What Does It Mean to Be Created in God’s Image? Educating About Queer Judaism in the Reform Jewish Community

Abstract

This essay presents an view of a particular study and discussion guide for rabbis, educators and trainers based on Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Jewish Life and Ritual. This book is a compilation of 130 prayers, blessings, and inspirational liturgical texts that celebrate Jewish LGBTQ+ spirituality, gender and sexuality, such as a Prayer after a First Sexual Experience, a Blessing for Chest-Binding for Trans, Non-Binary, and/or Gender Non-Conforming Jew, etc. The guide, which was created by Rabbi Eger and Eleanor B. Steinman, RJE, provides tools for Jewish communities and communal leaders to teach about gender, sexuality and Judaism. The lessons are targeted to those school-aged and up, including college students and adults. This paper covers the main themes of the guide and explains how a religious-egalitarian discourse regarding sexual education is structured and how it reflects profound trends in the discourse and practice of including LGBTQ+ people in American Reform Jewish communities. This discussion will illuminate more broadly how discourse on non-heteronormative sexuality and gender intersects with contemporary religious communities.

Keywords:

• Reform Judaism
• LGBTQ+
• religion
• liturgy
• queer education

Introduction

This guide facilitates congregational/community education about LGBTQ+ Jewish life and helps students understand how new liturgy is created. The overarching message we seek to convey is that LGBTQ+ Jews are a sacred part of the Jewish people… We hope this study guide will help facilitate a deeper understanding of the LGBTQ+ Jewish experience. And we hope that it will foster opportunities for communities and congregations to learn how to be fully inclusive and welcoming, by weaving in the Jewish LGBTQ+ voice into the mainstream of our Jewish world… We anticipate you will use previous knowledge of facilitation and liturgy to create meaningful learning experiences for your students. Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells provides innumerable ways for people of faith to engage with the LGBTQ+ experience. The book gives voice to a vital part of our Jewish community, and these lessons are designed to share that voice with your entire organization/congregation.

(Rabbi Denise L. Eger, Rabbi Eleanor B. Steinman, RJE)

Since the middle of the last century, Reform Judaism, as a non-Orthodox Jewish community, has been one of the most significant religious denominations advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion. This liberal denomination has been an advocate of gay and lesbian rights since 1965, when the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) passed a resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality. In 1977, the then UAHC (Union of American Hebrew Congregations) and the CCAR (The Central Conference of American Rabbis) passed their first resolutions dealing with this issue, calling for human rights for homosexuals.

Since then, the URJ (The Union for Reform Judaism), CCAR, WRJ, CSA (The Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism), RAC (Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism), and NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth) have passed resolutions dealing with issues specific to Reform Judaism, such as the inclusion of gays and lesbians in the rabbinate and cantorate, as well as national issues, such as support for civil marriage, elimination of discrimination within the Armed Forces and the Boy Scouts, and support for explicit workplace nondiscrimination and civil rights legislation.

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual and transgender outreach and inclusion has been of great importance to the Reform Movement. The UAHC admitted its first special outreach congregation to gays and lesbians in 1973. In the year 2000, the CCAR issued a resolution of support on officiating at same gender marriage and created materials for rabbis. The URJ and CCAR and the RAC filed amici briefs for marriage equality in the Supreme Court and most recently lobbied Congress on including sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in legislation at the federal level for protecting jobs and housing.¹ The RAC is currently doing major work on protecting transgender rights in the military, while Reform congregations have gathered together in states to fight statewide anti-LGBTQ+ legislation (Eger, 2020).

In addition to these precedents, there was also a direct response to the liturgy itself and an expansion of the boundaries of prayer. The Reform Prayer Book serves as a platform for assimilating social and cultural changes, including linguistic and content changes within a feminist-queer context (Marx, 2009). For instance, it has added feminine names to the divine and provided inclusive feminine language in Hebrew and English versions, with liturgical changes reflecting corresponding social-gender developments and illustrating how women and LGBTQ+ people seek to reposition themselves in the chain of Jewish tradition.

