BBC Documentaries

My Big Gay Jewish Conversion (2017x127)

Uitzenddatum: Mei 23, 2017

Simon Atkins is on a mission for BBC Three to find out if Judaism is more tolerant of his sexuality than his Catholic faith. Simon's religion didn’t seem to impact on his everyday life until he met his Jewish boyfriend Matthew, whose synagogue allows same-sex marriage, whereas in Roman Catholicism this is not allowed. In this one-off documentary, Simon goes on a personal journey as a gay man to discover if he could convert to Judaism and whether it is worth sacrificing his Catholic upbringing. Simon starts by talking to a variety of people, including other gay Jewish men and a Rabbi, before travelling to the birthplace of Judaism, Israel. He also visits Tel Aviv, where Gay Pride has been celebrated since 1979. But as he delves deeper, Simon is hit with big doubts. In Jerusalem, he is faced with more conservative and hostile views. Finally, Simon visits one of the holiest sites in Christianity, where Jesus Christ was believed to have been resurrected and meets a trainee Catholic Priest to question his own faith. If he becomes Jewish he will have to give up the Catholic core belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God - and can he do that?