Queer Jews of Color Resource List
Resources:
Blogs to Follow
Articles by and
About Queer Jews
of Color
Multimedia
Resources
Queer Jews of color
to follow on
Twitter
If you identify as a queer Jew of color, you may have
noticed the scarcity of cultural representations of
your experiences. While there are online resources for
LGBTQ Jews, LGBTQ people of color and Jews of color,
few are devoted to the unique experiences of LGBTQ
Jews of color.
Keshet and the Jewish Multiracial Network have
teamed up to create a comprehensive list of blogs,
social media accounts, articles and multimedia
dedicated to sharing the ideas and experiences of
QJoC. Below is what we have compiled so far, and
we’re counting on you to help fill in the gaps in our
knowledge. If you know of any resources that are not
included on this list, email us at [email protected]
and let us know! We’d love to learn about your
favorite blogs or writers, and share their ideas with
the Jewish Multiracial Network and Keshet
communities.
Questions? Reach out!
Keshet
www.keshetonline.org
Jewish Multiracial Network
www.jewishmultiracialnetwork.org
A Selection of Blogs
Here are just a few blogs written by queer Jews of color
Afroculinaria is a food blog
authored by food writer,
culinary historian, historical
interpreter and
independent scholar
Michael W. Twitty, who
prepares, preserves and
promotes African-American
foodways. He explores ideas
of “identity cooking,” and
allows people to meld the
histories, tastes, flavors and
diasporic wisdom of black
and Jewish identities.
Black, Gay and Jewish is
Erika Davis' blog, exploring
questions of identity and
her personal experiences as
a black, gay and Jewish
woman living in the United
States. The blog acts as a
space for connection and
sharing, as well as a
platform for advocacy for
women, people of color,
Jews of color, Jews by
Choice and the LGBTQ
community, Jewish and nonJewish.
The Rabb-IT is the personal
blog of Sandra Lawson, a
rabbinical student at
Reconstructionist Rabbinical
College, and a queer Jew of
color. The blog focuses on
Lawson’s multifaceted
identity and wide range of
interests (sociology, personal
training and food activism, to
name a few), as well as her
desire to make the world a
better place for all.
A Selection of Articles by and About QJoC
Gay, Asian, Jewish and in
Charge
Robert Bernardo, president
of the Gay Asian Pacific
Alliance, discusses his path to
Judaism. When he learned
about Judaism, he said, “It
just resonated with me.
There was something about
the religion that made perfect
sense.”
J. Weekly, July 29, 2005.
A Gay Asian Jew Discusses
His Music
Not just anyone can go
around saying that he is a
proud gay Jewish Japanese
musician. But singer and
songwriter Danny Katz is not
just anyone.
Jewish Multiracial Network,
Aug. 13, 2010.
Black, Gay and Jewish:
Passover Lamb and Sweeping
Statements
“We are all Jewish, and how
we Jew is just as Jewish as
how you Jew — even if it’s
different,” writes Erika Davis.
Jewcy, April 15, 2011.
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What It’s Like to Be a Gay Black Professional
Jew
Ilana Kaufman wears many hats; she’s a mother,
a Jewish professional, a lesbian and a black
woman. Here, Kaufman, public affairs and civic
engagement director at the JCRC of San
Francisco Bay Area, discusses the experiences
and challenges of playing so many roles.
Forward, Aug. 11, 2014.
Coming Out and Inviting In
Kathryn Macías, Keshet’s Boston community
organizer, reflects on her process of coming out
as a Jew by Choice.
My Jewish Learning, Oct. 6, 2014.
He Is Black, Gay and Jewish — and He Sings in
Yiddish
There is no one else in the entire world quite
like Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell. Russell is
black, openly gay, Jewish and a professional
singer of both European opera and Yiddish
music.
Chestnut Hill Local, June 19, 2015.
Ashkenormativity Is Twice as Common — and
Harmful — in LGBTQ Jewish Spaces
Jay M. Stanton discusses Ashkenormativity as it
reinforces the idea that there is an authentic
cultural and religious expression LGBTQ Jews
(and all Jews) must adhere to it creates shame
in those who cannot or do not fit the norm.
Forward, Aug. 24, 2015.
Michael Twitty, Black Jewish Foodie, Talks
‘Culinary Justice’
Michael Twitty merges black and Jewish culture
through shared culinary roots.
Forward, Dec. 20, 2014.
Meet Sandra Lawson, Who May Soon Be One of
Judaism's First Black, Openly Lesbian Rabbis
Sandra Lawson is on track to become the first
black lesbian rabbi. Finishing her final year of
school, she hopes to use her rabbinic training to
bring attention to Jewish diversity,
environmental issues and poverty.
Huffington Post, June 1, 2015.
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Multimedia: Video and Audio Resources
Who Counts? Race and the Jewish Future
ELI talks are 12-minute presentations on “inspired Jewish ideas.”
Here, Ilana Kaufman, public affairs and civic engagement director
for the Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, asks
“who counts?” as she issues a challenge to the Jewish community on
race.
All Things Gay
Erika Davis is interviewed on “All Things Gay,” a program on
Portsmouth Community Radio.
Off and Running
“Off and Running” tells the story of Avery, an African-American
teenage track star from Brooklyn with a bright future. The adopted
child of white Jewish lesbians, Avery has two adopted brothers (one
mixed-race and one Korean), and grows increasingly curious about
her roots. Her choice to contact her birth mother propels Avery into
a complicated exploration of race, identity and family, creating
distance between her and the parents she’s always known.
LGBTQ Jews of Color to Know
(and Follow on Twitter)
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Angel Alvarez-Mapp, synagogue executive director, @angelmapp
Jeremy Burton, Jewish communal professional, @BurtonJM
Robert Bernardo, politician, @robertbernado
Erika Davis, blogger and writer, @BlackGayJewish
Ilana Kaufman, Jewish communal professional, @FogTownKaufman
Sandra Lawson, rabbinical student, @sandrajlawson
Aurora Levins Morales, writer and activist, @AuLevinsMorales
Adam McKinney, former Alvin Ailey dancer and co-founder of
DNAWorks, @DNAWORKSNM
Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell, opera singer, @mordkhetzvi
Michael Twitty, chef, @KosherSoul
Y-Love, hip-hop artist, @ylove
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