Another Queer Jewish Buddhist

Encore Performance at NewFest: City of Borders, an important film about so much more than simply being queer in Jersusalem

The first in two posts: today NewFest, tomorrow The Feigele Film Festival at the JCC.

The next 7 days in New York City is a great time to see films about what it means to be queer in Israel today — from the point of view of queer Jews across the religious and political spectrum, from secular Zionists to the orthodox, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. And the distance between those two cities can seem like the distance between the 21st Century and the Iron Age. 

First, there will be an encore screening of City of Borders at NewFest, the annual lgbt film festival, tomorrow night, Wednesday, June 10th at 6pm. It’s an amazing film that chronicles the story of Jerusalem’s only gay bar, through the eyes of its courageous owner (who also became a member of the city council) and its patrons — including a Palestinian man who would have to sneak into Israel to feel safe about being openly queer, and a young man from a settlement community who was one of the people stabbed by a crazed Haredi at the Pride parade in 2006. There is also a cross-national lesbian couple, Israeli and Palestinian, negotiating the rocky shoals of relationship with the added burden of war and oppression. This film asks all the right questions and shows Israeli society with all its beauty and ugliness, with its commitment to equality for all and the discrimination and danger faced by Muslim Israelis  by Queer Israelis. This is a fully nuanced view of the multi-faceted reality free of the sloganeering of the knee-jerk crowds on all sides of the issues. And as such, is a film that is important for everyone to see.

It’s all the more interesting to see in the context of the news. The Jerusalem Post reports that international Israel advocacy organization Stand With Us has invited prominent gay opinion-shapers from around the world to Tel Aviv for the Pride celebrations, to show the progressive face of the country and a view that shifts the focus away from the conflict between peoples.

This is clearly a concerted PR effort that has the government behind it, even as the city government in Jerusalem prepares for violence by the Haredi against the upcoming Pride march in that city two weeks from now. Certainly in the face of protests by gay groups in Toronto and elsewhere against Israeli policies towards the Palestinians this is meant to mark the difference between the two societies in treatment of sexual minorities, and to say to these protesters, pardon my French, “what the fuck?”

Of course, you can’t make grey white by comparing it to black. And let’s be clear, while it is certainly true that I’d rather be queer in Israel than in Cairo or Damascus or Ramallah, I sure wouldn’t want to be Palestinian in Tel Aviv.

What’s more I feel used. Not like a politically active gay man wouldn’t feel used in the US today (are you listening Barack? I think not). But last year, when there was a pro-Israel demonstration outside the United Nations against Iran's president Ahmadinejad, I was asked by a Jewish organization called The Council of Presidents to help out by writing a print ad to help draw crowds to the demo by appealing to people concerned about human rights. My copy made it clear that many people were oppressed in today’s Iran, from religious minorities to women to gay men. At first they were happy. But of course, when push came to shove, queer folk got shoved. They didn’t really care about human rights — it was about Israel, pure and simple. And while I support Israel, I am not interested in being used by the Jews in this way.

Yes, my marriage (if I were married) would be recognized in Israel. And I would be killed in Egypt. Makes being an Israel supporter feel like being a Democrat in the US, huh?

Celebrating Pride, Jewish Style

It’s Pride Month, and for Jews around the country — and around the world, it’s the time of year that has become traditional over the last couple of decades to celebrate a Pride Seder or a special Pride Shabbat.

This weekend in New York City there are a number of Queer Jewish Pride events. At Congregation Rodeph Shalom on the Upper West Side there is a dinner following Friday night services with Judy Gold as the Guest of Honor, you can register on the JCC site, or at this date best to call 646-505-5708.

At the Village Temple, the Pride Shabbat d’var will be given by Gabriel Blau on this weeks Torah reading, and titled "Building Open Tents, The Jewish Journey and Civil Rights."  I’d like to be at both of these events, but this weekend I’ll be at NewFest, where I’ve marked out about 22 films I want to see — which means I will probably see about 15.

Meanwhile, the Temple for Universal Judaism is screening the film Hineini, a documentary about a young woman coming out in a Jewish high school, following services.