Starting with the establishment of the first Reform gay synagogues in the 1970s, queer Jewish liturgy and ordination of gay rabbis were driven by the Reform Jewish ideology of gender equality. Focusing on Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (CSZ), San Francisco’s gay and lesbian synagogue, Drinkwater (2021, 2022), showed how it was inspired by the Gay Liberation Movement and grassroots Jewish community organizing in the late 1960s and 1970s, with CSZ founders advocating for their right to be different and forging connections between Judaism, sexuality, gender, and identity. The creation of a special queer liturgy, notably the first gay Siddur (prayer book), helped establish a queer, sex-positive Judaism that celebrated sexual minorities, fostered new forms of chosen family and embraced an ethic of egalitarian and lay-led inclusiveness (2019, p. 177). In addition, in the 1980s, during the AIDS epidemic, the Reform movement created a special healing liturgy for victims (Ben-Lulu, 2021; Drinkwater, 2022).

This essay presents a view of a particular study and discussion guide² for a new book, Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Jewish Life and Ritual, edited by Rabbi Denise L. Eger, the founding rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami, West Hollywood’s Reform Synagogue, and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Rabbi Eger was a founding President of the Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Interfaith Clergy Association and the first woman to be elected President of the Southern California Board of Rabbis.

Rabbi Eger’s partner in writing this manual is Rabbi Eleanor B. Steinman, RJE, who serves as visiting associate rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom in Austin, Texas. Rabbi Steinman has also served congregations in California and Canada. She received her rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in 2008 and her Master’s in Jewish Education from the Rhea Hirsch School in 2012; she is currently a doctoral student at the University of Southern California.

Mishkan Ga’avah is a compilation of 130 prayers, blessings, poems, and inspirational texts that celebrate Jewish LGBTQ+ spirituality and life. The prayers extend to both holy and secular occasions, including specific commemorations such as the prayer for Bisexual Visibility Day, a memorial for the Orlando massacre, the blessing of coming out of the closet, the dawn blessing for transgender people, blessings for recognizing experiences of gender dysphoria, and many more. Importantly, this collection is intended not only for LGBTQ+ individuals but also for allies who are dedicated to incorporating LGBTQ+ people into the fabric of Jewish communities. It serves as a resource for those who strive to understand, appreciate, and celebrate with the gay community (Ben-Lulu 2024).

The foundation of this work regards liturgy as a pedagogical instrument. Schattauer (2007) emphasized the significance of liturgy as a communal practice, operating on both pedagogical and experiential levels. Through engagement with text and ritual performance, participants are exposed to new and diverse perspectives that emerge in the ceremonial moment, shaping their understanding of themselves, their relationship with the divine, and their interactions with others. This underscores the contemporary theological shift from “sacred phenomenology” toward an emphasis on “practice” (Alvarado, 2012), and more broadly, toward discussions on “identity” and “community.” Notably, theology and liturgy shaped by identity have proven to be influential tools within the missionary movement (Carvalhaes, 2015). In this study, I aim to explore the role of liturgical text as an educational and pedagogical tool in fostering a pro-LGBT consciousness and addressing historical injustices perpetuated within religious contexts. I contend that the liturgical text is not the source of the issue but rather holds the potential to serve as part of the solution.

This particular educational manual for Mishkan Ga’avah includes four lessons: 1) Gender in Judaism, 2) Reform Jewish History, 3) An LGBTQ+ History Lesson: Understanding the Evolution of a Movement and 4) Creative Liturgy. Each one includes learning objectives, suggested timing, an activity, text study, and discussion questions, and links to a variety of multimedia resources. The resources are targeted to those school-aged and up, including college students and adults. Some of the lesson plans introduce the idea of inclusion around LGBTQ+ issues. Others take a deeper dive into sexual, gender and theological matters.

Revitalizing Sexuality Education – Creating Spiritual Activism: A Contemporary Perspective within Religious Communities

The conventional heterosexual/sic gender approach is described by Adrienne Rich in “Compulsory Heterosexuality” (1980) as one in which non-binary or homosexual identities are abolished in the social order. This assumption prompts the question: how did this phenomenon manifest within the field of education, particularly concerning sexual education?

