Congregation Beit Simchat Torah

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah is a spiritual home for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Passionate, provocative, and deeply Jewish, our community engages in spirited debate and activism: rejoicing in diversity, denouncing social injustice wherever it exists, and striving for civil rights for all people.

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah ("CBST") is a non-denominational, pluralistic, progressive LGBTQ+ Jewish synagogue located at 130 West 30th Street, in Manhattan New York City, New York, United States.

The congregation was founded in 1973 by and for LGBTQ people, and is the world's largest LGBT synagogue. CBST serves Jews of all sexual orientations and gender identities, their families and friends. From 1992-2024, the congregation was led by Senior Rabbi Emerita Sharon Kleinbaum. Current clergy include Senior Rabbi Jason Klein, Associate Rabbi Yael Werber, and Cantor Sam Rosen. CBST is not affiliated with any denomination or branch of Judaism.

History
The congregation, founded in 1973 by twelve gay Jewish men led by Jacob Gubbay, originally met in Chelsea's Church of the Holy Apostles and brought its prayer materials to services each week in a brown paper bag. In 1978 they began renting space in the West Village at 57 Bethune Street, in the Westbeth Artists Community residential-artistic complex, for offices, a Hebrew school, and a sanctuary, though the space was not large enough for Friday night services, which continued to be held in the church. In addition, the synagogue hosts annual Yom Kippur services at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, as the only free High Holy Day services in New York. Yom Kippur services draw over 4,000 people.

Building a Synagogue at 130 W 30th Street
In June 2011, after 16 years of searching for a home, the congregation purchased a large space in Chelsea/Midtown Manhattan, at 130 West 30th Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. Built in 1927-28, this landmarked Assyrian Revival-style building building designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert underwent renovations between 2013 and 2016. The "Dedication of Our New Home" was marked that year with a celebration on April 3.

Notable members

 * Barbara Gaines (born 1956), television producer
 * Brad Hoylman (born 1965), New York State Senator
 * Mike Moskowitz, Orthodox Rabbi who became an LGBTQ Ally and now works as a Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at CBST
 * Cynthia Nixon (born 1966), actress and activist
 * David L. Reich (born 1960), President & COO of Mount Sinai Hospital, and President of Mount Sinai Queens
 * Janet Weinberg (1955-2018), advocate for people with HIV/AIDS and disabilities
 * Randi Weingarten (born 1957), president of the American Federation of Teachers
 * Edie Windsor (1929–2017), successfully brought a federal lawsuit, United States v. Windsor, against the Defense of Marriage Act