One of Judaism s greatest strengths is its capacity to evolve and expand in response to the challenges of contemporary life. The full involvement of gay and lesbian families in our midst can more fully invigorate our communities with a sense of respect for and excitement about Jewish life. To honor the spectrum of loving, consensual adult sexual relationships is to keep faith with our moral imperative to treat each other with the honesty and respect with which we ourselves want to be treated. Judaism strives to temper joyful and fulfilling sexual relations with mature responsibility. In practical terms, that means that sex best fulfills its Divine purpose when it is in the context of a caring, committed relationship.
Sex is a touchstone for intense questions about freedom and responsibility, passion, and sanctity.
For many of us, the process of asking these questions may bring us to a meaningful understanding of how we may live fully Jewish lives. The Jewish standpoint on sexuality provides us with a lens into the whole of Judaism. Like all Divine blessings, it is something that can intensify our relationship to God, the earth, and each other. And like all blessings, sex is something we are meant both to rejoice in and to treat with care.