Irvine (1995) suggests that sexuality education is in need of a new language that allows for competing views and vocabularies that do not reduce sexual difference, freedom, equality and justice to a single script. Indeed, it’s unsurprising that LGBTQ+ students perceive sex education as heteronormative and dismissive of their identities, leading to feelings of invisibility, sexual unpreparedness, and shame. Hobaica and Kwon (2017) highlight how LGBTQ+ students called for inclusive sex education, encompassing diverse identities and safe sex practices. They concluded that inclusive curricula could enhance outcomes for sexual minorities, promoting safe sex, community, identity affirmation, healthy relationships, and resilience.

Elia and Eliason (2010) also argue that abstinence-only sex education in schools often neglects LGBTQ+ topics, adversely affecting both LGBTQ+ and heterosexual students. They suggest redesigning sex education to embrace inclusivity. Furthermore, Hillier and Mitchell (2008) discovered that many youths perceive sex education as deficient due to its exclusive nature. Compared to standard studies, these youths initiate sexual activity earlier, experience higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and similar pregnancy rates. Thus, inclusive sex education in schools is imperative to meet the needs of all students, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Particularly, LGBTQ+ education in religious denominations can be seen as a new form of pedagogical ethics. Even as Allen and Quinlivan (2017) propose an ontological shift in how diversity is understood, with increasing numbers of new immigrants from China, India and Afghanistan bringing new complexities to the challenge of classroom teaching, new conversations about sexuality, sexual diversity, and gender also need to be initiated.

Although the role of religion in a wide range of social justice debates has received abundant research attention, Coley (2017:87) claims that scholars are just beginning to develop models to explain LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools, with the role of religion in facilitating or impeding LGBTQ+ inclusion rather undertheorized. As such, it is precisely the religious system - the conceptual and pragmatic framework that has historically relegated discourse on sexuality and gender to a separate and private sphere – where recognition of gender/sexual identity pluralism ought to be located. For example, Sanjakdar (2018) demonstrates how religion can challenge dominant views of sexuality education, introduce alternative modes of content and delivery, promote critical thinking skills, and enable more egalitarian ways of learning about sexuality. This contention is based on a sexuality education that recognizes people’s religious views (or views about religion) as influential in their learning about sexuality, with the inclusion of diverse religious perspectives as fundamental to achieving a critical approach to sexuality education (p. 394). Sanjakdar shows that the inclusion of religious viewpoints on sexuality challenges the status quo of current sexuality education, creating a more contemporary and inclusive learning experience.

Three barriers were identified by Maher (2007) as facing educators addressing sexuality issues in a Catholic context: fear of community reaction, lack of administrative support, and perception that “Catholic identity” could be compromised. More than a decade later, Huchting and Fisher (2019) noted that these same issues continued to persist for educators and researchers alike. They reasoned that currently there is a lack of research on the LGBTQ+ community in the context of Catholic education. Estanek (1998) underscored suggestions for student affairs staff engaged with gay and lesbian students at Catholic higher education institutions, encompassing confronting discrimination and nurturing values that incorporate the LGBTQ+ community into the fabric of the school. Similarly, Coley (2017) found that communal orientations—theological emphases on social justice—strongly predict the adoption of LGBT groups and inclusive nondiscrimination policies at Christian colleges and universities.

Taylor and Cuthbert (2019), in their research at schools in England, emphasized focusing on the heteronormativity and gender binarism that shape the overall educational experience and not solely religion. Even so, religion can and should be utilized as a means of support for queer youth who identify with a religious faith. As for non-denominational and integrative religious education, Flensner (2020) notes how some gender/sexual matters are represented as “settled” in the context of teaching in a Swedish multicultural classroom, where the majority of students are Muslim; for example, values rooted in religion related to female genital mutilation, forced marriage and gender equality.

From the above, it can be appreciated that Mishkan Ga’avah is an educational guide that places LGBTQ+ people not as passive oppressed victims, but as change agents integrating LGBTQ+ into an arena from which they were excluded throughout history – religion. Or as Jones (2013) put it: “Rather than asserting a dichotomy between sex education research that contributes to constructions of the ‘deviant homosexual student’ and studies that contribute to ‘bullying victim’ tropes, it suggests to consider both the usefulness and limitations of the many different types of inquiries being pursued and the diverse constructions of GLBTIQ students they offer” (p. 687).

