Other Sheep - Multicultural Ministries with Sexual Minorities

Annotated
Bibliography

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Judaism

Judaism

Nehemiah Allony, "The `Zevi', Hebrew Poetry in Spain", Seferad 23 (1963), pp. 311-321
Allony examines Jewish homoerotic poetry.

Rebecca T. Alpert, "In God's Image: Coming to Terms with Leviticus," in Twice Blessed, ed. by
Christine Balka & Andy Rose, Boston, Beacon Press, 1989, pp. 61-70.
Transforms Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 from a stumbling block to an entry point for Jewish lesbians
and gays.

Bradley Shavit Artson, Rethinking Sexuality: Judaism and Homosexuality, Tikkun, vol. 3, # 2, 1988,
pp. 52-54 & 92-93.
Artson maintains that "abomination" does not refer to loving gay or lesbian relationships.

Christine Balka & Andy Rose, Twice Blessed: On Being Lesbian or Gay and Jewish, Boston, Beacon
Press, 1989.
There are many fine essays and a good annotated bibliography in this anthology.

David Biale, Eros and the Jews: From Biblical Israel to Contemporary America, San Francisco, Basic
Books, 1992.
Biale provides a good general history of sexuality within Judaism. Weak on the issue of
homoeroticism within Judaism.

Daniel Boyarin, "Are There any Jews in 'The History of Sexuality'," Journal of the History of Sexuality,
vol. 5, # 3, 1995, pp. 333-355.
Boyarin provides a critical reading of the Hebrrew biblical texts via the Talmud to test out Foucault's
idea of the absence of the categority of sexuality in the ancient world.

Aaron Cooper, "No Longer Invisible: Gay and Lesbian Jews Build a Movement," in Homosexuality
and Religion, ed.by Richard Hasbany, New York, Harrington Park Press, 1989, pp. 83-94.
Cooper traces the growing visibility of th gay and lesbian Jewish movement.

Samuel H. Dresner, "Homosexuality and the Order of Creation," Judasim, vol. 40, 1991, pp. 309-321.
Dresner grounds traditional family values in a homophobic creationism.

Howard Eilberg-Schwartz, God's Phallus: And Other problems for Men and Monotheism, Boston,
Beacon Press, 1994.
Brilliant analysis of the role of homophobia in concealing God's phallus in the Hebrew scriptures and
the unmanning of Israelite men through circumcision.

Lewis John Eron, "Early Jewish and Christian Attitudes towards Male Homosexuality as Expressed in
the Testament of Naphtali, " in Homophobia and the Judaeo-Christian Tradition, ed. by Michael L.
Stemmeler & J. Michael Clark, Dallas, Monument Press, 1990, pp. 25-49.
Eron points out the Jewish and Christian attitudes toward homoeroticsm.

Lewis John Eron, "Homosexuality and Judaism," in Homosexuality and World Religions, ed. by Arlene
Swidler, Valley Forge, Trinity International Press, 1993, pp. 103-134.
Eron gives a good resume of the biblical, rabbinic, and contemporary issues surrounding
homosexuality.

Alex J. Goldman, Judaism Confronts Contemporary Issuess, New York, Shengold Publishers, 1988.
Good overview of the issues on including gays/lesbians within the synagogues. See pp. 192-210.

Jody Hirsch, "In Search of Role Models," in Twice Blessed, ed. by Christine Balka & Andy Rose,
Boston, Beacon Press, 1989, pp. 83-91.
Looks to Ruth and Joseph of the many colored cloak aas biblical role models for lesbians/gays.

Paul Horowitz & Scott Klein, "A Ceremony of Commitment," in Twice Blessed, ed. by Christine Balka
& Andy Rose, Boston, Beacon Press, pp. 126-132.
Narrate their Jewish commitment ceremony.

Yoel H. Kahn, "Judaism and Homosexuality: The Traditional/Progressive Debate," Journal of
Homosexuality, vol. 18, # 1-2, 1989, pp. 47-82.
Kahn indicates that the biblical and rabbinic traditions had no concept of homosexual orientation and
claims that different sexual orientations are part of the diversity of creation and the reflected image
of God.

Joel H. Kahn, "Making Love as Making Justice: Towards a New Jewish Ethic of Sexuality," in Gay
Affirmative Ethics, ed. by Michael L. Stemmeler & J. Michael Clark, Las Colinas, Monument Press,
1993, pp. 27-44.
No longer accepts procreation as the primary paradigm around which sexuality is constructed and
that covenantal relationship is the primary paradigm.. This allows Kahn to connect sexuality to lo
justice.

Robert Kirschner, "Judaism and Homosexuality: A Reappraisal," Judaism, vol. 37, # 3, 1988, pp.
450-458.
Since so little is known about sexual orientation, Kirschner argues for halakhic creativity to integrate
homosexuals in the Jewish community.

Helen Leneman, "Reclaming Jewish History: Homoerotic Poetry of the Middle Ages," in A Mensch
Among Men: Exploration in Jewish Masculinity, ed. by Harry Brod, Freedom, The Crossing Press,
1988, pp. 143-149.
Leneman explores the flourishing homoeroticism of Jewish poetry in the Medieval Spain.

Jonathan Magonet (ed), Jewish Explorations of Sexuality, Vol. I, New York, Berghohn Books, 1995.
Good history of Jewish constructions of sexuality.

Herschel J. Matt, "Sin, Crime, Sickness or Alternative Lifestyle? A Jewish Approach to
Homosexuality," Judaism, vol. 27, 1978, pp. 13-24.
Matt argues that homosexuals are not free to choose and shound not be considered sinners. He
calls for a marriage ceremony to celebrate gay/lesbian unions.

