CBST * Randi Weingarten (born 1957), president of the American Federation of Teachers

References

Notes Further reading * *Kleinbaum, Rabbi Sharon (ed.)
Siddur B'Chol L'vav'cha
With All Your Heart: The New CBST Siddur Bchol Lvavcha for Friday Night'' ** ** *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beit Simchat Torah LGBT organizations based in New York City LGBT synagogues in the United States Jewish organizations established in 1973 Synagogues in Manhattan Transgender topics and religion Unaffiliated synagogues in New York City

History

New building

Notable members

See also

References

External links