By the end of the year, Australia will see its first same-sex Jewish marriage. The Union for Progressive Judaism has approved same-sex commitment ceremonies for Jewish couples and will soon be deciding exactly what these ceremonies will entail.

The couple looking forward to being the first to celebrate their own marriage ceremony, Scott and Christopher Whitmont-Stephenson, had their full-scale marriage in 2002. In their ceremony, the Jewish religion was honored and is a large part of the couples' life together. The decision made by the Union for Progressive Judaism has them thrilled at the thought of their relationship being embraced by their religion.

The Council of Progressive Rabbis has decided to move past the traditional views of the religion that would never allow such unions in an effort to fully embrace all those dedicated to Judaism. Rabbis such as Fred Morgan of Melbourne's Beth Israel Temple have noted how the change is necessary to avoid alienating members of the Jewish community.

“We always welcome gays and lesbians into our community, but if we don't acknowledge their long-term relationships we are welcoming them with one hand and pushing them away with the other.” stated Morgan.

In October, the Council will be meeting to discuss the details of the ceremonies that will be put into practice to acknowledge same-sex marriages. Australia is now following in the footsteps of the progressive Jewish communities in the U.S., England and South Africa.