Temple Beth El Blog

Books

Queer Jewish Narratives (LGBTQIA+ Reads)
A comprehensive list of over 50 fiction and non-fiction books for adults, young adults and children. Includes extensive descriptions.

Confronting History: A Memoir  
George L. Mosse, University of Wisconsin Press, 2000
Recommended by Paul Grossberg
George Mosse was the John C. Bascom Professor of European History and the Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was also the Koebner Professor of History at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and was selected to be the first scholar-in-residence at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.
George Mosse finished writing his memoir just two weeks before he died in January 1999. Confronting History describes Mosse’s opulent childhood in Weimar, Berlin as the son of a prominent newspaper publisher, his exile in Paris and England, his second exile in the Unites States at Haverford, Harvard, Iowa, and Wisconsin, and extended stays in London and Jerusalem. Mosse also discusses being a Jew and his attachment to Israel and Zionism, his gayness, his coming out, and his growing scholarly interest in issues of sexuality.

We’ve Been Here All Along: Wisconsin’s Early Gay History (2019)
R. Richard Wagner, Wisconsin Historical Society Press
Comments from Paul Grossberg:
"This outstanding book, We’ve Been Here All Along: Wisconsin’s Early Gay History, takes readers on a fascinating journey through decades of engaging stories, societal and political insight, and carefully referenced details. My husband and I have known Dick Wagner for about 40 years. He is a friend, a clear-thinking community leader, a soft-spoken and brilliant historian, and a mensch. Our entire community has been given a meaningful gift with these unearthed stories and threads of progress woven together in such a beautiful way. We can’t wait for the next volume."
If any Temple Beth El members would like a personally autographed copy please email Paul Grossberg who will help arrange that.
We’ve Been Here All Along: Wisconsin’s Early Gay History received a Gold Book Award in the national 2020 Independent Publishers Book Awards contest and received a Book Award of Merit from the Board of Curators of the Wisconsin State Historical Society. Wisconsin Public Television will be re-broadcasting Dick Wagner’s UW Sociology Department lecture about Wisconsin’s Early Gay History at noon Wednesdays during Pride Month, June 2020.

Coming Out, Moving Forward (Available September 2020) 
R. Richard Wagner, Wisconsin Historical Society Press
Forewords by Tammy Baldwin and Steve Gunderson
Here’s what Tony Earl (Wisconsin Governor from 1983-1987) said about Coming Out, Moving Forward: “Thank goodness for R. Richard Wagner’s careful documentation and historic recounting of the push for LGBT rights in Wisconsin. Otherwise, it would be difficult to comprehend, by today’s standards, the depth and breadth of the prejudice. Wisconsin was on the forefront, albeit with fits and starts, of the fight for equal rights, thanks to the tenacity and hard work of people like Wagner. I am proud to have been a chapter in this movement.”
If any Temple Beth El members would like a personally autographed copy please email Paul Grossberg who will help arrange that.

Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible, edited by Gregg Drinkwater, Joshua Lesser, and David Shneer
edited by Gregg Drinkwater, Joshua Lesser, and David Shneer
Recommended by Cantor Jacob Niemi
This is an incredibly important contribution to the canon of queer Jewish theology and textual interpretation, in some ways the first book of its kind. Building upon the great strides made by Jewish feminist thinkers, LGBTQ Jews have taken up the mantle of reading themselves and their experiences back into texts that have historically excluded their voices. Just as feminist Jewish theology has provided new and deeply meaningful ways for Jews of every gender to read sacred text, so too does the lens of queer theory and theology provide a wellspring of insight that can benefit people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
For more on this topic, join Cantor Jacob Niemi on Sunday, June 28, 2020, 10:30–11:30 am, as he leads a session introducing concepts of queer text study.

A Rainbow Thread: An Anthology of Queer Jewish Texts from the First Century to 1969, edited by Noam Sienna
edited by Noam Sienna
Recommended by Cantor Jacob Niemi
Much in the same way that Torah Queeriesis a momentous book in its elevation of contemporary queer Jewish readers of sacred text, A Rainbow Thread is equally significant in its collection of voices from and about queer Jewish experiences of the past. While labels may change to suit the needs of a generation, Noam Sienna’s book teaches us (among many other things) that much of the human experience has remained the same. We have all wrestled with identity, searched for meaning, and sought ways to celebrate our full, authentic selves.

