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Dear JCOGS family,

Working to be an inclusive community is not always easy.

We had planned to host our annual BBQ next Shabbat, however, it is now postponed to Sunday, September 3.  We are moving it to a Sunday, not on Shabbat, to be inclusive to more of our members.  While as a congregation, we do not follow the strict observance of Halachah/Jewish Law (we Zoom on Shabbat and holidays, lights on and off, cooking, etc.), yet we are not entirely free from observance as a community.  While it is certainly a Jewish value to gather on Shabbat around food, a BBQ is a particularly public renunciation of the laws against cooking on an open fire on Shabbat.  And while the vast majority of our members don’t mind if we cooked on Shabbat, for sure, there are members who will not be able to participate in this event on Shabbat.  The BBQ can easily be hosted on another day, and though this is a last minute change and requires moving a few small mountains, we are doing so because we are committed to inclusion.  I take responsibility for this oversight, apologize for any issues, and hope that you will put September 3 on your calendar.

This brings me to the celebration of our first ever Pride Shabbat, tonight and tomorrow.  The Jewish community, in general, has not always been a place of belonging for many LGBTQ+, in the past and, in many cases, in the present.  I can remember vividly as a child the Yiddish word feigele (literally: “bird) being used as a derogatory term to refer to gay boys and men.  There are those in our JCOGS community who identify as LGBTQ+ who do not feel a full sense of belonging, even in our inclusive synagogue.  It's not always comfortable for them to step into a synagogue or our synagogue.  It does not always feel sacred to them, to feel that their voices are represented.  This is a shame.

While we may think that ancient Jewish tradition is anti-LGBTQ, being non-binary (not conforming to traditional binary beliefs about gender) and being transgender have been a part of our tradition for millenia, which you can read about HERE in this fascinating article.  This ancient sense of multifaceted identity runs contrary to the hundreds of legislative actions across the U.S. and the world that are currently seeking to limit and discriminate against those identities.

June is Pride Month across the U.S., Canada, and the world.  Organizing this Pride Shabbat is a group of JCOGS members, the new JCOGS Rainbow Coalition, who are composed of members who are themselves or have family that identify as LGBTQ+.  In our recently adopted core values, we say that  “we strive to create an authentic sense of belonging.”  This Pride Shabbat is an affirmation of that value.

So, come celebrate.  Come be prideful!  It’s not always easy to create an inclusive community, one where all feel a sense of belonging.  But that is our commitment.  Let’s all work hard, each of us, to be an inclusive, Jewish community of belonging.

Tihiyu bri’im, may you be healthy.  Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi David

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