Poland’s chief rabbi speaks out against LGBT-free zones: ‘It is against Jewish law’

Poland’s chief rabbi has strongly criticised the spread of so-called ‘LGBT-free zones’, saying they violate Jewish religious law.

Rabbi Michael Schudrich has been the religious leader of the Polish Jewish community since 2004, playing a central role in the country’s “Jewish Renaissance” movement.

On Monday (30 August) he spoke frankly about his faith amid Poland’s anti-LGBT+ backlash as part of a panel for The Aguda‘s “Pride in the Living Room” series.

“As far as I can tell, [creating LGBT+ free zones] is against Halacha,” Schudrich said, referring to the collective body of Jewish laws based on the Torah.

“Of course Halacha isn’t responsible for what the towns in Poland are doing… but the way I understand Judaism, as an Orthodox rabbi, is that we want every Jew to feel comfortable in a synagogue.”

Poland’s ‘LGBT-free zones‘ began appearing in 2019 as towns and cities passed resolutions declaring themselves free of “LGBT ideology”. There are now at least 80 of these zones in Poland, covering nearly a third of the country.

Rabbi Schudrich refused to be drawn into the growing anti-LGBT+ sentiment, explaining that it does not represent Judaism.