We Confirmed It With an Ohio Rabbi: Hanukkah Is Super Gay

Look, don’t take our phrase for it. Belief an Ohio Rabbi: Hanukkah has some professional LGBTQ+ themes.

And people themes shall be celebrated at Let’s All ‘Gelt’ Collectively, a crossover Hanukkah celebration between the LGBT Group Heart of Better Cleveland and Suburban Temple-Kol Ami.

To get the inside track on the festivities, The Buckeye Flame spun dreidels with Rabbi Allison B. Vann, who has been the religious chief of Suburban Temple-Kol Ami since 2011.

The Buckeye Flame: Simply how homosexual is Hanukkah?

Rabbi Allison B. Vann: “I find it irresistible. Look: Hanukkah has flames. It’s flaming, and the flames enhance each evening.”

TBF: See? I knew it. For individuals who don’t know the story, what are the massive themes of Hanukkah that might attraction to an LGBTQ+ viewers?

Rabbi Vann: “Oh my gosh, I really like that query. Hanukkah is the story of preventing for freedom. In historical occasions, Hanukkah was the story of non secular freedom, with the ability to apply Judaism, which was not the bulk faith. Immediately, I might translate Hanukkah into the flexibility to be one’s genuine self.”

TBF: Speak concerning the significance of individuals getting collectively for Hanukkah.

Rabbi Vann: “First, we didn’t actually get Hanukkah final 12 months due to COVID, so simply the flexibility to be collectively, to be in group, could be very Jewish. That’s actually essential. We wish to be collectively, we wish to eat, we wish to have a good time. Group is important. And group is a part of the Jewish world. In order that’s actually about who we’re.”

“One of many issues that we do throughout Hannukkah is we take the menorah as it’s lit and put it within the window. You would joke that we began decorations earlier than there have been decorations for no matter vacation. We pirsem: publicize the miracle by placing the lights into our home windows so that everybody can see. Being collectively to publicize that miracle is mostly a pleasure. And what higher method to have a good time the miracle than to have a good time collectively?”

TBF: Lastly, it might not shock you that so lots of our readers haven’t had a optimistic expertise with their religion. How can we help individuals on that journey to therapeutic?

Rabbi Vann: “I work in a congregation that’s affirming in so many, some ways. And we begin with a guiding worth that we discover in Genesis which is that we’re all created in God’s picture. B’tzelem Elohim.”

“We begin with that journey of simply figuring out that who we’re is holy. Interval. So lots of our journeys include numerous ache and numerous damage and now we have to speak it by way of, settle for who we’re, the place we’re, and be prepared to take that subsequent step.”

This story was initially printed by the Buckeye Flame and republished right here with permission.