Toms River Synagogue Condemns Rabbi's Call To Protest BlueClaws

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River synagogue has condemned comments by an ultra-Orthodox rabbi that called for a protest Thursday night at the Lakewood BlueClaws stadium over its planned Pride Night.

A statement signed by Rabbi William Gershon, Rabbi Richard Hammerman, Rabbi Emeritus, and president Philip I. Brilliant, of Congregation B'nai Israel denounced the comments made by Rabbi Yehuda Levin earlier this week, including Levin's call for a protest at First Energy Park in Lakewood over the baseball organization's decision to hold Pride Night on Saturday, June 8.

Levin, a rabbi from New York who made waves in the 1980s when he ran on an anti-abortion, anti-gay and anti-pornography platform against Ed Koch for mayor of New York City, has issued a series of videos in the last week condemning the celebration of Pride Month by both the BlueClaws and the Ocean County Library system.

In the videos, Levin decried the "homosexualization of our community" and called it "an abomination" to celebrate Pride Night on a Saturday in the ballpark because of the town's significant ultra-Orthodox population.

In one video, Levin calls BlueClaws' team officials "lowlife scum" for holding Pride Night on Saturday, which is the Jewish Sabbath. "These are not our community standards," Levin said. Read more: Rabbi Urges Protest Of BlueClaws' Pride Night In Lakewood

The Congregation B'nai Israel statement called Levin's comments "an ill-founded attack on personal freedom and individual rights, and universal acceptance of minorities."

"The Conservative Movement recognizes and celebrates same-sex marriages," the statement from Congregation B'nai Israel, a Conservative synagogue, read. "Following the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of marriage equality in 2013, the Rabbinical Assembly released a statement, saying, 'Judaism views marriage as a sacred responsibility, not only between the partners, but also between the couple and the larger community. Our Movement recognizes and celebrates marriages, whether between partners of the same sex or the opposite sex...."

"Every person is created b'tzelem Elohim, in God's image," the statement says, quoting the Rabbinical Assembly.

"We cannot tolerate arbitrary discrimination against millions of Americans just because of who they are. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people should be able to earn a living, provide for their families and contribute to society without fear that who they are or who they love could cost them a job," the statement continues.

"We would encourage all to not support the 'call to protest' and instead speak out and fight against hate of any kind and embrace acceptance and love," the statement says.

Levin also criticized the Ocean County Library's plans to have Pride Month programming at the Lakewood branch, comments that were echoed in an opinion piece published on the website Greater Lakewood, which noted the county library system is funded in part by property taxes. "Many parents are unaware that a place promoting literacy and education is also promoting ideas against our morals. ... Why we are forced to pay for content that goes against our religion?" The article goes on to urge residents to complain to the Ocean County Board of Freeholders.

The Greater Lakewood website also published an article saying the protest and flyers were the work of one man who insisted he was not influenced by Levin. There have been no official statements released in response to either flyers (at least two are circulating on social media) or to Levin's remarks from Lakewood officials and leaders. A phone message left for Mayor Raymond Coles on Tuesday has not been returned.

In an email to Patch on Tuesday, BlueClaws officials said Pride Night will go on as scheduled.

"We are committed to the idea that baseball is for everyone and all people are welcome at a BlueClaws game," the statement read. "It is unfortunate that some individuals are choosing to display intolerance rather than embrace the true spirit of the night. We look forward to BlueClaws Pride Night on Saturday."

Pride Month is a celebration of the LGBT community that also is time of raising awareness of issues facing those who are LGBT, including discrimination and harassment. It is held in June because of the Stonewall Riots that happened in June 1969 after a raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village where drag queens and transgender people were being harassed because of their sexual orientation.

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