Wrestling with Gods and Men: Homosexuality in Jewish Tradition, by Rabbi Steven Greenberg
by Rabbi Steven Greenberg,University of Wisconsin Press, 2004
Recommended by Cantor Jacob Niemi
Written by the first Orthodox rabbi to come out as gay, and then maintain his identity as an orthodox rabbi, Steven Greenberg’s landmark book delves into topics that have tortured gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer people of faith for generations. Specifically, Rabbi Greenberg explores the biblical prohibitions against certain sexual acts that have been used to marginalize and persecute LGBTQ people. Using his Orthodox perspective, he proposes a halakhic framework by with LGBTQ Jews can be fully accepted within even the most religiously strict of communities. His work has opened the door to a new way of thinking for a generation of queer Jews who refuse to separate their faith their acceptance of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Other books on Cantor Niemi’s Jewish LGBTQ+ reading short list
History and Memoirs

• Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in the Jewish Community, edited by Noach Dzmura 
• Changing Lives, Making History: Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, The First 40 Years, by Rabbi Ayelet Cohen

Miscellaneous Non-Fiction

• Adrienne Rich’s Poetry and Prose, by Adrienne Rich
• Nice Jewish Girls: A Lesbian Anthology, edited by Evelyn Torton Beck

Reference

• Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells: A Celebration of LGBTQ Jewish Life and Ritual, edited by Rabbi Denise L. Eger. In honor of Pride month, CCAR Press is offering 20% off Mishkan Ga'avah: Where Pride Dwells a collection of LGBTQ prayers, poems, liturgy, and rituals with discount code PRIDE20 at checkout through June 15, 2020.
• Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories, by Andrew Ramer

Theology

• The Soul of the Stranger: Reading God and Torah from a Transgender Perspective, by Joy Ladin
• God vs. Gay: The Religious Case for Equality, by Jay Michaelson
• Textual Activism, by Rabbi Mike Moskowitz
• Listening for the Oboe, by Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

Children’s

• The Purim Superhero, by Elisabeth Kushner, illustrated by Mike Byrne
• Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, by Rob Sanders, illustrated by Steven Salerno

Young Adult

• Magical Princess Harriet, by Rabbi Leiah Lin Moser

Events

Milwaukee Pride

Outreach Magic Festival Madison

Transgender and Non-Binary Jews Are Here: A National Convening
Cantor Niemi: "In the spring of 2019, Keshet and Congregation Beit Simchat Torah hosted the first ever convening of transgender and nonbinary Jews. Hundreds of trans and nonbinary Jews from all across America converged upon New York for a weekend of learning, networking, resource sharing, and community building. I was only able to witness a few pieces of this unprecedented event (as they opened worship to the host-congregation), and I was profoundly moved and inspired by the power of this awakened collective. Only time will tell the magnitude of what these newly forged connections may provide to the Jewish world. (Side note: It was through this convening that I was exposed to the work of Abby Stein, Rabbi Leiah Lin Moser, and Rabbah Rona Matlow, among others)"

For Allies

Seven Jewish Values for Inclusive Community
How traditional Jewish values serve as guidelines for creating an inclusive community

Supporting Your LGBTQ Child
Learn how to show true love and support for the LGBTQ young person in your life

What’s in a Pronoun?: Resources and Activities on Third-Person, Gender- Neutral Pronouns
A guide to pronouns and gender-neutral pronouns, with an emphasis on addressing questions about using “they” as a singular pronoun.

Historically LGBTQ Synagogues

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City

Beth Chayim Chadashim in Los Angeles

Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco

From Cantor Niemi: "While all of these historically LGBTQ synagogues now welcome straight and cisgender members, the role that they have played and continue to play for LGBTQ Jews searching for meaning and community cannot be emphasized enough. During my cantorial studies, I personally found this to be the case, as I explored the synthesis of my own queer and Jewish identities, and how that synthesis could inform my sacred work. In particular, I found the opportunity to engage with an inter-generational queer Jewish community to be profoundly meaningful, as I gained access to shared history to which I had never been exposed."

