Sign In Forgot Password

Pride Weekend: A Colorful Celebration

09/29/2019 12:15:21 PM

Sep29

In August, the Madison community celebrated its ongoing commitment to equity and quality of life for all LGBTQ+ people.

On Friday, August 16, TBE started the weekend with our annual Pride Shabbat. The Weinstein Community Court and the sanctuary were decorated with rainbow colors, and there were family-friendly activities, pronoun stickers, informational handouts, and lots of rainbow-colored food.

Sue Center attended the Shabbat services and was impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere. “The service was beautiful, reaffirming, spiritual and relevant to the theme. As always, Rabbi Biatch was outstanding in his remarks and special readings throughout, and Cantor Niemi did a great job with the musical interludes. It was a wonderful and very special Shabbat.”

Paul Grossberg said, “For me, the most moving moment was when everyone sang ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’ Listening to it as a song about inclusion was spiritual and meaningful. I told some East Coast friends about the rainbow-colored challah and they were impressed—it’s something we have that they don’t!”

On Sunday, August 18, the broader Madison community celebrated Pride Week with the OutReach Magic Festival at Warner Park. The festival recognized the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and the 30th anniversary of Madison’s first Pride parade. There were activities for all ages, entertainment, food and merchant vendors, and information booths representing a huge array of organizations. Jewish Congregations for Social Justice sponsored a booth together and received praise from passers-by for doing so.

According to Erica Serlin, “The vibe was incredibly welcoming, friendly, and inclusive…with some fabulous costumes and talented performers on display! It was especially enjoyable to mingle with representatives of the other Jewish congregations, and we were pleased to have representatives of the U.S. Armed Forces from California stop by to chat and check out our materials.”

If you’re interested in reading more, check out “Seven Values for an Inclusive Jewish Community” and “Pronouns: Our Communal Responsibility.”

March 29, 2024 19 Adar II 5784