United Jewish Federation of Tidewater hosted its first event marking LGBTQ+ Pride Month in partnership with Ohef Sholom Temple, Hampton Roads Pride, and the LGBT Life Center. The event, held on June 25 at The Rainbow Cactus in Virginia Beach, featured Dr. Sara Glass, therapist, author, and LGBTQ+ advocate, and was deemed a powerful celebration of identity, resilience, and community.
Author of the memoir Kissing Girls on Shabbat, Glass captivated a packed room with her story of growing up in a Hasidic enclave in Brooklyn while quietly navigating her queer identity. Her talk touched on everything from spiritual exile to the healing power of chosen family.
The event drew a diverse crowd of more than 75 people, including members of the Jewish, LGBTQ+, and interfaith communities. Many arrived early to enjoy dinner and drinks and stayed late to meet Glass during a book signing.
Audience members described the event as “transformative,” “courageous,” and “exactly what our community needed.” One attendee shared how meaningful it was that the event was hosted in an explicitly queer space, given so many audience members were not part of the LGBTQ+ community themselves.
Ohef Sholom Temple included the event as part of their Pride Month programming, with its book club choosing the book as their May read. Book club facilitator, Nili Belkin, calls the memoir “a book I will encourage my daughters and granddaughters to read.”
This event was funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission and held in coordination with the Jewish Book Council.
Hunter Thomas is director of Arts + Ideas at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. For more programming information, visit www.JewishVA.org or email HThomas@UJFT.org.
