An Israeli international singing-sensation will make her United States debut along with a plethora of local Jewish groups during San Francisco’s 2001 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Celebration — or simply “Queerific” — festivities this weekend.
Dana International, one of a few openly transgender artists to achieve mainstream world fame, will perform as one of the signature artists during the official pride Reunion Party tomorrow and the Pride Parade on Sunday.
She is being hosted by the Pacific Northwest Region of the Consulate General of Israel in San Francisco.
Aside from her musical performances, the male-to-female transsexual star, whose breakthrough single “Diva” earned her first prize in the 1998 Eurovision song contest, will lead a discussion on gender politics, music and religion at San Francisco Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, 290 Dolores St., at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
“This will be the first time since her bar mitzvah that she’ll be setting foot in a synagogue,” said Marc Wernick, co-chair of publicity for the progressive, Reform synagogue open to Jews of all sexual identities.
Dana International — or Sharon Cohen, formerly Yaron Cohen — will also be the guest of honor at Monday’s S.F. Board of Supervisors meeting, by invitation of Supervisor Mark Leno.
Her introduction to the supervisors takes place “just a month after we passed our landmark transgender healthcare benefit,” noted Leno.
“She is a rare individual who had success as a transgender person,” he said. “I think it will be a wonderful opportunity for my colleagues and the city of San Francisco to meet her.”
As in the past, several S.F.-based Jewish organizations and synagogues plan to march in Sunday’s Pride Parade. Some of the many include Jewish Family and Children Services, Congregation Emanu-El and the Conservative Congregation Beth Sholom, as well as Oakland’s Temple Sinai.
This will be the third year of participation by the Reform Temple Sinai.
“We always strive to be open and tell the world that Temple Sinai is a safe place to go,” said Susan Krauss, chair of the synagogues’ membership committee as well as its LGBT group, Out and About. She expects between 25 to 30 congregants to march in the parade.
Krauss said the enthusiastic participation of Temple Sinai is particularly important because most temple members “are straight” and it is “wonderful for those of us who aren’t straight to be surrounded by others who think the pride march is worthwhile.”
JFCS has also marched in the parade in the past, but usually as an ad hoc effort. This year, the organization started an outreach program to better serve the needs of the queer community, and made the pride participation a bit more official.
As a result, this year’s JFCS turnout should be stronger than last. Margaret Rothman, coordinator of the LGBT outreach program, expects a contingent of about 30 JFCS staff members, clients, volunteers, loved ones and board members.
“We have people participating from almost every program area,” she said. “It’s exciting because it’s a way of bringing people from all JFCS departments together to do something nice for the LGBT community and let them know that we’re here for them.”
JFCS will share an informational booth with Sha’ar Zahav at the Civic Center during the two-day festival. “It’s the beginning of a strong partnership,” said Rothman, “to best meet the needs of LGBT Jews.”
Along with this participation and the Dana International discussion, Sha’ar Zahav will host a series of queer pride events that it is calling “Jewbilation,” although the shul is not marching as a contingent as in years past.
Jewbilation includes a wine and cheese reception tonight at 7 p.m., followed by a pride Shabbat service led by Rabbi Camille Angel. Tomorrow evening, Sha’ar Zahav will support the Dyke March by gathering at 16th and Dolores to view the march, which kicks off at 7:30.
The participation of Reform synagogues, like Sha’ar Zahav and Temple Sinai, was encouraged this year by the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C., which sent out large packets of information on getting involved in gay pride events.
But, as in the past, many Conservative Jews will also come out and make their presence known.
For the sixth year, Congregation Beth Sholom will boast a contingent of between 25 and 30 members of various synagogue groups, including the young adults group the Chicken Soupers and the LGBT outreach program, Keshet Chavurah.
“It’s important for anyone in the LGBT Jewish community who feels they want to be a part of the more traditional observance of a Conservative movement to know they’re welcome at Beth Sholom,” said Joel Springer, chair of Keshet Chavurah. “We are an egalitarian synagogue — that expands to the gay community.”