JONAH

[BelieveinScience]

Has anyone heard of this organization? I was watching a special on MSNBC the other day and someone was talking about them. I didn't even know the Jewish community had such an issue with homosexuality until I found this organization.

This is their mission statement:JONAH, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, is a non-profit international organization dedicated to educating the world-wide Jewish community about the social, cultural and emotional factors which lead to same-sex attractions. JONAH works directly with those struggling with unwanted same-sex sexual attractions (SSA) and with families whose loved ones are involved in homosexuality.

Our Rabbinical sages explain that because mankind has been endowed by our Creator with a free will, everyone has the capacity to change. Furthermore, the Rabbis emphasize that parents, teachers and counselors have a special responsibility to educate, nurture, and provide an opportunity for those struggling with unwanted same-sex attractions to journey out of homosexuality.

Through psychological and spiritual counseling, peer support, and self-empowerment, JONAH seeks to reunify families, to heal the wounds surrounding homosexuality, and to provide hope.

http://www.jonahweb.org

[Witsec7]

Trembling before G-d, is a documentary about GLBT folks in the Orthodox community. Its a heartbreaking eye opener.

[2xx1xy1JD]

It's a controversial organization even within the Orthodox community.

http://statementofprinciplesnya.blogspot.ca/ - see point #5, stating that it is a religious right to refuse therapies that may be useless or harmful.

[spragger]

Of all the fundie BS I despise Ex-Gay organizations the most. I have seen people physically harm themselves trying to remove "demons" from their bodies because they were told that was what caused them to be gay.

This is the first one I have read about that's focused exclusively on the Jewish faith. Thanks for letting me know about it. Mercy Ministries is another one that gets under my skin, in part because they claim they do not offer an ex-gay program.

[BelieveinScience]

Of all the fundie BS I despise Ex-Gay organizations the most. I have seen people physically harm themselves trying to remove "demons" from their bodies because they were told that was what caused them to be gay.

This is the first one I have read about that's focused exclusively on the Jewish faith. Thanks for letting me know about it. Mercy Ministries is another one that gets under my skin, in part because they claim they do not offer an ex-gay program.

It's weird I heard about JONAH from a documentary on transsexuals and this particular transsexuals was born male then lived as a female then went back to a male but didn't want to be a homosexual male because of his faith so he joined this organization. So being a transsexual=okay in the Jewish faith but being a homosexual=not okay?

I'll have to look into Mercy Ministries I've never heard of it before.