Rabbi Gil Stelf of Adas Israel Com Out as Gay – The Forward

gay rabbi adas israel

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CONSERVATIVE DC RABBI ANNOUNC HE’S GAY

On the Monday after Yom Kippur, Stelf, the married senr rabbi at Adas Israel — a large and historic Conservative synagogue Washgton, DC — announced that he is gay. “Wh much pa and tears, together wh my beloved wife, I have e to unrstand that I uld walk my path wh the greatt strength, wh the greatt peace my heart, wh the greatt healg and wholens, when I fally acknowledged that I am a gay man. If he were a 25-year-old rabbi, there would be no drama here, no nothg, fact, bee he would simply be a rabbi who happens to be gay.

I have trouble picturg a synagogue that wouldn’t hire a gay rabbi.

A 2006 cisn om the Rabbil Assembly’s Commtee of Jewish Law and Standards paved the way for the ordatn of gay rabbis and the regnn of same-sex unns the Conservative movement. We have arrived at this heartbreakg cisn bee I have e to unrstand that I am gay.

WHEN YOUR RABBI COM OUT AS GAY

Wh much pa and tears, together wh my beloved wife, I have e to unrstand that I uld walk my path wh the greatt strength, wh the greatt peace my heart, wh the greatt healg and wholens, when I fally acknowledged that I am a gay man. I have trouble picturg a synagogue that wouldn't hire a gay rabbi.

— announced that he is gay.

ADAS ISRAEL RABBI: ‘I AM A GAY MAN’

A 2006 cisn om the Rabbil Assembly’s Commtee on Jewish Law and Standards paved the way for the ordatn of gay rabbis and the regnn of same-sex unns the Conservative movement. — announced that he is gay.

Rabbi Gil Stelf of Adas Israel Com Out as Gay. Ruth Bar Gsburg and Elena Kagan — two of the Supreme Court Jtic who led the majory today, favor of gay marriage — are regular High Holy Day worshippers at Adas an e-mail to ngregants, the synagogue’s clergy wrote on Friday morng: “Today will be remembered as one of the ccial moments when the arc of history was bent towards jtice. Jt last year, he me out as gay, and said an e-mail to the ngregatn of more than 1, 400 hoeholds that he and his wife of 20 years would divorce.

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A gay rabbil stunt nied ordatn by a liberal semary New York was weled to the rabbate Jesalem, breakg a longstandg taboo agast homosexualy the Orthodox muny. Many young gay Orthodox Jews who would have prevly left the fold are stayg “and ’s almost unimagable for them to not have a place, ” he ntued. The Renstctnist and Reform movements began ordag gay rabbis the 1980s, wh the Conservative movement followg 2006.

RABBI GIL STELF OF ADAS ISRAEL COM OUT AS GAY

For his part, Lans do not believe that the Biblil prohibn of same-sex relatns appli to people for whom homosexualy is “not an act of voln” and thks that there is room for LGBT Jews the wir muny. Rabbi Nathan Lop Cardozo, another proment rabbi who has ocsnally e to nflict wh the Orthodox mastream, agreed wh Lans, tellg JTA that while he didn’t have a rabbic source to back up, he believ that “the prohibn [on homosexual acts] only appli to those who are purely heterosexual. Assertg that Orthodox views of homosexualy have been slowly changg, he said that there is a new awarens that “they’re not pedophil, they’re not people of falsehood or whatever, they’re good people.

Lans said that the genis of his transformatn om the mastream Orthodox posn, which views homosexualy as a grave s, me several s ago after he explaed to members of his own ngregatn the Uned Stat why he had cled to attend a nference anized by the Central Conference of Amerin Rabbis after the Reform-affiliated group passed a rolutn on LGBT cln. And while the rabbi ially uldn’t image gay Jews wantg to rema the Orthodox muny, let alone bee Jewish scholars unr s spic, he now has a different view.

“I thk we will start wh the gay muny self and if there is the abily to create a real muny on the relig level will lead to acceptance or maybe will be limed for a long perd, ” he said. C., received a surprisg email Monday afternoon: Their senr rabbi, Gil Stelf, announced he is gay and that, after havg three kids and beg married for 20 years, he and his wife are divorcg. Stelf’s letter to his ngregants on the same day that gay marriage was legalized  Virgia, somethg he says was jt a “pleasant cince.

