Twenty-five years ago, Bet Haverim was the only Jewish synagogue in Georgia to serve gays and lesbians. Over the years it has expanded beyond that designation. It now serves 240 families in Atlanta and is known just as much for the music its members create during worship. The congregation released its second CD this year.

At the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s a handful of young gay Jews starting coming together to worship. They called themselves Bet Haverim, House of Friends. Jeri Kagel was a founding member and is currently the president. She says the congregation no longer just attracts gay members.

“Over the years our tagline changed. It used to be ‘Congregation Bet Haverim, a gay and lesbian synagogue.’ Then it was ‘CBH, a congregation that welcomes gays and lesbians and allies.’ I don’t think we are any longer a gay and lesbian synagogue. I do think that we are a synagogue that wants to honor each person and who each person is.”

And one way that is being done at Bet Haverim is through music.

“Our music has been like a doorway for people to get a taste of who we are.”

The synagogue has attracted a lot of members from Atlanta’s artistic community, including Will Robertson. He’s a record producer who was struck by the creativity of its members.

“We have an amazing group here, through fortune or through whatever has brought us together. My thought at the time was, I don’t need to do much here. I just need to document this.”

He documented it on a CD entitled “The Threshing Floor,” which was released this year. It includes traditional Hebrew melodies and original compositions by Robertson.

Professionally, Robertson deals mostly with pop and folk artists. That background is reflected in the recording. The synagogue’s music director, Gayanne Weiss, for example, wanted to mix a centuries-old Jewish song from Spain with a well-known spiritual.

“I heard that song, and the lyrics are heart-wrenching. It’s about having no hope about your lost love. I also heard it in the melody, it’s there in the melody, you can hear ‘Wayfaring Stranger,’ and I went, what would happen if you set these two on top of one another.”

Just like that wayfaring stranger, Bet Haverim has no permanent home. The congregation currently rents space from a church. But what makes up for the lack of brick and mortar is its music program. That’s why Howard Winer and his wife joined.

“I’ve been a member for about 18 months, and one of the reasons we joined was the choir. We had come in on a High Holiday. They sounded amazing. And I was just blown away.”

After 25 years Bet Haverim is still planning on having its own building someday. In the meantime, its members will keep celebrating, wherever they are, in song. For GPB News, I’m Susanna Capelouto.

Tags: Bet Haverim, House of Friends, Atlanta Synagogue, the Threshing Floor