[Editor's note: This article was published in 2009 in Tikkun Magazine by Rabbi Neil Rose and his three sons, all Rabbis, after the sam-sex marriage of  Rabbi Rose's eldest son Avi to Binyamin.. Avi and I  graduated from the same class at Joseph Wolinsy Colegiate in 1982. Avi and Binyamin live in Israel--Jerusalem, I think.  I know many of my readers will find this article of interest.]

A SEASON FOR INCLUSION: A FAMILY REFLECTION

WE ARE A FAMILY OF RABBIS. Rabbis Neal, Carnie, and Kliel Rose were ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative Movement); Rabbi Or Rose was ordained privately. This summer we had the honor of participating in the wedding festivities of our son and brother, Avi, and his partner Binyamin.

The simchah (celebration) began on a humid afternoon, in a tall, austere government building in downtown Toronto. This civil ceremony was a powerful event--moving, precisely for its ordinariness. There were no protests or debates, no banners, signs, or slogans; neither the justice of the peace nor the office staff acted as if same-sex weddings were unusual.

Given the current political climate in the United States, and the strong opposition to gay marriage throughout North America (we write this essay just days after New York's Supreme Court shamefully denied same-sex couples the right to marry), the ease of the civil ceremony was a blessing.  

To continue reading click here:  http://www.tikkun.org/article.php?story=Rose-Afamilyreflection