Herschel J. Matt, "Homosexual Rabbis," Conservative Judaism, vol. 39, # 3, 1987, pp. 29-33.
Since sexual orientation is unalterable, Matt rejects traditional Jewish tradition and supports gays
and lesbians as rabbis.

Jacob Milgrom, "Does the Bible Prohibit Homosexuality?", Biblical Review, December 1993.
Milgrom mainatains that the Leviticus verses 18:22 and 20:13 do not apply to lesbians, non-Jews,
and gay men not living in Israel. Milgrom takes the injunction of be fruitful and multiply to indicate the
duty of gays/lesbians to adopt.

Saul M. Olyan, " 'And with a Male You Shall Not Lie the Lying Down of a Woman': On the Meaning
and Significance of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13," Journal of the History of Sexuality, vol. 5, 1994,
179-206.
Olyan does a study preredactional stages of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 and argues that only anal
intercourse is proscribed in these verses. Important article to study.

Judith Plaskow, "Towards a New Theology of Sexuality," in Twice Blessed, ed. by Christine Balka &
Andy Rose, Boston, Beacon Press, 1989, pp. 141-151.
Plaskow pioneers a Jewish feminist, sexual theology.

Judith Plaskow, After Sinai: A Feminist Reonstruction of Judaism, San Francisco, Harper & Row,
1991.
Plaskow gives a feminist reconstruction of Judaism. Quite good.

Dennis Praeger, "Homosexuality, the Bible, and us--A Jewish Perspective", Public Interest Summer
1993; #:112, pp. 60-83.
This article addresses Jewish principles on homosexuality and asks the question of whether or not
homosexuality is inborn is presented.

Eric Rofes, "Dancing Bears, Performing Husbands, and the Tyranny of the Family," in Our Families,
Our Values: Snapshots of Queer Kinship, ed. by Robert E. Goss & Amy Adams Squires Strongheart,
New York, Haworth Press, 1997.
Rofes challenges placing queer relationships with a constricting category of family.

Faith Rogow, "Speaking the Unspeakable: Gays, Jews, and Historical Inquiry," in Twice Blessed, ed.
by Christine Balka & Andy Rose, Boston, Beacon Press, 1989, pp. 71-82.
Rogow notes that the task of uncovering gay Jews of the past will not be easy but necessary for
present Jewish opposition to such historical inquiry.

Norman Roth, "Satire and Debate in Two Famous Medieval Poems from al-Andulus: Love of Boys vs.
Girls, the Pen and Other Themes", The Maghreb Review, vol. 4, 1979, pp. 105-113.
Roth discusses the love of boys in Jewish poetry in Muslim Spain.

Norman Roth, "Deal Gently with the Young Man: Love of Boys in Medieval Hebrew Poetry of Spain",
Speculum, vol.57, 1982, pp. 21-50
Roth discusses references to same-sex love in the love poetry produced by Jews in Muslim Spain.

Norman Roth, "My Beloved is Like a Gazelle: Imagery of the Beloved Boy in Religious Hebrew
Poetry," in Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy, ed, by Wayne R. Dynes & Stephen
Donaldson, New York, Garland Publishing, 1992, pp. 271--293.
Roth examines homoerotic Hebrew, love poetry in Medieval Muslim Spain

Selig Salkowitz (ed), Homosexuality, the Rabbinate, and Liberal Judaism: Papers Prepared for the
Ad-Hoc Committee on Homosexuality and the Rabbinate, New York, Central Conference of Rabbis,
1989.
A good collection of papers on homosexuality.

Raymond Scheindlin, Wine, Women, and Death: Medieval Hebrew Poems on the Good Life,
Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society, 1986.
Scheindlin argues that the beloved in Hebrew and Muslim is regularly, though not consistently,
referred to the masculine gender. The primary concern of the poetry is to celebrate love.

Jefim (Hayyim) Schirmann, "The Ephebe in Medieval Hebrew Poetry", Seferad, vol. 15, 1955, pp.
55-68.
Schirmann examines the homoerotic image of the beloved boy.

Barry Dov Schwartz, "The Jewish View of Homosexuality," in A Mensch Among Men: Explorations in
Jewish Masculinity, ed. by Harry Brod, Freedom, The Crossing Press, 1988, pp. 124-142.
Schwartz presents both sides of the argument on homosexuality within historical and contemporary
Judaism.

David K. Switzer, Coming Out as Parents: You and Your Homosexual Child, Louisville, Westminster/
John Knox Press, 1996.
Switzer explores scientific, social, and biblical information about homosexuality, stressing the need
for reconciliation.

Susan Talve, "With This Ring You are Made Holy unto Me According to the Law of Moses:
Celebrating and Sanctyfing Lesbian and Gay relationships and Families," in Our Families, Our
Values: Snapshots of Queer Kinship, ed. by Robert E. Goss & Amy Adams Squires Strongheart, New
York, Haworth Press, 1997.
This is a powerful essay by a heterosexual rabbi who worked with her congregation in arriving at the
decision to bless same-sex unions.

Gordon Tucker and Barry Freundel, "Homosexuality and Halachic Judaism--Two Views", Moment,
Jun 1 1993 vol. 18, # 3, p. 40.
A Conservative rabbi advocates expanding Jewish law to accommodate new understandings of
homosexuality while an Orthodox rabbi rejects homosexual acts, but accepts individual homosexuals
who are trying to change.