After overhearing the music of Harel Skaat flooding through my office wall all afternoon my colleague in the office next door poked his head into my office to tell me, “his music is great…” I smiled and asked if he would join me at his concert in Palo Alto (details) but before he responded he paused giving me a rare and almost-shy-smile. He then quickly asked, “do you know if he or his boyfriend need a nice place to stay in the Castro while they are in town? I have a place in the Castro…”
So of course, I wanted to see why such a fine gentleman would be so courteous to offer up his home to a couple of strangers. That is when I learned that the boyfriend of Harel Skaat is the Israeli model, Idan Roll. I stopped wondering and just responded with a smirk….
I don’t know where Idan and Harel are staying (or if they are coming to the Bay Area together) but I do know that all before the age of 30, Harel Skaat has become one of the leading and most sought-after male-vocalists in Israel. His Yemenite and Iraqi Jewish roots formed his distinctive sound within a particular genre of pop music and his work in the music industry has received all possible Israeli accolades. He has also received attention in the New York Times (story) not only for his musical talents but his attention to fashion too. Sadly, Harel’s visit to the Bay will be short this time with limited performances but you can keep track of the whereabouts of this gay israeli musical icon on his website (link).
I doubt that Gertrude Stein was thinking about Shabbat when she wrote, “generally speaking, everyone is more interesting doing nothing than doing anything,” but I might be wrong. Tomorrow at SFMOMA I will take a bit of time to think about that possibility while participating in a replication of the queer literary salons that Gertrude and her family once hosted in the 1920’s in their Paris apartment (details). Rain or shine there will be more of something on Sunday at Israel in the Gardens (details) with music, dancing, art, and general fabulous people watching. find me i will be signing folks up to participate in the AIDS Walk (details) before heading off to my “hip pop hapa japa” besties wedding at the Fairmont that night.
What a weekend and it is only the first of many during San Francisco’s Pride month! Shabbat Shalom, friends. Take a look at the myriad of ways you and yours can participate Jewishly in the many of the fabulous festivities of Pride (details).
Thirteen years after winning the Eurovision Song Contest with Diva in 1998 Dana International was back again representing Israel with her self composed entry Ding Dong as she attempted to win the title again. Dana’s victory in the 1998 contest had a strong impression on the world, and she became a cultural icon. In Israel (which has participated in Eurovision almost every year since 1973), on the night of the 1998 victory, thousands of people celebrated on the streets, and Dana has been a star ever since.
When I travel or speak with Israeli people and describe what I do for a living her name will come up within three minutes. It is like clock-work. I say something about Trans rights in English. The person I am speaking with asks what that means. Someone who is also Israeli and standing near us or involved in the conversation interjects and simply says, “Dana, you know Dana International.” Dana International has become synonymous with not only the rights of Trans people but the full LGBT spectrum of identities. It is amazing.
Although she was sadly voted out of Eurovison Thursday night the history of this extraordinary woman has helped change the understanding of LGBT civil rights not only in Israel but also across the globe. Take a look at this BBC video talking about her impact on our world:
Dana International of Israel performs her song 'Ding Dong' during a rehearsal for the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Dusseldorf May 11, 2011. Photograph by: Ina Fassbender, REUTERS
I hope that you will be able to join me at our Federations’ LGBT Alliance booth celebrating Dana International and her contributions to our global community at Israel in the Gardens this June 5 in San Francisco.
We get a lot of interesting questions as LGBT identified Jewish leaders. One of the most common questions is how did the San Francisco Bay Area become one of the leading communities for LGBT inclusion? We have long answers and short answers but they both involve one key Gay Jewish leader: Al Baum.
Al is a tireless fighter for LGBT civil rights and a lifetime leader in both Jewish and civic communities. Out of love, respect and appreciation for all that he has accomplished, he is being awarded The Rita Semel Jewish-Civic Leadership Award for his extraordinary contributions by our partner, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). We hope that you can join us at the JCRC Gala on February 16 honoring so many of Al’s accomplishments in our community.
While our community is filled to the brim with opportunities to see Bay Area LGBT Jewish leaders in action. From speaking on panels with Israeli LGBT Teens and making philanthropic calls to celebrating their words, social satire, activism, music, and scholarship, it is still rare when we as a community can gather all together to honor one of our brightest shining stars.
P.S.If you would like to help honor Al but are unable to attend, please get in touch with us and we will be happy to pass on your wishes to Al. Here is a link to provide an honor or memorial gift to the Federation.
Al Baum with friends out in the San Francisco Jewish community.
Queer Jewish Religiosity in America Stanford University/Sha’ar Zahav
Feb 25 – Feb 27
Engage in conversations about queer Judaism, its creativeness with collective Jewish textual forms, and what happens to both in the process…or just meet a few new LGBT identified friends at the oneg.
Get energized by local Jewish change-makers and celebrate the multitude of ways we are working to create a more just world!
Celebration of The Robert Giard Art Exhibition
JCCSF
Feb 09 7:30pm – 9:00pm Particular Voices: Portraits of Jewish Gay and Lesbian Writers featuring poets Teya Schafferm & Elana Dykewomon.
The pain of concealing one’s identity is something that we understand as out LGBT identified Jews. We are grateful for the privilege of being out and open in our communities, but in so many places the struggle to be our full complete selves continues.