New Jersey won’t be left out — after all, they’re ahead of New York state in partnership rights for same-gender couples. And at B’nai Keshet, a Reconstructionist congregation, there will be a Pride Seder tied to the cause of marriage equality (which was the focus of the last seder at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun). And speaking of marriage equality, there is a great posting on the Jewish case for marriage equality from Australia (where pride seders have been celebrated as well).

Next weekend, down in Miami, at Temple Israel of Greater Miami, there will be a Pride Seder. I am always thrilled when I read about Pride Seders, since we started doing them at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in 1995, based on the liturgy developed by the Queer Minyan in Berkeley. We expanded the text and added a number of rituals, calling it the Stonewall Seder.  And over the years, as the text was picked up at other synagogues with additions and edits, we revised our text to reflect what we liked that we saw elsewhere. I wish there were one place where all the texts were collected so that someone could study the evolution of this new tradition.

Also next weekend in Boston, what is perhaps the oldest Pride Seder in the country will be held at Temple Sinai, and is sponsored by Congregation Am Tikva, CJP GLBT Team, Keshet, Ohel Tzedek of Temple Israel, and the Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality.

The text of the Stonewall Seder (which can be downloaded here) was particularly influenced by revisions made by Andrew Ramer and Joss Eldridge at Congregation Sha’ar ZaHav, which this year will be holding their seder on Saturday, June 20, 2009, 6:00 pm. And for those of you who can’t go to a seder, you can see clips from the last Stonewall Seder at B’nai Jeshurun on YouTube, with the complete speech given by the guest of honor, Lisa Kron, and selection from the readings over the course of the night. My favorites include readings about the objects on the seder plate and a very different set of four questions:

And speaking of video clips, also at the JCC in NYC later this month is the Feigele Film Festival, with some great movies about queer life in Israel, including Veahavta—And Thou Shalt Love, Winner of the coveted Wolgin Prize for Best Drama at the Jerusalem Film Festival, 2008 and also inlcuding a documentary about pride celebrations in Jerusalem and how finally all religions of the middle east finally united — around a message of intolerance.

However you celebrate Pride Month — as  Jew, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Atheist, Jain…may it reflect the deep love that our expression of love in the world stands for.

Israel Tourism Goes Gay (not particularly lesbian)

A website has been launched to promote gay tourism in Israel. From the images on the home page, you would never guess that lesbians existed. But hey, I don't any websites from Egypt extolling Pride celebrations in cities all over the country, as this site does. (The very fact that I praise something while at the same time criticizing it is about as Jewish as you can get). And I've got to say, the site certainly makes a visit look like a lot of fun.

Gay Poet, James Kirkup, dies at 91

I'd read James Kirkup's memoir of Japan, These Horned Isles, years back when I first moved to Japan. I was introduced to his poetry by the gay Canadian poet, bibliographer, archivist and activist, Ian Young, back in the 1970s.

His work stirred up a lot of trouble in Britain when one of his poems, about the love of a Roman Centurion for Christ on the cross, led to the last successful prosecution for blasphemy in that country. The Japanese of course, honored Kirkup, and he received prizes for his writing from the Heisei Emperor.

I will dig thru my books later to post something of his.

Gay Marriage Quote of the Day: NY Times

In today's front page story about the disorganization of opponents to marriage equality in NY State is this gem of a sentence that is very telling and extremely sad:

"The state's Roman Catholic bishops have been somewhat distracted, too, having focused their lobbying energies this session on defeating a bill that would extend the statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse to bring civil claims, and have appeared unprepared for the battle over marriage."

Caught with their pants down as it were.

Stonewall Seder 2007: Guest of Honor Lisa Kron speaks about Marriage Equality

Three videos, for a total of about 22 minutes, of smart talk that takes the discussion beyond simple same-sex marriage to wider social benefits for others as well, from the award-winning playwright and performer, Lisa Kron. At the Stonewall Seder in 2007, a ritual dinner celebrating what it means to be queer and Jewish.

Today is 40 days, which is 5 weeks and 5 days of the Omer: Hod of Yesod

Surrendering to Relationship. This is not the surrender of co-dependency, the giving up of Self with a capital S. No, this is the surrender of the illusion of isolation — that one's actions don't affect another you are in relationship with. The humility of this surrender goes beyond a relationship with a loved one. This is a surrender to letting relationship be the teacher.

