Richard Carlbom desecrates a Synagogue

On Sunday, March 4th, I attended an event at Adath Jeshurun, a United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism affiliated congregation. The event was organized by Jewish Community Action, a left wing group of people who happen to have been born Jewish. The second speaker was Richard Carlbom, listed on the program as Executive Director of Minnesota United for All Families, who supports the redefinition of marriage and is trying to defeat the Minnesota Marriage Amendment.

Mr. Carlbom, a non-Jew, ein shaygetz, who wants to “marry” his boyfriend, stood in front of the sanctuary, near the Torah scroll, to admonish Jews how they should behave. This Mr. Carlbom, ein goyishe feygele dreck, the present day equivalent of the Hellenist oppressors that compelled violation of Jewish belief, admonished Jews they should discard their traditions, halakha, Torah, G-d’s commandments – beliefs that Jews have suffered to keep in spite of oppression, expulsions, confiscations, slavery, massacres, and pogroms over the centuries.

In a Jewish place of worship? Within sight or our Torah? You think you can stand in a Jewish house of worship, telling Jews to cast aside our Torah, our laws - that have kept us alive as a people? Who they hell are you, a non-Jew telling Jews to give away our religion and our souls? You stood there, repudiating Torah, the foundation of Judaism. What’s your next demand from the Jews?

I couldn’t believe this was happening.

Mr. Carlbom, you are an anti-Semite, ein shkutz und treif. You stood in a Synagogue compelling Jews to commit an avera, to repudiate Jewish beliefs, to assist in our destruction. You stood in a Synagogue spitting on me, my parents, my grandparents, repudiating Judaism, believing yourself to be wiser than G-d, our Prophets, our Sages, the experience of K’lal Yisroel over thousands of years. You are as vile as an officer in the Army of Epimanes ordering idols into the Temple or compelling Israelite attendance in the gymnasium and ampitheatre. And to your Jewish agents – Vic Rosenthal, the Adele Brown – Jason and Menelaus – to cause this to occur in a Synagogue was a brazen act of Chillul Hashem.

This was a desecration beyond words.

Richard Carlbom, Yemakh Sh’mo Vezikhro.

Welcome to Adath Jeshurun. Now leave, you Judeocentric homophobe.

Sir and Mesdames,

I am Jewish and attended the event at Adath Jeshurun. I was there to
ask for a written halakhic justification for changing the
understanding of Jewish tradition, culture, and Torah after thousands
of years. Though I was given a card by a Vic Rosenthal, I did not want
to leave without the written discourse. If this was to be an event to
explain your halakhic positions in detail, I was not going to leave
without it.

I approached the table in front to ask, once again, for the halakhic
justification. The woman [there] got defensive, told me to ask my own
Rabbi, to vote yes – however, that is not what my point was. I was
asking for their argument in favor in written form obviously, and not
just the talking points in a handout. At this point, Vic Rosethal
states – and I paraprhase – that “we” don’t need to give any
justification, only “our” explanation.

I interrupted and stated that I got my answer. Then I left.

This event was obviously [organized] and run by political ideologues
who believe they are unanswerable to anyone else or other Jews. Mr.
Rosenthal is no Rabbi and he – and they – have a totalitarian
mindset.They do not want their authority to be questioned. When they
are confronted with a question to justify their poisition, they cannot
deal with it. JCA is political movement that have little to do with
actual Judaism. There was even a non-Jew, a Mr. Carlbom from
“Minnesota United for All Families”, telling Jews how they show
behave. In a synagogue, no less.

I, therefore, ask you, the clerical representatives of Reform and
Conservative Judaism, to kindly forward to me, by email, some in-depth
discourse of the halakhic justification of your positions on the
subject of same sex marriage, as well as the Constitutional Amendment.

Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to your reply.

UPDATE: Rabbi Allen already responded and said he will email the discourse by  Rabbis Dorff, Reisner and Nevins.

UPDATE: The responsum is here.