The Jewish LGBT+ charity KeshetUK has marked this year’s LGBT+ History Month, which ran throughout February, with what organisers say was the first public LGBT+ Jewish event in Manchester for decades.
Working with the Manchester Jewish Museum, KeshetUK co-hosted the event, Jewish and Proud: A Celebration of LGBT+ Identity, History, and Belonging in the North. The evening brought together members of the Jewish and wider communities to explore LGBT+ Jewish history and identity in the city.
Open to the public, the event highlighted KeshetUK’s work promoting inclusion and education across the UK Jewish community since its founding in 2014.
The evening featured a curator-led guided tour of the museum, showcasing artefacts connected to LGBT+ Jewish life. Items drawn from the museum’s archives included materials from LGBT+ Jewish initiatives that have emerged in Manchester over the past 60 years.
The event was spearheaded by the charity’s executive director, Ariel Chapman, a Manchester resident, who said: “For over a decade, KeshetUK has been committed to building a UK Jewish community where no one is forced to choose between their Jewish and LGBT+ identity. Bringing our stories to Manchester Jewish Museum was deeply meaningful and a powerful opportunity to honour the voices and impact of LGBT+ Jews across the North.”
Yehudis Fletcher, author of the recently released memoir Chutzpah, spoke on the day, sharing their experience of spending their teen years in the Orthodox community in Manchester, having been raised in a Charedi family.
The evening closed with a panel discussion, chaired by Chapman, featuring student rabbi Emily Carp, Josh Rose, and Luka Majer, all of whom identify as both Jewish and LGBT+ and maintain close ties to the Manchester Jewish community.
Sue Shave, interim CEO of the Manchester Jewish Museum, said: “It was wonderful to have a chance to showcase some of the LGBTQ+ objects and stories in our collections and to develop our relationship with the Manchester LGBTQ+ community to co-curate their stories around our galleries. We are proud to play a part in getting Manchester’s proud queer Jewish heritage on the map.”
“It was incredibly exciting to host KeshetUK,” said museum curator Sam Goldstone-Brady, who added that the collaboration had encouraged the museum to reflect further on how LGBT+ stories are represented in its galleries and collections.
“We are keen to develop our commitment to showcasing diverse Jewish stories,” he said.
The Manchester gathering formed part of a broader programme of initiatives led by KeshetUK during LGBT+ History Month. The organisation also partnered with the Jewish genetics charity Jnetics on a social media campaign highlighting LGBT+ Jewish historical figures and allies who contributed to advances in medical research affecting LGBT+ people.
To get more from community, click here to sign up for our free community newsletter.