Therefore, I suggest that religious and spiritual tools, texts, and practices ought to empower social change and cultural revolutions. According to Anzaldúa (2015) any religious-spiritual action can also be interpreted as political-activist in scope - if the individual embraces the synthesis between them. So, in Anzaldúa’s words, it is possible “to respond not just with the traditional practice of spirituality (contemplation, meditation, and private rituals) or with the technologies of political activism (protests, demonstrations, and speakouts), but with the amalgam of the two: “spiritual activism”” (p. 2).

At first glance, this concept may look paradoxical: political thought and motivation for activist practice requires a rational approach of actual reality, a sociological-political mapping of the power relations in society, whereas the spiritual-religious orientation implies disconnecting - even if temporarily - from rational action, to allow the spirit, soul, or essence to be significant categories in the shaping of consciousness and human experience. However, spiritual activism is frequently characterized as distinct from institutionalized religion or rigid doctrines, but instead, it embodies activism that tends to be inclusive, especially in advocating for those who are marginalized or oppressed. To quote Keating (2020): “It’s crucial, then, to distinguish Anzaldúa’s spiritual activism both from the mainstream “New Age” movement and from conventional organized religions. Spiritual activism begins within the individual but moves outward as these individuals (or what Anzaldúa calls spiritual activists) expose, challenge, and work to transform unjust social structures” (p. 57). In the same way, Tirres (2019) notes that Anzaldúa’s invocation of spirituality is grounded in “process-driven and pragmatic intuitions” as well as “function and praxis” such that she does not lose sight of the goal of social transformation (p. 1).

As such, Reform Judaism with its publication of Mishkan Ga’avah can be seen as blurring the boundaries between the personal and the political, the sacred and the profane, and the individual and society in the context of LGBTQ+ people. With its new queer liturgical texts created specifically for LGBTQ+ events along with readjusted and paraphrased classic Jewish prayers, Mishkan Ga’avah proves that queerness is freed from the binaries of New Ageism and traditional religiosity and praxis and phenomenology.

Therefore, Mishkan Ga’avah can be seen as a cultural product that demonstrates and establishes “Jewish spiritual activism.” Teaching a lesson on queer liturgy in a school classroom, or an activity at a Jewish summer camp on prayer, sexuality and gay pride, is also political activism in its power to validate LGBTQ+ social acceptance and recognition – a mission that takes place not only in the court of law or struggles in the street, but also through prayer liturgy.

Following the Lessons: Cultural and Sociological Insights and Reflections on Mishkan Ga’avah’s Study Guide

The lessons are structured linearly, with the first step being a basic introduction to the definitions, terms and theoretical assumptions regarding the LGBTQ+ spectrum, such as gender identity, gender expression/presentation, sex assigned at birth, physical attraction, and emotional attraction. The interesting part at this stage is the selection of a combination of verses from the Bible and sacred scriptures (Genesis 1:26-27, Exodus 3:13-14, Mishnah Bikurim 4:1-3) to validate LGBTQ+ identities, bodies and performances. By reading these verses, the students are invited to ponder: How many genders do you observe in these verses? What does it mean to be created in God’s image? What does it say about human beings? What does it say about God? How does it change the creation narrative to understand that the first being was androgynous? What are the six genders found in the Mishnah?

In other words, it involves a return to the source of authority—the holy scriptures—to confirm and validate one’s sexual or gender identity. This intriguing choice underscores the historical and contemporary significance of the holy text in shaping identity and defining the community. According to Steiner (1985), the 'text’ represents the exclusive realm of Jewish existence following their exile. The true homeland of the Jewish people resides within canonical religious texts, and their survival hinges not on political independence or military might but solely on their immediate connection to these texts. Scripture not only plays a role in these activities but also serves as the medium through which Jewish culture is narrated, performed, and celebrated. Therefore, religious texts are regarded as 'key symbols’ in the words of Ortner (1973). In this case, the holy text is harnessed to confirm and validate gender and sexual identities, rather than solely religious ones.

