Every year on the Friday before the CSD parade, Keshet Deutschland has a standing tradition to organize a pride Shabbat for the Berlin LGBTQ+ Jewish community and allies. This year, on July 25th, it was the 7th held in Berlin and was hosted in the New Synagogue in the Oranienburger Straße with around 180 attendees.
The Pride Shabbat tradition gives the LGBTQ+ within the Jewish community visibility and a safe space to engage in Jewish practices. Being queer does not make you any less Jewish, and many queer Jews are either religious or keep religious customs as a part of their culture. Before the CSD Pride Parade, which is the year’s highlight for the LGBTQ+ community, it’s important to get together, get to know other local queer Jews, and strengthen inter-community relations.
In light of Jews being excluded from LGBTQ+ spaces and pride parades all around the world, spaces meant for people to celebrate who they are, it is important to strengthen our community and remember that we have each other. An example of how Jews are being pushed out of queer spaces would be the latest community Dyke March in Berlin, which banned the Star of David from their March in any shape or form under the claim that it holds associations with violence. Although the organizers claimed they are against any form of discrimination, their message was clear – Jews are not welcome.
After October 7th, 2023, many of us felt pushed out of spaces that claim to be inclusive and intersectional. Jews are blamed for pink washing, Hebrew and Stars of David labeled as triggering any sympathy with Israel, demonized and ostracized. Just like being queer does not mean you are less Jewish, being Jewish does not mean you are less queer.
Therefore, it is important to have a place where we can comfortably be ourselves, walk with Jewish symbols, and proudly show our Stars of David. LGBTQ+ Jews need to have a safe space and a community to lean on. While simultaneously showing up at the bigger events, such as CSD, is important, we need to have a place where our identity does not compromise our safety.
This is how we say that we are here, proud and unapologetic about who we are.