WHAT'S NEXT

  1. Signatures
    3,856 out of 5,000
    Petitioning
    1. Fundraising Affiliate Program (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Fundraising Affiliate Program (Kosher.com)
      • Director of Sales, Kosher.com (Michael Wosk)
  2. Created By
    Truth Wins Out
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Apr 08, 2011

Kosher.com had agreed to allow an "ex-gay" group, Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), to be an affiliate with its shopping rewards program. But after Truth Wins Out launched a petition on Change.org, which attracted more than 3,800 signatures, Kosher.com wrote an email saying "We have decided to discontinue that affiliation and our management will review our affiliate programs guidelines going forward."

Truth Wins Out issued a statement after the victory, thanking the Change.org community for coming together to achieve this victory, and another rejection for groups that believe gay people can and should be "cured."

"Truth Wins Out applauds Kosher.com's quick and decisive response," Truth Wins Out said. "Thanks also are due to the wonderful team at Change.org for helping Truth Wins Out and our members achieve another victory."

UPDATE: Kosher.com has responded and agreed to discontinue JONAH's participation in their rewards program. Please click here for more information on the Truth Wins Out website.


The online grocery store Kosher.com has allowed the notorious “ex-gay” organization, Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), to take part in a program that will help fund its dangerous “Pray Away the Gay” efforts. Basically, any time a person shops at the online store and types in a special code, this organization gets a cut of the profits. Obviously, every dime that JONAH makes from Kosher.com goes directly into their harmful efforts to “cure” LGBT people.

Kosher.com must understand that this partnership is offensive, defamatory and unacceptable. It is our hope that this company is simply unaware of JONAH's unsavory history and has not seen its dishonest and mean-spirited attacks on LGBT people. We can’t imagine Kosher.com giving its imprimatur to a group that purposely uses junk science and discredited therapists to psychologically damage LGBT Orthodox Jews.

In a 2001 interview, JONAH’s co-founder, Arthur Abba Goldberg, told The Herald News in Paterson, New Jersey, that homosexuality is the result of “psychological trauma” and that “six months to three years of weekly therapy and prayer can cure it.”

In 2007, Abba Goldberg told The Jewish State newspaper that “gays have been led astray in terms of your authenticity to yourself… People are not born gay; there’s no such thing as a gay gene.” He added that all gays “can readapt” from “their gender deficiency.” He then said gay children should be treated the same way as “if a child was addicted to drugs or alcohol.”

In 2010, Goldberg spoke at a right wing conference, The Truth Academy, and demonstrated his knack for confusing stereotypes with science:

“By the way, did you notice that a lot of gays who remain in the gay lifestyle also do a lot of body building,” said Abba Goldberg. “They will be in the gym a lot trying to build up their pecs…Because they have these body image issues and don’t feel they are masculine enough.”

Prior to co-founding JONAH, Abba Goldberg was sent to prison for bilking clients with Wall Street bond schemes. One judge called his crimes, “a conspiratorial fraud of spectacular scope.”

Additionally, Alan Downing, JONAH’s lead “therapist”, was recently accused of having clients undress in front of a mirror and touch themselves.

Despite Abba Goldberg’s criminal past, offensive views, and fraudulent efforts to “cure” LGBT people with inappropriate quack therapists, Kosher.com has seemingly given JONAH its stamp of approval by allowing it to participate in the company’s affiliate program.

It's time to tell Kosher.com that funding homophobia by supporting this dishonest, unsavory and medically unsound group is not kosher. Not even one penny should be funneled to JONAH to assist its bigoted and scientifically bankrupt anti-gay efforts. Demand that Kosher.com drop JONAH from its list of affiliates today!

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Homophobia is NOT Kosher!

Greetings,

Dear Kosher.com:

I am greatly concerned that Kosher.com is tarnishing its brand and alienating customers by associating itself with Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH). This is an extreme organization that uses junk science and bad theology to debase, demean, and dehumanize gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. JONAH also appears at anti-gay conferences with Southern Poverty Law Center-certified hate groups, such as Americans for Truth About Homosexuality.

Kosher.com should understand that this partnership is offensive, defamatory and unacceptable. It is our hope that you are simply unaware of JONAH's unsavory history and have not seen its dishonest and mean-spirited attacks on LGBT people. We simply can’t imagine Kosher.com giving its stamp of approval to a group that purposely twists science, uses discredited therapists, and psychologically damages LGBT Orthodox Jews.

In a 2001 interview, JONAH’s co-founder, Arthur Abba Goldberg, told The Herald News in Paterson, New Jersey, that homosexuality is the result of “psychological trauma” and that “six months to three years of weekly therapy and prayer can cure it.”

In 2007, Abba Goldberg told The Jewish State newspaper that gay children should be treated the same way as “if a child was addicted to drugs or alcohol.” In 2010, Goldberg spoke at a right wing conference, The Truth Academy, and demonstrated his knack for confusing stereotypes with science:

“By the way, did you notice that a lot of gays who remain in the gay lifestyle also do a lot of body building,” said Abba Goldberg. “They will be in the gym a lot trying to build up their pecs… Because they have these body image issues and don’t feel they are masculine enough.”

Prior to co-founding JONAH, Abba Goldberg was sent to prison for bilking clients with Wall Street bond schemes. One judge called his crimes “a conspiratorial fraud of spectacular scope.”

Additionally, Alan Downing, JONAH’s lead “therapist”, was recently accused of having clients undress in front of a mirror and touch themselves.

Is Kosher.com really willing to turn a blind eye and ignore Abba Goldberg’s criminal past, JONAH’s offensive views, and its fraudulent efforts to “cure” LGBT people with inappropriate quack therapists? Is this the type of organization that Kosher.com wants participating in the company’s affiliate program?

I certainly hope not.

Kosher.com needs to take some corporate responsibility and initiative and dump JONAH from its program. It is wrong and morally unacceptable to subsidize homophobia by helping fund this dishonest, unsavory and medically unsound group. To continue to do so is not kosher.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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