17th World Conference of GLBT Jews, Israel 2002
KESHET GA’AVAH/RAINBOW OF PRIDE 2002 THE 17th WORLD CONFERENCE OF GLBT JEWS
At Kibbutz Givat Haviva Conference Center, Israel, July 4 - 7, 2002
World Congress Board of Directors Meeting, July 3-4, 2002
Israel Pride in Tel Aviv, June 28, 2002
17th World Conference of GLBT Jews, Israel 2002
U.S. Congressmember Barney Frank Supports World Conference of GLBT Jews in Israel, to Open July 4, 2002.
In a meeting with Agudah Chairperson Itay Pinkas, and World Congress vice president Ra’anan Gabay at the Tel Aviv Hilton, U.S. Congressmember Barney Frank said he supports the upcoming 17th World Conference of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews and will recommend that people participate in it.
WCGLBTJ vice president Ra’anan Gabay asserted at the meeting with Congressmember Frank that "the conference will take place by hook or by crook. People that attend will have a great time. They will get to know a thriving Israeli GLBT community, a community that is in the front line of human rights and social awareness in Israel."
The World Conference of GLBT Jews will take place in Israel on the weekend of July 4, 2002. The World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews and the Agudah - the National Association of GLBT in Israel - are firm in their decision to hold the conference as planned, and to make it the best conference ever, as a sign of commitment to the thriving GLBT community in Israel.
Those who attend will see the main street of Tel Aviv decorated in rainbow flags, will participate in a special Knesset meeting in Jerusalem, and will visit Sodom with GLBT Jews from all over the world. The serene lawns of Kibbutz Givat Haviva hosted the previous World Congress regional conference in Israel in 1994. The kibbutz swimming pool was the site of a wonderful party in 1994 and organizers hope to have an even greater one in 2002! Planned activities include trips to the Galilee, to Sodom and Jerusalem, parties, receptions, an international Jewish student meeting and an international meeting of Jewish professionals. Everyone is invited to attend this exciting conference; this is an experience you should not miss.
To accommodate the conference, Israel Pride festivities were rescheduled. The Israel Pride March and Festival will launch the activities on Friday, June 28, 2002. The conference itself will take place on the weekend of July 4 - 7, at the secluded, yet centrally located, Kibbutz Givat Haviva. In between Pride and the conference, a whole week of activities and trips is planned. Come to the conference and have the most wonderful visit to Israel ever.
In his comments with Congressmember Frank, World Congress Vice President Gabay further played down the danger of terrorism in Israel, saying "I do not deny people’s right to be afraid, and people’s right to go to happier places on their holiday. However, this is more of a psychological issue than anything else. Life expectancy in Israel is still higher than in the USA or Britain. In two years of terror, the number of Israelis that died as a result of terror is half of those that died as a result of car accidents and a third of those that died of pollution. Not to compare with the relative number of people that died as a result of crime in the US (murders in Israel increased 28% this year but do not come close to American numbers). I myself witnessed a gunfight on 7th Avenue not far from Penn Station. I have never witnessed a terror action in Israel. We should not let the rating-hungry media confuse us."
Lately the GLBT community in Israel is becoming more and more part of the consensus. The religious Shas party tried to protest against the new Agudah branch in Hadera in February, objecting to the presence of GLBT minors in the Agudah youth group in Hadera. The media perceived the protest as a sign of ignorance and backwardness. Rabbi Simcha Rott of the Conservative movement has published a harsh article in favor of the Agudah activities in Hadera and against the ignorance of the protesters. The Agudah has gradually opened branches in peripheral cities, thus bringing signs of the GLBT revolution to areas and to people all around the country.
Meanwhile Congregation Shaar Zahav of San Francisco, under the leadership of Rabbi Camille Angel and leaders of the Israel Committee, has formed a group to spread the word about the conference and to organize a trip that will be accessible to all. They are considering a campaign to ask people to air miles to those who can’t afford it.
Says Michael Sarid, one of the leaders of the group: "I truly believe that a ground-swell is beginning to build among American Jews to travel to Israel this year. Youth movements are sending teens once again this summer, synagogues and federations are sending more missions than in past years, and the demand for Hebrew language classes at our JCC has jumped. It has taken a while, but I believe this is a time when many American Jews are feeling closer to Israel and to the Israeli people than ever before, and the GLBT community is no exception. There will always be whiners and nay-sayers but we can’t be discouraged by them. We at Sha’ar Zahav can certainly help with publicizing and promoting this conference locally. We’re already doing it!"
(See related story on Congressmember Frank’s visit to Israel.)
Visit the Conference web site for further information and registration materials: [http://www.kenes.com/israelpride]