HISTORIC D.C. SYNAGOGUE, WHOSE RABBI ME OUT AS GAY LAST YEAR, CELEBRAT SUPREME COURT CISN

” The hight legal body the Conservative Judaism movement voted 2006 to allow gay rabbis and same-sex marriage ceremoni.

”Stelf says that his role as rabbi won’t change, though he hop he n be a role mol to young, gay ngregants. Synagogu Warm Embrace for Rabbi's Comg Out Stephen Fry Supports Jewish LGBT Group Pri of Place: DIY Myan Draws LGBT Orthodox Jews Actor Stephen Fry to Wed His Partner Gay Israeli Diplomat to Be Married Philalphia Irish Mister Announc He's Gay On the Monday after Yom Kippur, Stelf, the married senr rabbi at Adas Israel — a large and historic Conservative synagogue Washgton, D. In a letter sent to ngregants, Stelf wrote: Wh much pa and tears, together wh my beloved wife, I have e to unrstand that I uld walk my path wh the greatt strength, wh the greatt peace my heart, wh the greatt healg and wholens, when I fally acknowledged that I am a gay man.

” A 2006 cisn om the Rabbil Assembly’s Commtee of Jewish Law and Standards paved the way for the ordatn of gay rabbis and the regnn of same-sex unns the Conservative movement. Rabbi Gil Stelf stggled for s wh an inty that he only acknowledged publicly this the Monday after Yom Kippur, Stelf, the married senr rabbi at Adas Israel — a large and historic Conservative synagogue Washgton, DC — announced that he is gay. In a letter sent to ngregants, Stelf wrote:Wh much pa and tears, together wh my beloved wife, I have e to unrstand that I uld walk my path wh the greatt strength, wh the greatt peace my heart, wh the greatt healg and wholens, when I fally acknowledged that I am a gay man.

FIRST OPENLY GAY ORTHODOX RABBI ORDAED JESALEM

”A 2006 cisn om the Rabbil Assembly’s Commtee of Jewish Law and Standards paved the way for the ordatn of gay rabbis and the regnn of same-sex unns the Conservative movement.

The lear of one of the Washgton regn's most proment synagogu on Monday me out as gay, tellg his thoands of ngregants a btally personal e-mail that a lifelong effort to ny his sexualy was over and that he and his wife of 20 years would be divorcg.

ADAS ISRAEL RABBI TO CONGREGATN: “I HAVE COME TO UNRSTAND THAT I AM GAY”

“Wh much pa and tears, together wh my beloved wife, I have e to unrstand that I uld walk my path wh the greatt strength, wh the greatt peace my heart, wh the greatt healg and wholens, when I fally acknowledged that I am a gay man, ” Rabbi Gil Stelf wrote to members of Adas Israel Congregatn, Northwt the six years sce Stelf me to Adas, he has pumped energy to the large, 146-year-old synagogue wh efforts aimed at both more tradnal and progrsive Jews. ”In 2014, he emailed a different announcement to his ngregants — he me out as gay and said he and his wife, a fellow rabbi, would divorce.

PROMENT D.C. CONSERVATIVE RABBI COM OUT AS GAY LETTER TO CONGREGANTS

Sce then, he has equently wrten and spoken to advote gay Joseph, print of Adas Israel, said the ngregatn’s two other rabbis, Lren Holtzblatt and Aaron Alexanr, will jotly lead the synagogue until cis on a permanent senr rabbi.

Rabbi Amichai L-Lavie left Orthodoxy for the Conservative movement, part due to homosexualy.

GAY RABBIS

It was a paful moment for L-Lavie, now 48, who had already realized he was gay. Des later, part bee tradnal Judaism nmns homosexualy, L-Lavie left Orthodoxy to bee a rabbi the Amerin Conservative movement of Judaism, which ordas LGBTQ rabbis and bls same-sex marriag. It stcts gay men to avoid anal sex precisely bee of the verse L-Lavie chanted at his Bar Mzvah, and urged bisexual people to pursue relatnships wh those of the oppose sex.