Jewish Ritual

Queer/Chosen Family Blessing for the Children
Judaism has a beautiful tradition of blessing the children on Friday night before making kiddush. The traditional blessing is gendered with a version for daughters and one for sons, as they are blessed to be like the matriarchs or Ephraim and Manasseh. But not all families fit this model; not all children fit the gender binary, and not all families consist of parents and children.

TransTorah
From Cantor Niemi: "While the website design might seem a little outdated, TransTorah is a vital and currently irreplaceable resource for those who which to learn more about ritual and theology developed by and for transgender Jews. From sermons and essays to prayers for transitioning and chest-binding, and even some medieval poetry, this website is an invaluable resource for transgender Jews and their allies. In addition to the amazing ritual innovation, I found it profoundly meaningful to read sermons, essays, and poetry by the first generation of openly transgender rabbis."

Queer Nigun Project
From Cantor Niemi:“Only in New York…” Well, it’s true that sometimes you need a critical mass of Jews in a confined geographical area for this kind of innovation. In any case, the beautifully simple power of this gathering (now virtual) is hard to overstate. It is a group of LGBTQ Jews in New York (mostly Brooklyn) who gather and sing nigunim (wordless melodies)…and that’s it (though I guess they sometimes bring snacks). The healing and resilience and meaning that this space provides for LGBTQ Jews, many of whom have been estranged from religiously orthodox and/or politically conservative families and communities, is remarkably powerful. I was fortunate to go to a few of their gatherings (and even host once) before I left New York, and I still draw upon their treasure trove of online recordings whenever I am seeking a new nigun."

A group of queer Jews, based primarily in Brooklyn, that gathers on a regular basis to simply sing nigunim together. It’s run by the daughter of a chabadnik, a young woman who learned a trove of nigunim from her father. Participants are encouraged to share nigunim they know, and some sessions have even led to the sharing and composition of new nigunim. The gatherings initially provided a space for many queer Jews who had felt estranged from their Judaism or their Jewish community, particularly those who came from an Orthodox background, but they quickly expanded and became part of the rapidly growing, inter/trans-denominational, LGBTQ-affirming, Jewish scene in Brooklyn (and, to a certain degree, Washington Heights).

Non-Binary Hebrew Project
From Cantor Niemi: "Quite apart from the meaningful resource this has become for non-binary Jews and Hebrew speakers, the Hebrew grammar enthusiast in me is remarkably impressed and fascinated by the comprehensive approach of this project. Anyone who studies Hebrew knows that it is one of THE most gendered languages, where even 2ndperson pronouns and present tense verbs must be gender-specific. To my knowledge, this is the first attempt to take a wholistic and systematic approach to creating a gender-neutral option in Hebrew. While it has its flaws, it also has incredible potential, and it is already inspiring many non-binary Jews (including some future clergy, one of whom I am fortunate to call a friend)."

Queer Midrashim by Rabbah Rona Matlow

Ritualwell
A TON of resources for ritual (mostly not LGBTQ-specific, but they have a respectable quantity that is). Here's a guide for their LGBTQ-specific resources that was published in 2013.

LGBTQ History

How the Nazi Regimes Pink Triangle was Repurposed for LGBT Pride
Contains LGBTQ history in Europe before and during the war and why the pink triangle has been adopted as a positive symbol.

Looking at the Gay Rights Movement Through Art
Fabulous! Provides history of pride flag. Shows art of several artists' with descriptions.

History of Madison Pride

Wisconsin LGBT History Project
Chronicling the history of the LGBTQ community in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

LGBTQ People and Identities

6 Influential Jews Who Show their LGBT Pride
One paragraph about each person and links for more information on each one.

Dag Gadol
A blog/website by the Rabbi Leiah Lin Moser (who happens to be trans, a very cool human being, and one of the authors on my book list – Cantor Niemi). The website contains many of her drashot and essays, as well as ways to purchase her books.

Honoring LGBT Jewish Holocaust Survivors
A list of blog biographies and additional resources on 11 inspirational LGBTQ Jewish Holocaust survivors compiled by the New York Public Library

How I Learned to Love my Big Gay Jewish Hair –“ the way I wear my hair is layered with cultural meaning and intention”
A short film about how one person presents both his Jewish and gay identities through his hair and struggles with these identities. Here’s an interview with the star and producer of the film a while after it was made.

