Dear Lab/Shul,
Brian Kates & Jonathan Cohen got married at the Yale Club in Manhattan in October 2012. I was there as their friend – and also for my first rabbinic officiation of a same-sex wedding. New York’s Marriage Equality Act was signed into law just a year earlier, on June 24, 2011. Brian & Jonathan’s wedding was about their love – and about the political power of love.
A decade later, I’m excited to celebrate this great couple’s love again. Brian & Jonathan will celebrate their 10+ year anniversary at Lab/Shul’s 10th Anniversary Gala on June 12th in downtown NYC. They’ll be representing all of the Lab/Shul couples who got married these past ten years, among other celebrated Lab/Shul milestones. Expect a Hora!
So what’s Pride got to do with our Gala? Everything. (And thank you Tina Turner, for many memorable lyrics and sounds. Rest in peace.)
This Gala is not just a celebration of our growing community – it is also an opportunity to raise high our ‘everybody-friendly’ flags and wave the banners that lift up love and justice, equity and dignity – for all. There’s been amazing progress on the Pride agenda this past decade – but we are also in the midst of a growing global conservative war on Queer people and LGBTQ+ organizations and communities. Pride month begins tomorrow – June 1 – immediately following Jewish Heritage Month. Both of these nationally designated awareness months remind us how far we’ve all come – and how long the road ahead is, as we still combat hate and celebrate that love is love.
At our Gala we’ll come together to lift up love and justice, honoring an incredible group of artists and activists, volunteers and leaders who together, as our ‘Milestone Minyan’ stand up for what it means to be proud of who we are and work for a better and more just world.
In addition to Brian and Jonathan, the Minyan includes a number of dear, queer artists and activists who many of you know and love:
Marques Hollie – A theatre artist, storyteller, classically trained musician, and beloved Storahtelling Maven and ritual leader of the Lab/Shul community.
Boris Khmelnitskiy – A passionate community changemaker who stepped up to co-lead Lab/Shul’s Refugee Task Force in 2018, volunteering to save lives in Greece, Ukraine and here in NYC.
Liz Hirsch & Karen Pratt – Founding Board members of Lab/Shul. Liz has nurtured our youngest community members through her work as an educator, and Karen’s passion and business savvy has helped drive some of Lab/Shul’s most important strategic projects.
Shawn Shafner – A long-time Lab/Shul Storahtelling Maven, artist, educator and activist, Shawn is also the founder of The People’s Own Organic Power (POOP) Project.
It’s a huge honor to lift up all of these community leaders and partners!
Come dance with us on Monday, June 12th at 6pm at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, in downtown NYC. Sign up for the Spring Gala here.
Can’t join in person? We invite you to offer a blessing or well wishes to our Milestone Minyan with a contribution in any amount.
What else is happening at Lab/Shul for Pride Month? We’ll be partnering with our friends from LABA on Friday night June 23rd in the East Village and joining our friends at Judson Memorial Church for the Queer Liberation March on Sunday June 25! Stay tuned for info on our Pride Weekend Agenda.
And finally –
Scroll down to check out a few exciting invitations, events and protests coming up soon. One of them is an invitation for a personal journey called THE NEARNESS, co-led by our fabulous friend Casper Ter Kuile.
And also: The fight for Israel’s Democracy is STILL ON.
This Friday night we’re partnering with Kane Street Synagogue in hearing from a few key Israeli activists and leaders. Check out my personal IG/FB for updates on protests and actions going on this weekend and next week. And check out this video, compiled by our friends at JStreet, with edited sermons of leading American rabbis on what’s going on in Israel – and I’m honored to be included.
So what’s Pride got to do with it? Everything.
That’s who we are.
Happy Pride Month. See you at the Gala!
Rabbi Amichai
