Happy Hanukkah! Of all the holidays, we usually don’t think of Hanukkah as having much of a gay spin. Still, the Festival of Lights has all the makings of a brilliant LGBT celebration. After all, eight days of indulgence, of gifts, games, ethnic dining, candlelight suppers and wine, all to throbbing klezmer, sound like a typical gay cruise to me. Am I right?
It all started in 165 B.C.E. The Jewish brothers Maccabee (I know, it sounds Scottish, but trust me…) led a rebellion and defeated their oppressors. They recaptured the temple, and, as the Talmudic story goes, there was only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, it lasted eight. Thus Hanukkah celebrates religious freedom and the miracle of that light. LGBTs should identify. Our Stonewall rebellion, led by our sister trans-shiksas as it was, offers a certain parallel.
Anyway, let’s celebrate! The traditional Hanukkah game involves spinning a top, the dreidel of the famous song. To make your own in Martha Stewart manner, create a dreidel (in this case, a gay-del) with marshmallows by schmoosching them square-ish, then paint L-G-B-T on the sides with food coloring. Use a pointed skewer to create the spindle
There’s lots of other holiday food, too. Rugelach, Challah, sufganiyot jelly doughnuts, macaroons, kugel, laks, babka, brisket, cheesy things, fried things, things dipped in honey, potato latke with all manner of toppings (even sweet potato latke with toasted marshmallows in case you have some left over) and knish (oy vey…the food, of course).
If you don’t have Jewish friends to join in the celebration, find some.
Milwaukee’s Jewish community does have two LGBT affirming congregations. There’s Congregation Shalom (cong-shalom.org). Founded in 1951, it’s a Reform Jewish Congregation representing a liberal interpretation of Judaism. Their mission is “the study and teaching of the ethical and spiritual ideals of Judaism and to integrate these ideals into the present day world.”
On the East Side there’s Congregation Shir Hadash (shirmke.com), a Jewish Reconstructionist Synagogue to the LGBT community (speaking of reform, it meets in Plymouth Church—both congregations are members of Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope).
According to Mordecai Kaplan, founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, “to be a Jew means first belonging to the group.” He also saw his religion as “evolving.” That idea is, no doubt, the basis for the recent decision by the Jewish Conservative movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards that homosexuality does not violate Jewish law. The result of that has been a new discussion. Now, rather than being a divisive distraction, diverse sexual orientations are accepted and respected. The thought process has moved on to explore the richness and enriching qualities of gender identity and how they contribute to the community.
For spiritually engaged gays, that sense of embrace is refreshing.
It seems reformed Jews, as opposed to our more vehement Christians, have decided to listen to G-d rather than speak for Him. For LGBTs, they have adopted a good Jewish mother’s shrug with a loving “What? I should object to your happiness?”
Hanukkah Sameach!