After this theological introspection, the second lesson is used to develop Reform Jewish organizational pride, when the students will be able to understand the evolution of the movement’s ideological approach to LGBTQ+ people. The students are divided into four groups, and each group discusses statements about issues that matter to LGBTQ+ people: (1) Resolution on Gay and Lesbian Jews - Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1989; (2) Resolution Adopted by the CCAR on Gay and Lesbian Marriage Adopted at the 107th Annual Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, March 1996; (3) Resolution Adopted by the CCAR on Same-Gender Officiation Adopted at the 111th Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, March 2000; and (4) Resolution Adopted by the CCAR on the Rights of Transgender and Gender Non-conforming People Submitted by the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism Central Conference of American Rabbis/Union for Reform Judaism, 2015.

Indeed, the religious evolution of the Reform recognition of equal rights for LGBTQ+ people mirrors broader socio-political processes that unfolded not only within the movement but also in society at large. For the Reform movement, while the discourse on gays and lesbians gained acceptance in the 1970s and 1980s, the transgender community still faced discrimination, and there was even controversy surrounding its inclusion within Reform Judaism. Irshai (2019) demonstrates “how the Reform movement, in a slow and gradual process, has left the entire heterosexual matrix³ behind, although it can be claimed that the process (of leaving behind the heterosexual matrix) has not run all the way to a complete dissolution” (p. 160).

A lesson after that marks the transition from the organizational theme to the activist-political theme, when the students will articulate the key moments of twentieth and twenty-first century LGBTQ+ history and to name three LGBTQ+ historical figures that played a role in advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. In addition, the students will meet LGBTQ+ Jewish leaders, such as Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Lillian Faderman, Harvey Milk, Edie Windsor, Larry Kramer, Lowell Selvin, and Dr. Judith Plaskow, etc. The students are also invited to recite “An Ushpizin Ritual for National Coming Out Day on Sukkot”⁴ (Mishkan Ga’avah, pages 153–155) to welcome these people to the community. Berlinger’s ethnographic research (2017) reminds us of the extent to which Sukkot and the mitzvah of Ushpizin⁵ have contemporary political, cultural, and ritual connections. This is an interesting transition between the secular (the educational setting) and sacred moment (conducting a prayer). In a similar vein, this illustrates how the Reform synagogue and prayer serve not only as ceremonial and textual spaces for honoring the Creator and strengthening faith but also as spaces for personal growth and addressing day-to-day needs and desires (Libel-Hass & Ferziger, 2022).

In addition, the creators of the guide virtually invite the educational staff and students to get to know one of the most important figures in the promotion of LGBTQ+ religious inclusion - Rev. Troy Perry, the founder of the Metropolitan Community Churches and the first Gay Pride parade. ligious Community, 1948–1990.⁶ In this context, the approach to incorporating queer Jewish education includes embracing the opportunity to engage with other religions and their leaders. This approach aligns with the Reform ideology from its establishment, which aimed to blur the insular and exclusive notion of Jewish identity and foster interreligious dialogue, as well as conceptual and performative collaborations with other religions (Meyer, 1995; Ben-Lulu & Feldman, 2022). It also underscores that the LGBTQ+ community and its leaders form a community that transcends national, religious, and ethnic boundaries, where shared queer politics can bridge differences and other shifts in identity (Langlois, 2015).

The final lesson represents one of the persistent and pioneering initiatives of the Reform movement: liturgical writing. During this lesson, the students are invited to write their own prayer and compare it to different texts from the book. The first move is a mapping of the moments when the worshiper wishes to say a prayer. Some questions are suggested: What is the same in each prayer? What is different? How are the themes/intents of traditional prayers used creatively in Mishkan Ga’avah? Should we recite innovative prayers connected to these traditional prayers? Why or why not?

The Reform movement holds the present moment in reverence, embracing the challenge of staying relevant in a rapidly changing reality. It is no surprise that the choice is made to task the 'young creators of prayer’ with acknowledging the moment and commencing their writing from there. This mirrors the essence of Mishkan Ga’avah, a compilation of LGBTQ+ moments—some joyful, others marked by trauma—that enrich the Jewish narrative and discourse, granting LGBTQ+ individuals a place within the revitalized Jewish tradition.

In contrast to other methods of sexual education and the presentation of narratives to LGBT individuals,⁷ this approach emphasizes prayer. Through prayer, which aims to commemorate significant moments or celebrate the achievements of LGBT individuals, students may gain insight into the challenges and milestones that define an LGBT person’s life.