I Am Always All Parts of My Identity—and I Hope You Are, Too BY EVERLYN A. HUNTER

Jewish Pioneers in LGBT Rights, LGBT Achievements in Judaism and Others
A compilation of achievements, brief biographies and additional resources of amazing accomplishments

Keshet’s “Joy and Resilience” series
Cantor Niemi: "An innovation in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Keshet’s online video series invites LGBTQ Jewish leaders to engage in interview in which they discuss sustains them when facing adversity and crisis. Quoting the host/interviewer, Dubbs Weinblatt, 'As LGBTQ Jewish people, oftentimes, we need to create our own ways of persevering through tough moments. Surviving and thriving in this world has pushed our own store of unique wisdom about resilience, joy, and community.' In listening to these interviews, I was moved not only by how the perspectives shared might resonate with LGBTQ Jews, but also by the powerful messages that these leaders have to share with the Jewish community at large."

Michael W. Twitty
A proud black, Jewish and gay man who fuses his identities together in his own special unique blend of kosher soul, culinary influencer, historian, Judaic studies teacher and so much more.

Resources from Abby Stein
Cantor Niemi: "A former ultra-orthodox rabbi who came out as trans, left the Orthodox world, and found her way back to Jewish community. I was fortunate to hear her speak at a number of events, including Trans Jews Are Here: A National Convening that took place a little over a year ago. Her personal story is powerful, and her knowledge of text is impressively broad and deep. In addition to her blog and her Sefaria source sheets, both of which are great resources, she also has a new book that came out last November, in which she tells the story of her journey thus far."

Yitz Jordan (Y-Love)
Hip-hop artist, educator and activist who is Jewish, Black and Gay

Organizations

GSAFE
Increases the capacity of LGBTQ+ students, educators, and families to create schools in Wisconsin where all youth thrive.

HUC-JIR’s Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation
The Institute for Judaism, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) is the first and only institute of its kind in the Jewish world. The Institute was founded in 2000 to educate HUC-JIR students on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues to help them challenge and eliminate homophobia and heterosexism; and to learn tools to be able to transform the communities they encounter into ones that are inclusive and welcoming of LGBT Jews.
Over time, this mission of education and the creation of welcoming spaces has expanded to the larger community outside the walls of our four campuses in Los Angeles, Cincinnati, New York and Jerusalem. The Institute offers consultation to individual professionals, synagogues and organizations as well as seminars and workshops at HUC-JIR and at local, national and international conferences.

Keshet
Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life.

OutReach LGBT Community Center
Mission is a commitment to equity and quality of life for all LGBTQ+ people through community building, health and human services, and economic, social, and racial justice advocacy. Coordinators of the Madison Pride MAGIC Festival

PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
National & Local chapter
PFLAG promotes the health and well being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning persons, their families and friends through:

• Support, to cope with an adverse society
• Education, to enlighten an ill-informed public
• Advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights

Reform Movement and the Religious Action Center
Since 1965 the Reform Movement has been an advocate of the LGBTQ community and continues their advocacy and celebrating successes today. Visit their website for how you can get involved in advocacy as well as other inclusive resources. They also have a history of the intersection of the Reform Movement and the LGBTQ Movement.

Svara: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva
A queer yeshiva dedicated to the serious study of Talmud through the lens of queer experiences. Check out videos and other resources for learning and more on their website. They also host a Queer Talmud Camp that’s on Cantor Niemi’s bucket list.

Youth

Best Colleges for LGBTQ Students
Best colleges for LGBTQ students and other resources for the college search and campus life. (uses information from Campus Pride)

Campus Pride
Building future leaders and safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities.

Jewish Queer Youth
Jewish Queer Youth (JQY) is a nonprofit organization supporting and empowering LGBTQ youth in the Jewish community. JQY fights to ensure the emotional and physical health and safety of these individuals, with a special focus on teens and young adults from Orthodox, Chasidic, and Sephardic communities. They have resources for parents as well as youth and so much more.

LGBTQIA + Resources for Children: A Bibliography
A far-reaching list of fiction, nonfiction, magazines, reference books, videos and websites. Compiled by the San Francisco Public Library and the Philadelphia Free Library