Beth Tzedec Congregation, located in Toronto, is the largest Conservative synagogue in North America. It is a traditional, egalitarian synagogue deeply rooted in the rhythms of halakhic Judaism and committed to the vision of an inclusive Jewish community. The landscape of Conservative Judaism in Toronto is somewhat distinct from its American counterpart. While egalitarianism and the inclusion of the queer community emerged as pressing issues for many American congregations in the 1990s and early 2000s, these questions arrived later and with more caution in the Canadian context. Canadian congregations often maintained more traditional practices for longer, shaped by different communal dynamics and patterns of immigration.
When I was invited to interview for the position of senior rabbi at Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto, one of the defining criteria articulated by the search committee was a desire for “more inclusive halakhic decisions.” This phrase stuck with me. It was not a call for halakhic abandonment but a yearning for a halakhic approach that took seriously both tradition and inclusion. As we clarified the committee’s intent, it became evident that Beth Tzedec wanted religious decisions to be framed and supported by halakhic process yet responsive to the evolving moral consciousness of a diverse and engaged congregational community. This philosophy shaped our most significant halakhic undertaking to date: the adoption of a policy to perform same-gender weddings.
This essay is not about the halakhic permissibility of such ceremonies per se, but about how we teach halakhah in the context of real, contemporary congregational life. Specifically, I reflect on how our community was brought into serious engagement with halakhic texts and process, and how halakhah itself was taught through a transparent, respectful, and inclusive model of decision-making.
Framing the Question
Our process began by recognizing that our community was already asking: If we proclaim ourselves as an inclusive and egalitarian Conservative synagogue, how do we treat same-gender couples who seek marriage under our huppah? How do we teach our values without contradiction or compromise?
To answer these questions, we began with the halakhic literature. Our ritual committee and then the congregation at large undertook a structured study of the relevant teshuvot of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS), specifically:
- The teshuvah by Elliot Dorff, Daniel Nevins, and Avram Reisner (2006) permitting commitment ceremonies for same-sex couples and the ordination of openly gay and lesbian rabbis based on kavod habriyot (human dignity).
- The teshuvah by Joel Roth (2006) upholding the traditional prohibition based on Leviticus 18:22 and the halakhic system’s constraints.
- The dissenting paper by Gordon Tucker (submitted 2006), which critiqued the halakhic method of the CJLS and proposed a broader theological and legal framework for halakhic development, ultimately supporting full normalization.
Each paper was discussed not only for its conclusions but also for its methods. This was a teaching moment. Congregants and committee members were introduced to how halakhic arguments are constructed, the nature of precedent, and the interplay between law and evolving community norms. Rabbi Tucker’s paper, while not accepted by the CJLS, became a pivotal document. As mara deʾatra, I found his theological and jurisprudential approach most compelling for our context.
Halakhic Principles Guiding the Process
In addition to kavod habriyot and puq ḥazi maʾi ʿama davar (“go out and see what the people are doing”), several additional halakhic principles framed our deliberations:
- Lo titosh torat imekha (“Do not abandon the teaching of your mother,” Proverbs 1:8), which reflects our commitment to maintaining fidelity to the halakhic process even as we adapt it for contemporary needs.
- Horaʾat shaʿah, or the concept of a temporary ruling made in response to urgent or emergent communal needs. While our ruling is permanent, the spirit of horaʾat shaʿah informed our sensitivity to the moment and the needs of our community.
- Darkhei shalom (“The ways of peace”), which promotes communal harmony and was central to how we taught and applied halakhah in an inclusive manner.
- Koaḥ dehetera ʿadif (“The power to permit is greater [than the power to forbid]”), which acknowledges that leniencies, when responsibly applied, reflect halakhic courage and vision.
Puq ḥazi: Seeing the People
Teaching halakhah means not only studying texts but also attending to lived experience. As part of our process, we hosted a session with members of the LGBTQ+ community. They shared how exclusion from Jewish ritual impacts them and their families. The stories were personal, often painful, and deeply humanizing. We learned how decisions about ritual and recognition land in the hearts of people. We also examined the impact on the ceremony itself. We studied the egalitarian same-gender ketubbahs and ritual frameworks by Pamela Barmash and Gail Labovitz. Rabbi Labovitz’s work provided a model that was both rooted in halakhic language and adapted for new realities.
Community Learning and Transparency
Teaching halakhah means modeling it as an accessible, living tradition. We hosted public sessions to discuss the teshuvot. We invited Gordon Tucker to speak directly to our congregation about halakhic method, meta-halakhah, and his dissenting paper. The presence of our emeritus rabbi, Benjamin Friedberg z″l, at every session added gravitas. At the end of the process, Rabbi Friedberg, who did not agree with the ultimate conclusion, told me that, while he dissented from the outcome, “the scholarship and process were first rate.” His comment underscored our true goal: not uniformity but integrity. We were not striving for unanimous agreement. We were striving to be taken seriously.
Outcomes and Reflections
The decision to perform same-gender weddings was announced in June 2022. We adopted Rabbi Labovitz’s ceremony and ketubah and made it available to couples of all genders. The response was overwhelmingly positive. We lost a few families but gained many more. The process was characterized by seriousness, transparency, and care. And in teaching halakhah through this process, we elevated halakhic literacy, communal ownership, and the dignity of all.
Halakhah, when taught in context, becomes more than a rulebook. It becomes a mirror of our moral commitments and a path to sacred action. At Beth Tzedec, we did not teach about halakhah; we taught through halakhah. That, I believe, is the essential nature and strength of Conservative Judaism.
Rabbi Steven C. Wernick is the Senior Rabbi of Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto and a leading voice in contemporary Jewish life. A former CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, he is known for weaving Torah, moral clarity, and strategic leadership into the urgent questions facing the Jewish community today.