Reform rabbis gather in Philadelphia to appoint first openly gay president

Rabbi Denise Eger talked about her aspirations for the Reform movement with WHYY’s Kimberly Haas.

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is the rabbinical arm of the Reform Judaism movement. On Sunday, Philadelphia will host its 126th annual convention, where Rabbi Denise Eger will become the organization’s first openly gay president. A longtime leader in the LGBT community and an advocate for  human rights, she is one of the first openly gay leaders of any major religious organization.

At the convention CCAR also will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its resolution calling for the ordination of gay Reform rabbis, a landmark in its long history at the forefront of advancing LGBT and human rights that includes a 1977 resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality and an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Additionally, the CCAR will release Mishkan HaNefesh, a new, more inclusive prayer book for the high holidays, as well as a new “rabbi’s manual,” which adopts new language that no longer differentiates or privileges straight weddings over gay weddings.

Eger talked about her aspirations for the Reform movement with WHYY’s Kimberly Haas.