Rabbi Steve Greenberg's Shma Koleinu talk about LGBTQ belonging in Jewish life in honor of Pride Month

During Gann's annual Shma Koleinu ("Hear Our Voices") program, the Beit Midrash became the setting for a candid and moving conversation about faith, identity, and belonging. In dialogue with Judaics teacher Sara Meirowitz, Rabbi Steve Greenberg (an award-winning author, founding director of Eshel, and Gann parent) shared stories from his own journey as an openly gay Orthodox rabbi and invited students to wrestle with some of Judaism's most enduring questions.

Greenberg, the founding director of Eshel, an organization that supports LGBTQ Orthodox Jews and their families, grew up in a Conservative Jewish family in Columbus, Ohio. As a teenager, he found himself drawn to Orthodox Judaism, embracing its practices and immersing himself in its traditions. While studying in yeshiva in Israel at age 20, he became consciously aware of his attraction to men.

While he was experiencing these feelings, he didn't really understand it. "There was no language for it," he recalled. It would take another 15 years before he fully accepted that he was gay. Throughout the conversation, Greenberg returned to a theme that has shaped much of his life and work. In maybe the most memorable line from his talk, he told students a guiding principle of his: "You only get to change what you love," he told students. For Greenberg, that love is Orthodox Judaism itself. His work, both professionally and personally, has been to expand Torah and elevate the mitzvot and commitment to human dignity within the tradition itself.

While many LGBTQ Jews leave Orthodox communities in search of acceptance, he chose a different path and remained connected to a tradition he loves while working to help it become more welcoming for others. He said this journey has been full of pain at times but has given him enormous strength as he discovered allies along the way.

For example, he shared a story about a LGBTQ film screening in Brazil, where a Rabbi spoke in a harsh and aggressive way about gay members of the community. While Greenberg expected the community to support the other Rabbi, he instead witnessed the audience turn away from that Rabbi and stand behind Greenberg in support.

During a question and answer session, students asked about coming out, allyship, religious texts, and the challenges LGBTQ people continue to face in religious communities. Greenberg answered each question with candor, humor, and empathy, sharing stories from his own life that were often painful, but also deeply hopeful.

One question focused on the reemergence of phrases like "that's so gay" among young people. Greenberg encouraged a dual approach: helping students understand the impact their words can have on others while also building resilience. He said, "We need to be careful of other people's hearts and minds," emphasizing that learning how to navigate a complicated world is also an important part of growing up.

It was a thoughtful conversation about faith, belonging, empathy, and the expansiveness of the Jewish tradition.

Thank you, Rabbi Greenberg, for sharing your vulnerability and story and for enriching our communal celebration of Pride Month here at Gann.