A Novel Debut, an Adas Class and More for 2021 DC Jewish Pride!

_{Picking up my copy of “Closer to Fine” at Lost City Books! /picture taken by Rachel Mauro}

I’m so feklempt that I finally had the chance to engage with newish DC bookstore, Lost City Books, thanks to the Jewish and queer communities!  On June 1, author Jodi Rosenfeld, GLOE member Tamar Gasko and bookseller Shady Rose convened on Zoom to discuss Rosenfeld’s debut novel, Closer to Fine. It was named after a quintessential, ‘90s and queer Indigo Girls song you can listen to here!

Though the book has universal themes, like learning acceptance, navigating relationships and generational gaps, the ‘90s cast certain elements in a distinctive light.  The queer community, such as it was back then, solely catered to gay men, lesbians and bisexuals, and everyone had to “pick a box,” Rosenfeld said.  Conservative Judaism, the denomination to which Rachel belonged, was changing as well.  Rachel was stunned when her synagogue hired a young, progressive, female rabbi to lead the congregation.  (The conservative movement started ordaining women in 1985.  Three decades later, at Adas, most of the clergy are female!  Anywho.)

It’s the power of a strong story that although many of the situations were stuck in the last century, young, queer readers like Gasko still found it to be relatable.  Throughout the hour they talked about the novel, and the state of Jewish and queer communities from the past through today.  You can hear it for yourself by clicking on the recording here!

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One week later, on June 8, Adas Israel closed out its 5771 adult learning series, MakomDC, with Dr. Joy Ladin.  Ladin, a poet and English professor and Gottesman Chair at Yeshiva University, talked about reading the bible from a transgender perspective.

I appreciated her broad-minded view of the Torah, noting how rare it is for any human character’s identity to make it onto the page (or scroll.) She referenced Akedah specifically, and how we never get Abraham’s perspective from his identity as a father as he is preparing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The reason for this broad, distant view, Ladin argues, is so we focus less on the humans and that Gd, who in Gdself is genderless and ergo “queer,” can stay in the frame.

When Ladin looks to “queer” the Torah, she focuses on in-text examples of characters who do not conform to gender and identity expectations.  Our patriarch Isaac’s immediate family is a good example of that.  His two sons, Jacob and Esau, present very different versions of masculinity—Esau is a  burly, hairy, hunter; and Jacob is a more slender shepherd.  Jacob, with the help of his mother Rebecca (who, in and of herself, strikes me as a biblical female character who is most proactive with her own agency,) steals the birthright from the older son, Esau.  To break this social order, Jacob dresses in animal skins while visiting his father, in what some might term an over-performance of masculinity.

Isaac himself is the product of a woman, Sarah, who could be termed a “gender failure” by society’s expectations, in that she is unable to get pregnant for most of her life. When she finally conceives Isaac, at 90 years old, two different female identities—that of young mother and of old woman—come together as one. Isaac’s Hebrew name, Yitzhak, which means “laughter,” may be a nod to the absurdity of the situation. Absurdity, Ladin argues, not unlike transgender and non-binary people trying to fit themselves into a world that often relies on narrow definitions.

There were around 25 people in the Zoom chat, and during one discussion section, someone pointed out how Jacob, much like many transgender people, underwent a transformation and gained a new name.  Jacob wrestled with…someone (most interpret this to be an angel,) and was renamed Israel.  Was an illuminating moment in the discussion, where Dr. Ladin (and later Adas’s Rabbi Aaron Alexander,) shared with us the joy in uncovering new layers of Judaism’s holy texts.

The month continues with more local programming.  You can join GLOE, Bet Mishpachah and the community this Friday at Pride Shabbat (and/or for a pre-Shabbat virtual cocktail mixer,) drag bingo and games next Tuesday, and a community service option for DC’s LGBTQ+ nonprofit, Casa Ruby, on Sunday, June 20.

The Capital Jewish Museum recently highlighted collections from David M. Green, a DC Jew and gay activist who died of AIDS complications in 1989, z”l.  They encourage the local, queer community to donate archival materials in order for the museum “to reflect the community we represent.”

Happy Pride!

Modern-Day Learning at Adas Israel’s MakomDC

Several months ago, shortly after High Holidays, in fact, Adas Israel launched a new series of innovative learning programs, largely for adults, in their renovated beit midrash (study center.) These monthly programs revolve around a theme, and include lectures, panels, screenings and more in what they hope will be more of a 21st century, “coffee house” environment. This month’s theme was justice, and I figured it was time to review some events.

“Justice” is a rather versatile subject and Adas embraced many aspects—from Rabbi Steinlauf’s exploration of the mitzvah of tzedakah to the reading of a play on interfaith conversations. In keeping with the 21st century gestalt, I decided to zero in on two events that were about including marginalized groups in the modern Jewish community—LGBT and people with disabilities.

Studying Jewish religious texts through “a different lens,” as presented on our handout / photo taken by Rachel Mauro

Dr. Jay Michaelson, who recently published the book God vs Gay? The Religious Case for Equality, was the keynote speaker on Tuesday, Feb. 4, who sat down with Rabbis Steinlauf and Holtzblatt to discuss progressive advances in the Conservative Jewish community, issues LGBT people face when approaching Jewish communal life, and even a thoughtful, broad-minded stance on the issues facing Orthodox groups.

My favorite part was breaking off into traditional Jewish study groups of 2-3 called “chevruta” where we provided with biblical verses about gender, specifically as it applies to the patriarch, Jacob. We also had access to quotes from scholarly thought on these passages, ranging from the modern to a surprisingly homoerotic interpretation in the Zohar of Jacob wrestling with the angel. Our concluding group discussion touched upon how ideas of gender and sexuality are intertwined, among other things. Certainly more useful for a longer, more in depth series of study sessions, but the evening was a great way to get our feet wet! The event was presented in partnership with Bet Mishpachah, Nice Jewish Boys DC and Nice Jewish Girls DC.

On the Shabbat of Feb. 22, I attended a more insular event on making the synagogue and community more accessible to people of varying disabilities. Rabbi Feinberg officiated over a panel of five congregants advocating for various physical and intellectual issues, plus the director of the Interfaith Initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities. It was a good chance for this smaller cache of members to take stock of what they as a group had accomplished and what they had left to do, broadly speaking. I enjoyed getting the chance to hear from a diverse group of people about their experiences in the Jewish community at large, and their hopes for Adas specifically.

Justice month wraps up with another biblical class this Wednesday, Feb. 26, about divine justice, in conjunction with the Foundation of Jewish Studies. Next week brings a new month and a new theme: Israel. Check out the programming here!