But enshrg Jewish law negative attus agast homosexualy and bisexualy amounts to a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that leav some queer Jews feelg exclud, she argu. The ph to erase the qutnable polici and attus om the Conservative movement’s books uld reopen a bter bate over homosexualy between the movement’s progrsiv, like Lewt, and s tradnalists, like those who opposed the 2006 cisn and still regret . Their nomatn’s attus on homosexualy reflect the movement’s centrist stat, to Reform’s right and Orthodoxy’s left.

IN A D.C. RABBI’S E-MAIL, REVELATN AND RELIEF: ‘I AM A GAY MAN’

Reform Judaism, which acunts for 35% of Amerin Jews, impos no lims on nsensual sex between adults, and Hebrew Unn College-Jewish Instute of Relign, the movement’s semary, has admted openly gay ndidat sce the early 1990s.

HOW RABBIS ARE TRYG TO MAKE THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT MORE GAY-FRIENDLY

No mastream figur wh Orthodoxy, which mak up about 10% of Amerin Jews, have endorsed gay ordatn or same-sex unns. In the 1990s, the movement weled queer Jews to muny stutns, but refed to adm gay ndidat to rabbil school or to allow s clergy to officiate at mment ceremoni. But then, 2006, rabbis Ellt Dorff, Daniel Nevs and Avram Reisner revised that doctre wh a new rabbil opn tled “Homosexualy, Human Digny and Halakha.

ADAS ISRAEL RABBI COM OUT AS GAY

” The three argued the document, known as a rponsum, that morn science and moraly necsated approvg some forms of sex between gay upl. “It enabled rabbis to perform same-sex weddgs, and helped gay people marry and live wh a Jewish ntext, ” Dorff, 73, told the Forward, fendg the opn a on.

He said was feasible that gay men uld absta om anal sex. “Ultimately, the rearch showed that a signifint number of gay men rea om anal sex.

But all this is unlikely to happen, precisely bee homosexualy is still very ntroversial the Conservative movement. The Rabbil Assembly, the Conservative movement’s umbrella group for rabbis, has temporarily stripped Dorff’s mtee of the power to issue legislatn — a velopment lked to what he lled “the homosexualy wars. Stelf, 48, me out as gay three years ago.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY RABBI ADAS ISRAEL

