Three rabbis of different Jewish denominations walked into the Hillel Center Sunday evening. They discussed everything from homosexuality to the future of Judaism in the United States. break The panelists—Saul Berman, an Orthodox rabbi, Daniel Freelander, a Reform rabbi, and Judith Hauptman, a Conservative rabbi—addressed a crowd of about 75 students. While the panelists generally agreed on most of the issues, they expressed slight differences. Homosexuality emerged a key point of divide. While Hauptman said that Halacha, Jewish law, is constantly evolving and that it can now accept homosexuality, Berman stressed adherence to traditional interpretations. "There are no boundaries to its evolution, and those [the laws] are what is clearly written in the Torah," he said of homosexuality. Berman continued, saying that intercourse between two men is not condoned by the Torah, therefore it should not be accepted as a sexual practice. Hauptman emphasized the Torah's flexibility, noting that Halacha's evolution is not "for frivolous reasons, but for pressing ethical concerns." Freelander acknowledged both sides. "There's always been a wide range of sexual behavior within Judaism and they've always been acknowledged within our tradition. Not necessarily approved, but acknowledged," he said, adding later that "we're approaching a point where long-term Judaism would be defined by how one lives their life. Defined by action, not lineage." Yet the rabbis could come together to support Israel's necessity as a Jewish state. Hauptman credited Israel with preserving Hebrew as a language, and for bestowing Jews with a stronger sense of identity and confidence. "Israel is the only place you can live fully Jewishly," Hauptman said. "There are times when I want to criticize it, but my loyalty is with Israel, fully." news@columbiaspectator.com