This past weekend at the San Francisco Queer Shabbaton, Lisa Finkelstein had the opportunity to attend as well as faciliate a discussion on the how the intersection of intimacy and boundries can build a diverse Jewish community. The previous weekend Arthur had the opportunity to attend an East Coast Orthodox-based Shabbaton with 140 other LGBT Jews. Many of the participants said to Arthur with great emotion that they had dreamed all their lives of a community where they could be their authentic LGBT Jewish selves. As each community event, party, concert, discussion or fundraiser presents opportunities to connect all of our LGBT Jewish lives together we hope that you will too choose to join us out in the community.
From the expansion of visitation rights at hospitals, the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and now the unbarred travel to the U.S. for people living with HIV/AIDS, our community has cause for celebration, yet there is much more work ahead. See our upcoming events and read an elaboration on these topics written by our newest Federation team member, Max Kopeikin.
Arthur Slepian, Chair & Lisa Finkelstein, Director of the LGBT Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation co-wrote this piece in hopes to seeing all of our readers OUT in the community.
Congregation Sha’ar Zahav and Stanford Hillel
Feb 25, 26 & 27
The Taube Center for Jewish Studies at Stanford hosts a weekend of Shabbat connections, Discussion & Learning
Power of One Feb 07 5:00pm – Feb 07 8:30pmA celebration of Jewish women & men who inspire each & every one of us to make a difference.
Internationally acclaimed Israeli artist about his Israeli homo-erotic soldiers’ Last Supper, homeless Bible Stories and much more
Celebration of The Robert Giard Exhibibition JCCSF
Feb 09 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Particular Voices: Portraits of Jewish Gay and Lesbian Writers featuring poets Teya Schafferm & Elana Dykewomon
i am thrilled to write that i have a new colleague at federation who wants to help build san francisco bay area lgbt jewish community with me!
maxwell kopeikin wandered into my office as a federation volunteer a few months ago and helped ensure that our jonathan adler gay hanukkah party was a fabulous success. today he divides his time at federation on contract with dr. donny inbar who brings the bay area israeli arts and culture and irin kutman levy who helps organize the bay area russian-speaking jewish community in partnership with the jewish agency for israel.
a california native maxwell is a recent graduate from the university of california at berkeley. and now in addition to volunteering at counter pulse and being a professional modern dancer and choreographer he is focused on learning to speak english with a fierce israeli accent. he promised to write a post soon on this blog – so be ready. this spanish, yiddish, french, catalonian speaking gay jewish alpha epsilon pi (aepi) fraternity brother has a lot to say.
despite much education over many decades, there is still often prejudice and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, both in our community and around the world. no matter who or where you are, your actions can make a real difference in stopping the spread of HIV and ending HIV/AIDS prejudice locally as well as globally. as our jewish communities light the first flames of hanukkah at multiple gatherings this evening in the san francisco bay area and around the world we are also called to honor world AIDS day. i hope that you are able to join us in the ways that you are able. read more.
Do what you can... be creative in supporting World AIDS Day.
Learn about HIV/AIDS in Israel.
Gay Jewish artist Jonathan Adler launches his Starbucks Red Card in time for World AIDS Day
an outreach table for trans community connections in tel aviv
i loved the trans remembrance shabbat service at sha’ar zahav. it was powerful on so many incredible levels. i loved rabbi angel’s joy of using siddur sha’ar zahav throughout the service paying attention to all of the prayers already written-into the text specifically related to trans remembrance. i loved martin rawlings-fein sharing note cards with a random selection of people to stand and read the names so they could too experience the public remembering. i loved sarah hoffman’s drash on exploring the experiences of parenting her gender variant child attending a local jewish day school.
after the service, a dear friend of mine sitting near me who now identifies as a butch lesbian, could not stop talking (really, this friend, usually quiet, was talking and talking and talking for quite a long time) about how she felt validated: finally. “outloud” she said, “i heard my experience as being this seriously awkward kid summarized. sarah {hoffman} substantiated so much of what i always felt but never really verbalized myself during her drash. if only someone turned to me 20 years-ago and said, kid, you don’t need to be someone else. you are great just as g*d created you – i would be a much more confident person today.”
in addition to jewish communities in los angeles, san francisco, boston, new york and oakland holding space for this important day folks in tel aviv, israel did too. it is powerful knowing that across the globe folks in tel aviv honored transgender day of remembrance as we did in san francisco. in tel aviv folks marked trans remembrance day not only with a ceremony at the lgbt center but a march as well bringing attention to the harm of transphobic violence and discrimination.
this continual communal need to encourage spiritual care, bring new voices of leadership into the public conversation, as well as the impetus towards social-change based activism is an integral piece of what makes me proud to be part of this global jewish community.
life never fails to surprise me. i was on the phone with my niece who is undergoing sexual reassignment surgery to become my nephew when noach dzmura’s “balancing on the mechitza” arrived. i immediately sat down and read it, cover to cover. perhaps “read” is the wrong word, i devoured the book. i would be … Read More
“when we imagine threats, we figure they’re around our being queer, or a combo of queer and jewish,” said rabbi larry edwards of chicago’s lgbt reform synagogue or chadash that found its 100 members a target of a potential mail bomb sent from yemen this past month. “and the combo threats we imagine are from the radical extreme anti-gay right wing of the jewish world,” he continued, “but even that’s far-fetched because in reality we have support even in certain orthodox quarters.”
rabbi edwards, who identifies as heterosexual says the shul is a community that now is a place attracting straight jews as well as it remains a “place for jews who have come out.”
but other than that, he says, or chadash is typical in its lack of a public political profile. “israel is the third rail for jews – if you’re too vocal one way or another, you’re sure to alienate somebody,” edwards explained. “so how can you talk about it?” he paused. “how can you not talk about it?” read more about the lgbt synagogue reacting to the potential bomb threat by achy obejas.
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