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3.8l.1-.09zm6.41-19.6a9.78 9.78 0 01-6.91 2.3 8.92 8.92 0 01-6.3-2.9l-.2.1v14.6h3.8l9.7-14zm22.9 43.41l-8.8-6.91-2.71 2.7-1.3-1.29 3.1-3.21V39.4H671l-.2-.2 3.5-5.2h2.5v-6.7L687.41 16l.2.2V34h8l.2.2-3.5 5.2h-4.7v30.3l4.8 3.7 3.3-3.4 1.3 1.4z"></path></svg><span class="alic gray font-xxxxs font--body">Democracy Di Darkns</span></div></div><hear class="w-100" data-qa="ma-full"><div class="hi-for-prt"></div><div class="mt-lg"><div data-qa="kicker" class="wpds-c-eyomNc wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-PJLV-jYXVnY-lor-black wpds-c-PJLV-mlvxn-size-lg"><a href=" class="PJLV PJLV-ieDwgbC-css">Acts of Fah</a></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iklXUFA-css"><h1 class="PJLV PJLV-ikmtGxl-css overriStyl" data-ttid="headle" data-qa="headle" id="ma-ntent"><span data-qa="headle-text" class="PJLV">Proment Adas Israel Rabbi Gil Stelf is leavg the synagogue</span></h1></div><div class="flex prt-byle prt-mt-none"><div class="byle-wrapper flex-lumn flex"><div class="PJLV PJLV-ihSmMVC-css"><div class="PJLV PJLV-iPJLV-css mb-xxs overriStyl" style="gap:0.5rem" data-qa="thor-byle"><span class="wpds-c-PJLV"><div class="flex ems-center" data-qa="thor-byle"><span class=""><div class="flex"><div class="dib font-xxs" data-qa="name-wh-optnal-lk" data-cy="name-wh-optnal-lk"><span data-qa="attributn-text" class="wpds-c-cNdzuP">By <!-- --> </span><span data-qa="thor-name" rel="thor" class="wpds-c-cNdzuP wpds-c-cNdzuP-cIdiJW-isLk-false">Julie Zzmer</span></div></div></span></div></span></div></div><div data-ttid="timtamp" class="wpds-c-kgabfe wpds-c-kgabfe-ieEDlgV-css"><span data-ttid="display-date" class="wpds-c-iKQyrV">April 20, 2017 at 11:41 a.m. EDT</span></div></div></div></hear></div><article class="grid-article mb-xxl-ns" data-qa="ma"><div data-ttid="le-art" data-qa="le-art" class=""><figure class="overflow-hidn relative hi-for-prt center center mb-sm mb-md-ns ml-to-ns mr-to-ns grid-mobile-full-bleed"><div style="filter:blur(10px);transn:filter .1s;le-height:0" class="w-100 mw-100 h-to" width="600" height="400"><img style="background-size:ver;max-width:1600px;background-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http%3A//; xmlns%3Axlk='http%3A//; viewBox='0 0 1280 853'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' lor-terpolatn-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGssianBlur stdDeviatn='.5'%3E%3C/feGssianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA type='discrete' tableValu='1 1'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage filter='url(%23b)' x='0' y='0' height='100%25' width='100%25' xlk%3Ahref='data%3Aimage/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAkAAAAGCAIAAACepSOSAAAACXBIWXMAAC4jAAAuIwF4pT92AAAAs0lEQVQI1wGoAFf/AImSoJSer5yjs52ktp2luJuluKOpuJefsoCNowB+kKaOm66grL+krsCnsMGrt8m1u8mzt8OVoLIAhJqzjZ2tnLLLnLHJp7fNmpyjqbPCqLrRjqO7AIeUn5ultaWtt56msaSnroZyY4mBgLq7wY6TmwCRfk2Pf1uzm2WulV+xmV6rmGyQfFm3nWSBcEIAfm46jX1FkH5Djn5AmodGo49MopBLlIRBfG8yj/dfjF5TUAAAAASUVORK5CYII='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E')" alt="" class="w-100 mw-100 h-to" width="600" height="400" srcSet=" 400w, 540w, 691w, 767w, 916w, 1200w" siz="(max-width: 440px) 440px,(max-width: 600px) 691px,(max-width: 768px) 691px,(m-width: 769px) and (max-width: 1023px) 960px,(m-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1299px) 530px,(m-width: 1300px) and (max-width: 1439px) 691px,(m-width: 1440px) 916px,440px" dg="async"/></div><figptn class="ml-gutter mr-gutter mr-to-ns ml-to-ns font--subhead font-xxxs mt-xs left gray-dark">Rabbi Gil Stelf </figptn></figure></div><div class="grid-body"><div class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-PJLV-hSmMVC-isLive-false"><div class="wpds-c-jUMcim wpds-c-jUMcim-ibVGacg-css hi-for-prt mb-sm"><div class="PJLV PJLV-ieDMgMI-css flex ems-center" nfig="[object Object]" data-qa="article-actns"><div class="wpds-c-mfMEg"><div class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-hnjNCH wpds-c-kSOqLF-bywHgD-variant-primary wpds-c-kSOqLF-biynoz-nsy-pact wpds-c-kSOqLF-hZSyid-isOutle-te wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-in-left wpds-c-kSOqLF-futx-cv wpds-c-hnjNCH-eNNUQD-cv wpds-c-hnjNCH-jGqLyO-cv"><div id="gift-share" data-ttid="gift-share" class="PJLV PJLV-ieGzigK-css 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preached to Supreme Court jtic and hosted speech by a print and vice print durg his ne years as rabbi at Washgton’s Adas Israel, told ngregants on Thursday that he will leave the synagogue for a new job.