Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim, a synagogue founded by gay men and lesbians, says the upcoming High Holy Days are a time of reflection. (File photo)
‘An accounting of the soul’ High Holy Days offer time to reflect
While High Holy Day services at Congregation Bet Haverim are free to attend, the congregation asks visitors and members to RSVP to cbhevents@gmail.com so leaders can plan accordingly.
EIGHT
YEARS
AGO,
STRUGGLING
to
control
his
drinking
after
losing
his
father,
Charlie
Chasen
attended
his
first
service,
a
Yom
Kippur
worship,
at
Congregation
Bet
Haverim.
Now,
as
chair
of
the
synagogue’s
ritual
committee,
Chasen
is
helping
to
prepare
Bet
Haverim
for
the
High
Holy
Days
again,
in
the
hopes
that
others
struggling
with
their
faith
or
sexuality
find
a
home.
“I
think
it’s
enormously
important
to
feel
accepted,
and
worship
and
still
be
you,”
Chasen
says.
“It
takes
a
long
time.
For
me
I
always
said
it’s
not
about
gay,
it’s
about
God,
[and]
I
can
go
worship
anywhere
in
the
world.
…
Over
time,
I’ve
learned
that,
yes,
that’s
true,
but
it’s
very,
very
different.”
Founded
by
a
lesbian
and
gay
Jews
25
years
ago,
Congregation
Bet
Haverim,
a
Reconstructionist
synagogue,
has
long
been
home
for
those
without
close
ties
to
their
birth
family.
Rabbi
Joshua
Lesser
said
the
synagogue’s
mission
takes
on
an
even
greater
meaning
during
the
approaching
High
Holy
Days.
Starting
sundown
Sept.
29,
Rosh
Hashanah
marks
the
beginning
of
the
Jewish
New
Year.
The
holiday
is
followed
by
10
days
of
introspection
and
special
services
that
end
with
Yom
Kippur,
the
Day
of
Atonement.
Throughout
the
High
Holy
Days,
Jews
are
encouraged
to
examine
their
lives
before
fasting
and
confessing
their
sins
on
Yom
Kippur.
The
fast,
broken
at
sundown
on
Oct.
9,
is
often
shared
with
family.
But
the
special
meal
recalls
one
of
the
reasons
Bet
Haverim
was
founded.
“Back
when
our
synagogue
started
25
years
ago,
it
started
as
a
community
because
[members]
had
issues
with
their
families,
so
we
had
a
communal
break
fast
where
everyone
could
come,”
Lesser
says.
The
rabbi
adds
more
families,
both
straight
and
gay,
are
joining
together.
“What
we’re
seeing
at
our
synagogue
is
that
people
are
flying
into
Atlanta
to
break
fast
with
their
LGBT
children,”
he
says.
“On
a
personal
note,
my
father,
who
also
belongs
to
another
synagogue,
will
be
joining
us
on
Yom
Kippur.”
THE
HIGH
HOLY
DAYS
are
a
central
time
of
the
Jewish
calendar.
It’s
preceded
by
a
month
of
introspection
and
starts
with
a
remembering
of
the
past
year.
“Rosh
Hashanah
has
some
serious
aspects
to
it,
but
it
tends
to
be
a
celebration
of
the
New
Year,”
Lesser
says.
There
are
services
throughout
the
10
days
between
Rosh
Hashanah
and
Yom
Kippur.
“On
Yom
Kippur
it
really
is
this
opportunity
to
let
go
of
any
kind
of
focus
on
that
day
of
the
material
world,”
Lesser
says.
“People
are
aware
that
traditionally
you’re
supposed
to
fast,
but
traditionally
you’re
not
supposed
to
watch
TV,
have
sex,
anything
that
would
put
your
focus
on
your
physical
life.
Yom
Kippur
is
often
called
an
accounting
of
the
soul.”
Bet
Haverim’s
Yom
Kippur
service
will
be
one
with
children
and
adults,
with
gay
and
straight
families
leading
different
parts
of
worship.
Many
synagogues
charge
tickets
to
worship
at
High
Holy
Days
services,
but
Bet
Haverim
has
long
decided
to
keep
the
services
free,
and
open
to
the
community.
“We
have
been
very
committed
for
the
last
eight
years
to
be
open
and
accessible
for
everyone.
What
we
have
done
is
ask
that
people
RVSP
in
advance
so
we
can
plan…
but
we
have
no
tickets,
precisely
because
we
think
everyone
should
have
a
home
for
the
holidays,”
Lesser
says.
The
congregation
has
approximately
230
households
and
expects
attendance
to
swell
to
over
700
people
for
some
of
the
services.
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