Rabbi Turnaround

From Adam, an Orthodox man in Denver - "Last week, my family's shul had a viewing of Trembling and following its conclusion, the rabbi of the shul got up and said that this was the saddest movie he had ever seen. He said that earlier in his rabbinical career, he would have counseled gays by telling them categorically that gay activity is forbidden and they must be celibate. Now he said he is deeply torn, would no longer counsel this way to gays, and that the gedolim must be innovative, using great halachic creativity to make a way to embrace practicing gays. He cited historical examples of Hillel's Prozbul enactment for the Sabbatical year and the Sages institution of selling chometz to a non-Jew during Pesach as radical demonstrations of the rabbis' authority and halachic creativity to meet those challenges head on and reconcile them, all fully in a halachic manner. He said the same thing is desperately needed for gays and that the gedolim must not be silent any longer."

Another person from Denver emailed and wrote, "I was thinking of you because one of our orthodox/traditional congregations, BMH-BJ, had a Trembling showing and the rabbi was astonished and moved by his congregation’s response and is now working to influence his movement. The power of your work in action!"

There are already at least 18 Orthodox synagogues that have invited Trembling to screen - that we know about...