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="db dn-ns mr-neg-gutter ml-neg-gutter mb-md hi-for-prt" data-qa="subscribe-promo"><div data-orientatn="horizontal" role="separator" class="wpds-c-dbVHzF wpds-c-dbVHzF-hDkAcj-variant-flt"></div><a class="pt-sm pb-sm flex ems-center bold font-xxxs font-xxs-ns jtify-center" href=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="lor:#166dfc;borr:none"><svg class="ntent-box" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns=" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img"><tle>Wp</tle><path d="M11.055 8.728l-1.018-1.019-.782.782v6.292l1.782 1.564.018-.019v-7.6zm-4.11.236L5.674 7.71l-.836.855v6.237l1.545 1.327.564-.636V8.964zm2.656 9.074l-2.528-2.182-1.927 2.182-2.619-2.255v-3.564h-.509c-.454 0-.672.273-.745.636H1.09a2.89 2.89 0 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style="fill:#166dfc" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img"><tle>ArrowRight</tle><path d="M7.664 1.25l6 6a1 1 0 010 1.414l-6 6L6.25 13.25 10.499 9H2V7h8.585L6.25 2.664 7.664 1.25z" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg></a><div data-orientatn="horizontal" role="separator" class="wpds-c-dbVHzF wpds-c-dbVHzF-hDkAcj-variant-flt"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Stelf, a proment lear the Conservative nomatn of Judaism, will take a new posn wh the nomatn, teachg other synagogu. He said an email to his ngregatn on Thursday that he will try to teach others to imate the succs of Adas Israel: “We have been and ntue to be a growg and thrivg synagogue ways that are at odds wh nearly all natnal trends. The atmosphere at our synagogue is electrifyg.  The Torah that we teach is ep and real.”</p></div></div><div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Durg Stelf’s time leadg Adas Israel, <a href=">Print Barack Obama spoke om the pulp</a>, only the third stg print to speak at a synagogue. The next year, Vice Print Joe Bin spoke there. On the High Holy Days, Jewish Supreme Court jtic worshiped the pews. A grandchild of Print Tmp is enrolled the Adas Israel prchool.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Stelf has been outspoken about polics. On the day of Tmp’s guratn, he published <a href=">a forceful letter</a> to the new print: “I know you so well, Mr. Tmp, bee every generatn, you hate and seek to stroy .”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In 2014, he emailed a different announcement to his ngregants — <a href=">he me out as gay</a> and said he and his wife, a fellow rabbi, would divorce. Sce then, he has equently <a href=">wrten</a> and <a href=">spoken</a> to advote gay rights.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Debby Joseph, print of Adas Israel, said the ngregatn’s two other rabbis, Lren Holtzblatt and Aaron Alexanr, will jotly lead the synagogue until cis on a permanent senr rabbi. Stelf will rema an adviser to Adas Israel until summer 2018.</p></div><div class="wpds-c-jkoBlc wpds-c-jkoBlc-leHWbT-removeAllStyl-te"><div class="wpds-c-dhzjXW wpds-c-dhzjXW-iPJLV-css overriStyl"><div id="gift-share-end" data-ttid="gift-share-end" class="PJLV PJLV-idiqKOk-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-iIVoLq-placement-Shortcut foc-highlight"><div class="wpds-c-UazGY" id="gift-share-shortcut" data-ttid="gift-share-shortcut"><svg xmlns=" fill="var(--wpds-lors-primary)" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fVfumU "><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg><div class="PJLV wpds-c-kwcHlj">Share</div></div></button></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css"><div></div></div><sectn class="PJLV PJLV-icEohIP-css dn-ns hi-for-prt" data-ttid="mostRead" subscriptns-sectn="ntent"><div data-ttid="lazy-most-read-parent" class=""><div style="m-height:800px"></div></div></sectn><div class="PJLV PJLV-ickXkbz-css"><div data-qa="newsletter" class="hi-for-prt relative"><div class="dib w-100"><div><div class="flex jtify-center align self-center center transn-all duratn-400 ease--out" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup" aria-label=""><svg aria-labelledby="react-aria-1-aria" role="img" viewBox="0 0 100 80"><tle id="react-aria-1-aria">Loadg... .

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