LGBT

Nearly four years ago, on August 1, 2009, a horrific shooting at the Bar Noar LGBTQ youth center in Tel Aviv injured dozens of teens and killed 27 year old youth counselor Nir Katz and 16-year-old Liz Trubishi. The tragic event struck fear in the LGBT community and deeply shook LGBT people and straight allies worldwide.

A fourth man was arrested in connection with a 2009 shooting attack at a youth center for gays in Tel Aviv.

The man arrested early Thursday morning is a gay activist and police believe he has information that could assist in the investigation. He is not suspected of involvement in the 2009 shooting which led to the death of two people, according to Ynet.

The arrest comes a day after three other suspects were arrested. The suspects are all believed to be Jewish, from central Israel and between the ages of 20 and 40, according to reports.

Today, Israel’s 65th Independence Day, it is appropriate that we stop and take pride in the many strengths of this young nation, and what its existence and growth has meant for Jewish people not only in Israel but around the world. 2013 offers much for LGBT people to take pride in compared with 1948.

Although the Boy Scouts of America opted to delay until May 24 a vote on whether to end its controversial ban on gay members, the National Jewish Committee on Scouting wasted no time in voting for the change.

Don’t expect any tired stereotypes of Jewish mothers in “The Purim Superhero,” a children’s picture book just out from Kar-Ben Publishers.

About 100 Jewish organizations are taking significant steps to welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals and families, according to an “inclusion index” released today by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBT civil rights organization.

In partnership with the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Morningstar Foundation, Stuart Kurlander and an anomymous donor, the campaign made the Jewish world the subject of its first index for a faith-based community.

A few months ago, a young Orthodox rabbi decided to “come out of the closet,” in a sense, when he publicly identified himself as an “LGBT ally,” referring to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, founder of Uri L’Tzedek, an Orthodox social justice group, and a director of the UCLA Hillel, explained that he felt he had been quiet for too long and wanted to say what he felt was the truth.

Quick, what’s the fastest growing part of the Jewish community, or at least the New York metro area’s Jewish community? Orthodox? They’re growing, but not the fastest. Conservative? Nah. Reform? Not anymore. Reconstructionist? Nope.

According to the recently released study of the NY Jewish community, the group that has doubled its share of the community, growing from just 15% to a whopping 37% is [drum roll, please]…OTHER. That’s right, “other”. [Source: Jewish Community Study of New York, page 121].

In an interview, Joy Ladin begins several responses, “When I started living as myself…” For the Stern College professor, poet and author, the boundary between then and now, between living a lie and leading an authentic life, is her transition from man to woman.