Local Jewish community groups sponsoring Pride events

Like the many Pride events taking place in Manitoba this month, tonight’s Pride Havdalah will provide an opportunity for members of the LGBTTQ+ community and their allies to celebrate their identity, inclusion, community, resilience, and love.

At the same time, the June 14 Havdalah will offer those in attendance the opportunity to take part in an ancient and sacred religious ritual.

Havdalah is a weekly Jewish religious ceremony that differentiates between the end of the holy Sabbath on Saturday night and the beginning of the regular work week. The word Havdalah comes from the Hebrew verb l’havdil, which means to separate.

Havdalah is a brief, bittersweet and moving multi-sensory ceremony. It involves the recitation of four blessings emphasizing the distinction between light and darkness and the holy and mundane, the lighting of a multi-wicked braided candle, the sipping of wine, and the sniffing of spices.

The special Havdalah candle, by some interpretations, is said to represent the duality of the material and the spiritual worlds. Alternatively, it is said to represent the diversity of the Jewish people unified by a shared tradition. The wine, it is generally agreed upon, represents joy, and the fragrance of the spices, usually a combination of cinnamon and cloves, represent the lingering sweetness of the Sabbath that has just passed.

Pride Havdalah, hosted by the Rady JCC, is one of four Pride events sponsored by Winnipeg Jewish community organizations this month. Registration for the event was open to people from every gender expression, sexuality, faith and cultural background.

“This is the first time our community is organizing a Havdalah specifically during Pride,” says Tomer Levy, Rady JCC community engagement co-ordinator. “The Rady has hosted many cultural and holiday programs in the past, from Pride Shabbat dinners to film nights, but this felt like an important and timely opportunity to mark Pride with a uniquely Jewish ritual.”

Tonight’s event includes a catered kosher dinner and a drag performance, in addition to the Havdalah service.

“Havdalah is a very special moment in the Jewish week,” explains David Vamos, a music teacher and cantorial soloist who will be leading the service. “It is when we conclude the Sabbath and begin our everyday lives again. It is a time to reflect on the week that was and our wishes for the week ahead.”

It is both a public celebration and an individual experience.

“Similarly,” Vamos continues, “Pride is a time for our community to look at our own history, where we are right now, and where we would like to go. In the same way that Havdalah is an incredibly personal experience, so too is Pride, as everyone has a different relationship to their own identity and what they need for acceptance and happiness.”

Pride, Levy adds, is about visibility and belonging, which are values that resonate with Jewish traditions.

“Hosting a Havdalah during Pride is a natural extension of those values,” he says. “Hosting it during Pride is a powerful way to bring Jews and allies alike to honour our community and our values in a spirit of joy and inclusion.”

As many of those attending tonight’s event identify as Jewish, they are likely to already be familiar with the specialness of Havdalah. Event organizers, however, expect to welcome celebrants from many other backgrounds as well and are eager to introduce them to the beauty of the ceremony.

“I’ve had the opportunity to attend many Havdalah services over the years with non-Jewish attendees,” Vamos says, “and there is a near universal feeling of warmth and community for both Jews and non-Jew alike.”

Those feelings of warmth and community, combined with the sense of calm and serenity inherent to the Havdalah ceremony, are certain to ensure the success of this evening’s event.

“We hope non-Jewish attendees come away with a deeper appreciation for Jewish culture, ritual, and hospitality,” Levy says. “But more than anything, we want them to feel genuinely welcomed.”

Making people feel genuinely welcomed, of course, should be part of every Pride event.

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