Orit Avishai, "Queer Judaism: LGBT Activism and the Remaking of Jewish Orthodoxy in Israel" (NYU Press, 2023)

Jun 18, 2023

The podcast explores how Orthodox LGBT individuals have created social circles and communities in Israel over a short period. It discusses the activism and shifts in perception towards queer Judaism, highlighting the challenges faced and the diverse approaches taken. The intersection of sexuality and religion within Orthodox Judaism is a key focus, with an emphasis on the activist work of queer organizations. The role of internet chat rooms in sparking activism and connecting individuals is highlighted, showcasing the evolving responses of rabbis towards LGBTQ issues.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Exploring Dr. Orit Avishai's Academic Journey and Research Focus

01:59 • 3min

Exploring the Origins and Context of 'Queer Judaism'

05:13 • 2min

Exploring the Intersection of Sexuality and Religion in Orthodox Judaism

07:11 • 15min

Tensions within the Jewish Community on LGBTQ Issues and National Identity

22:01 • 3min

Connecting through Chat Rooms: A Catalyst for LGBT Activism in Orthodox Judaism

24:58 • 19min

Navigating Public Scholarship on Sensitive Topics

43:46 • 6min

Exploring Dr. Orit Avishai's Book, Research, and Career Journey

50:06 • 2min

Until fairly recently, Orthodox people in Israel could not imagine embracing their LGBT sexual or gender identity and staying within the Orthodox fold. But within the span of about a decade and a half, Orthodox LGBT people have forged social circles and communities and become much more visible. This has been a remarkable shift in a relatively short time span. Queer Judaism offers the compelling story of how Jewish LGBT persons in Israel created an effective social movement.

Drawing on more than 120 interviews, Orit Avishai illustrates how LGBT Jews accomplished this radical change. She makes the case that it has taken multiple approaches to achieve recognition within the community, ranging from political activism to more personal interactions with religious leaders and community members, to simply creating spaces to go about their everyday lives. Orthodox LGBT Jews have drawn from their lived experiences as well as Jewish traditions, symbols, and mythologies to build this movement, motivated to embrace their sexual identity not in spite of, but rather because of, their commitment to Jewish scripture, tradition, and way of life. Unique and timely, Queer Judaism: LGBT Activism and the Remaking of Jewish Orthodoxy in Israel (NYU Press, 2023) challenges popular conceptions of how LGBT people interact and identify with conservative communities of faith.

Orit Avishai is an ethnographer at Fordham University, where she teaches in the Sociology Department and in the Program on Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her work considers how ideology and culture, broadly defined, shape social institutions, identities, political dialogue, and cultural practices. Her recent public-facing writing has appeared in The Conversation, The Katz Center Blog, and Religion Dispatches. Dr. Avishai has degrees from The University of California at Berkeley, the Yale Law School, and Tel Aviv University Law School.

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