Havruta (organization)
Havruta (Hebrew: חַבְרוּתָא, from Talmudic Aramaic for fellowship) is an organization of religiously-inclined Jewish LGBT people in Israel which acts to promote tolerance and acceptance of gay lesbian and transgender people in the orthodox society in Israel.
Goals
Havruta aims to create a broad community of volunteers and participants who will offer social support and sense of communal belonging and empowerment for gays who have some religious connection in all aspects of their lives and life cycle events. In addition, Havruta aims to increase the recognition of religious gays, leading to them being accepted.
Havruta also aims to help gay people live a religious lifestyle, and support them through working together, as well as offering an opportunity for the greater gay community to share the experience of a Jewish religious life.
Community activities
Havruta serves as a community for religiously inclined and formerly religious gays and helps bridge the wide gaps that exist between religious and gay life. Havruta provides monthly social meetings in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa as well as annual hikes and weekend retreats that attract many members. These meetings provide a space where religious gays can socialize in a loving and accepting environment.
Advocacy
In February 2009, Havruta hosted an event that brought together a panel discussion of prominent Orthodox rabbis in Israel to discuss Orthodox Judaism and homosexuality.[1]
In December 2011, Havruta and Bat-Kol were awarded a special mention by the French Commission on Human Rights, for their joint effort to advocate for tolerance and acceptance among educators and religious authorities and to raise their awareness of homophobic discrimination and its impact on adolescents [2]
Joint projects
- Advocacy project - Havruta has joined forces with Bat-Kol, a religiously inclined lesbian association, to create a joint project of speakers beureu called Shoval.
- LGBT youth - Men from Havruta have created a group for gay orthodox male adolescents in cooperation with Israeli Gay Youth (IGY) organization. A parallel group for girls is supported by Bat-Kol
Press
- Of pride and prayer, Haaretz Israeli daily, February 26, 2009
- Religious gays show pride in the holy city, The Globe and Mail, March 11, 2009
- Rabbis condemn anti-gay shooting, Ynet News, August 2, 2009
- Israel's religious gays battle for acceptance, Associated Press, May 15, 2011
- Rainbow Flags Aflutter, Orthodox Groups Enter a Float in Gay Pride Parade, Forward, June 15, 2011
See also
- Atzat Nefesh
- Bat Kol religious lesbian community in Israel
- Lesbian and gay topics and Judaism
- Trembling Before G-d
References
- ↑ Ettinger, Yair. "Of Pride and Prayer", Haaretz, 26 January 2009.
- ↑ Havruta is awarded a human rights mention by the French government
External links
- Havruta (official website)
- Gay-religious group now official non-profit, The Jerusalem Post, September 25, 2011
- Trio Shines Light on Being Gay Orthodox in Israel Jweekly, November 11, 2010
- La llei jueva no diu res dels sentiments dels gais, El Punt Avui, December 30, 2012
- „Havruta“ und „Bat Kol“ in Berlin, HaGalil Online, May 14, 2012
- Devout & Proud, Haaretz, February 25, 2011
- Orthodox Gay Organization Takes Tolerance Campaign into the Public Sphere, A Wider Bridge, August 1, 2011
- La ley judía no dice nada de los sentimientos de los gays, Enlace Judio, December 31, 2012
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