I have no plans to lobby synagogue boards David.

It is my guess that communal pressure will determine how this plays out. When an increasing number of Jewish families want to celebrate their gay and lesbian children’s Jewish marriages in the same synagogues as their heterosexual children’s marriages it won’t take too long for the boards of these synagogues to work out that it’s better for business not to turn away these families.

Michael: That is not what you said on the 28th September:
“If Jewish couples are seeking a religious marriage from Progressive or Masorti rabbis in Australia they will get one.

If they are seeking a religious marriage from Orthodox rabbis, the wait will be longer. My guess is it will happen when synagogue boards put same-sex marriages in the job descriptions for their rabbis. It will happen.”

“It will happen” is your prediction. How much pressure will you be putting on those synagogue boards to demand rabbis perform same-sex marriages?

As I said, some synagogues will be performing religious marriages when the law allows them to. So to that end, yes, this equality is available to Jewish families attending those synagogues.

>> The “YES” champions promised that the campaign would be divisive. <<

Predicted, not promised. Trust me, I don't want anything to be divisive, but the government forced this upon the population and the lobbies are doing their best to win their respective campaigns, using a variety of tactics.

You seem to be against removing discrimination in the Marriage Act. Correct me if I am mistaken. I want the discrimination removed, because there is no good reason for the government to not recognise my New Zealand marriage.

A civil marriage of either same or opposite sex couples does not initiate a Jewish family.

The other part of your answer is the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ that leaves a big hole on all your arguments. No, it won’t have any effect on Jewish religious marriages, said on one day, and the next day, yes it will.

The inference is clearly there since you continue to refuse to answer “YES” or “NO” to the question I first posed to you on 26 September.

Yes, and no. 🙂

It depends on how you look at this. Let’s jump to the day that a gender-neutral Marriage Act is in place. From that day onwards, Jewish same-sex couples can get married under civil law. The law does not apply a religious test to marriage.

If Jewish couples are seeking a religious marriage from Progressive or Masorti rabbis in Australia they will get one.

If they are seeking a religious marriage from Orthodox rabbis, the wait will be longer. My guess is it will happen when synagogue boards put same-sex marriages in the job descriptions for their rabbis. It will happen.

I made no such inference.

So an essential aspect of this equality is that it’s not available for Jewish families.