Conclusions

In sum, the intersection between sexual education and religious education has not garnered enough research attention and is often seen as a distinct and contradictory domain. However, this educational system demonstrates that bridging these two realms is not only possible but may also be mutually beneficial. It benefits those looking to enhance Jewish education and those seeking to foster a healthy, pluralistic, and respectful dialogue on gender and sexuality.

The fact that this guide was created by rabbis and that it addresses, among other topics, rabbis and community leaders demonstrate the crucial educational role that rabbis play. They are perceived as authoritative leaders who confirm the existence of various practices in the daily life of believers. In liberal currents, based on rabbis’ reflexive internal dialogue, their role is not necessarily that of an authoritative teacher but rather that of a spiritual guide who respects the freedom of choice of community members (Kaplan, 2017; Shrell-Fox, 2015). Often, the rabbi’s role is structured as that of a teacher and educator. Reform rabbis develop their rabbinic identity and leadership concepts while integrating their educational and sometimes even pedagogical approach (Grant & Muszkat-Barkan, 2011). This task may become more complex when it involves not only education for prayer (Muszkat-Barkan, 2015) but also education regarding sexuality and the recognition of various experiences of sexual and gender identity.

Moreover, traditionally, research on sex education within a Jewish religious context has primarily focused on Orthodox Jewish settings (e.g. Diament, 2007), leaving a gap in our understanding of sexuality education within the Reform community. Subsequent studies can empirically assess the impact of these lessons on teacher and student perceptions of LGBTQ+-inclusive education, including sexuality and gender. Thus, there is no doubt that each of them can make a significant contribution to humanistic education (Khatib et al., 2013). Instead of being an obstacle, religiosity can indeed present a genuine opportunity to achieve this egalitarian goal.

Hence, I suggest viewing this particular case study as an illustration of how “spiritual activism” materializes from a political concept into tangible action. The decision to create this study and discussion guide underscores the potential for political activism to flourish within the confines of the synagogue. This highlights the necessity for intertwining spiritual activism with cultural and political engagement to foster meaningful social progress within marginalized communities (Vargas 1984).

Thus, Mishkan Ga’avah presents itself as an opportunity to broaden the discourse concerning homosexual sexuality and non-binary gender, transcending the confines of mere religious debates on prohibitions and laws (Avishai, 2020), or intra-LGBTQ+ discussions about public advocacy (Hartal, 2016). Consequently, additional research can delve into the influence of this educational resource on how students and educators perceive and shape a discourse on sexuality and gender, specifically emphasizing LGBTQ+ relationships.

Furthermore, following McIntosh and Carmichael (2015) who assert that spiritual activism primarily operates at a pre-political level, establishing the foundational channels through which subsequent political processes can flow, future research could explore how this concept manifests in other informal social contexts that influence Jewish identity or promote ethno-national agendas, such as Jewish youth movements and campus activities. Additionally, it is plausible that, given the consciousness of the queer struggle and its emphasis on interconnectedness, we may observe in the future the emergence of queer spiritual activism intersecting with other existential challenges, such as environmental quality (Harris, 2017), and other contemporary struggles.

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Notes

1 See: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/housing_discrimination_and_persons_identifying_lgbtq.

2 Link to the guide for free use - there is no conflict of interest or copyright issue, as long as the source is indicated https://www.ccarpress.org/FileCache/2023/09_September/Mishkan%20Ga'avah%20Study%20Guide.pdf

3 Butler (1990) in Gender Trouble (1990) argues that gender is constructed through a 'heterosexual matrix', in which gender and sexuality are inextricably linked.

4 Sukkot, a weeklong Jewish holiday, follows Yom Kippur by five days. It marks the harvest gathering and recalls God's miraculous protection for the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt.

5 One of the traditional customs of the Sukkot holiday is ushpizin – an Aramaic word for guests.

6 For more reading see: Perry, T. D. (1972). The Lord is my shepherd and He knows I'm gay: The autobiography of the Rev. Troy D. Perry..

7 Numerous social organizations, for instance Hoshen - the education and information center of the Israeli LGBTQ+ community - employ the personal narrative methodology as a means to convey their message and enhance the connection between the individual and the societal (Kupper & Kaplan, 2010).