This day calls for an affirmation, a practice I think is often misused, since simply repeating an affirmation does not make it true or "manifest" anything. What it certainly does do though is activate the unconscious -- both the power to take actions to make it real, and the negative aspect of Shadow that would do anything in its power to prevent this outcome. So what is the affirmation for today?

I open myself to let every relationship, no matter how important or seemingly trivial deepen my connection with my spiritual essence and the essence of others.

In other words, having the humility to learn from all. This is echoed in the Mishnah that is traditionally read during the period of counting the Omer, the Pirke Avot:

Ben Zoma said, "Who is wise? One who learns from all."

So let's look at the Tarot and see what information its images might offer today. Let's consider the 8 and the 9 of cups. In in the 8 of Cups, the Hod card, we see a wall of cups, with a space between the cups on the upper level. And we see a figure turned away and headed up the mountain under the light of the moon. It suggests to me an abandoning of old emotional defenses that are not only no longer needed or positive, but also not even effective. A willingness to be vulnerable on the journey into the darkness. This is a kind of surrender. And it suggests what must be done if we are to experience the connection that Yesod promises.

However in the 9 of cups we see a man who is clearly quite self-satisfied. He has wealth, and in fact, he is surrounded by a wall of cups that completely isolates him. This is what happens when you don't surrender and walk away from the very seductive defenses of the Cups -- and it is seductive, since it is a table filled, crowded with Cups. Given the sensual nature of Yesod, this is suggestive a being lost in the world of the senses in a way that prevents and defends from relationship. Sensual pleasure without spiritual connection. The man in this card is a warning of what happens if you don't take the high road and leave these cups behind as seen in the 8 of Cups. This man in the 9 of Cups believes he has nothing to learn from anyone: after all, isn't he successful and surrounded by material wealth? Indeed. He is surrounded. And alone.

39 Days of the Omer, for five weeks and four days: Netzach of Yesod

I like to think of this day as the SuperGlue day in the Omer Count. Netzack of Yesod is very much about  endurance in connection. Finding the endurance to stay in relationship through the tough times. Making a renewed and conscious commitment on a daily basis to remain open and vulnerable, fearlessly intimate. This is not something that is demonstrated once. But over and over again over time. Tenacity in the face of all the issues that relationship throws at us.

And certainly, given the gluey nature of this day, one of the fears and counter-commitments that can come up is fear of getting stuck. And that's always a good fear to face. And question whether the fear is about one's own inner stuckness. About how we (I) project my stuckness onto a partner and blame the relationship for my not having the courage to grow. When relationship is a spiritual path, the commitment to connection, and the commitment to personal growth may clash, but they are in fact the same struggle.

There goes the religious argument: Irish Church condemns homophobia

So much is happening around the world it's hard to follow it all — from police beating gay demonstrators in Moscow, peaceful public gatherings in support of gay rights in Singapore, marriage rallies in NYC. And of course, the anti-marriage rally led by a coalition of people who believe their religious belief gives them the right to hate and impose their beliefs on others. Well, oddly enough, in Northern Ireland, a country that knows something about religious intolerance, St George's church held a service over the weekend condemning homophobia.

The Rector of St. Georges', Brian Stewart, said:

"To protest against homophobia which is the irrational hatred of gay people is no less or no more significant than a protest against anti-semitism. If we can, as a church, stand up and say that hatred of Jewish people is wrong, we must stand up and say that hatred of gay and lesbian people is wrong as well."

Violence at gay pride in Eilat Israel

So even though a member of the Knesset calls for offering gay Palestinians sanctuary in Israel earlier today, even Israeli lgbt people could use some "sanctuary" and protection from anti gay religious violence as noted in Ynet this evening: " A group of youths attacked a 34-year old man at Eilat's annual Gay Pride Parade Friday, attended by about 3,500 people."

Meanwhile the Pope, in a speech in Nazareth, did his usual number about family values and the need to protect families from the queer menace. Yep. That's what I love about the "holy" land. It attracts some of the world's most intolerant people. Sigh.