United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien (UJF) will host its first-ever Jewish Community Pride Celebration on Friday, June 14, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at the Stamford Jewish Community Center.
The Jewish community celebration will include live music, Shabbat crafts projects for kids, and refreshments from 5:00 to 5:45 pm, followed immediately by a brief program.
UJF is grateful to the members of the Pride Celebration Host Committee for making this event possible: Sharon Feintuck Feller, Elise Feldman and Deepa Nayini, Liat Feller, Sharon Franklin, Rhoda and Avi Freedberg, Cantor Katie Kaplan, Ari and Leo Linder, Dinah Miller Marlowe, Dayna Patashnik, Jaime Ross, and Nadav Shachmon.
"I am so honored, as a clergy member in Stamford, to be part of this community effort to engage and support our Jewish and LGBTQIA+ members of the community. We are increasing our community visibility through celebratory events like this Pride Celebration," said Cantor Katie Kaplan
Since 1970, June has been celebrated as Pride Month. In 2000, President Bill Clinton officially designated June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, which was then updated in 2009 to the more-inclusive name Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. Pride Month is also an annual celebration of the many contributions made by the LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual) community to history, society, and culture worldwide.
“My spouse Leo grew up in a Jewish community that didn’t know how to include Jews who are also nonbinary," Ari Linder shared.
"Over 30 years later, today we’re nonbinary newlyweds and our local Jewish community is a big, loving part of our lives. We’re lucky that we get to attend Pride Shabbats at different local shuls, but we’re especially excited for this new event that lets us all celebrate together!”
This is a free community event, and open to all ages. Advance registration is requested at www.ujf.org/pride. For more information or to sponsor the Jewish Community Pride Celebration, please contact UJF Deputy Director, Eric Ross at eric@ujf.org or call (203) 321-1373.
This article appears in the June '24 issue of The New Jewish Voice. To receive The New Jewish Voice delivered free to your home, sign-up today at www.ujf.org.