The Attraction of Lesbians

So I was checking my blog stats the other day n discovered a really interesting thing. The most popular post of mine is my Girl Crushing one. Look, I'll admit it's relatively interesting but more interesting than Frenchies? Or the Perfect Man?

It doesn't take a Gender and Sexuality major to work out what's going on here. People are googling Jewish Lesbians and are getting directed to my blog. Must be very disappointing for them. nevertheless I'm going to exploit this discovery to elicit more followers via google. Hence the Lesbians in my title. Who know's maybe they'll give up their search for girl on girl action and chose to read about modern orthodoxy and mormons instead? Likely I say. Very Likely.

In other news on Tuesday night I went to the messibat siyum for my beit midrash for massechet chagiga. Fun times. I gave my shiur on korbanot in the future in the holy language (no, not yiddish). It went well I'd say, particularly since none of the scary PhDs or Rabbis came, only my comrades who are not too intimidating. Other than the event was very impressive. We saw a short film starring one of the rabbis about the relationship between Elisha ben Abuya and R'Meir. It's a terrible film - but adorable nonetheless. We saw somebody do an interpretive dance of the massechet. I kid you not. It would have been more impressive had his fly not been open. Awkies. One of the students is a composer and she composed an incredible classic music piece to the massechet. It was very possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard - the arguments and questions and stories of the gemara being played out on a piano. All in all - it was wonderful and happy and fun.

Yesterday was Yom Yerushalayim. I went to Tel Aviv. Now you may think this was a political statement and it was a little bit. But mainly I simply don't have Sundays and Fridays are spent cooking n cleaning so when I had a real day off I didn't want to spend it in Jlem. I wanted the beach. And so the beach I got. We went to the beach by Yafo and then to the old train stationfor a wander. Only to discover that Yom Yerushalayim is the day that arsim and frechot get married. It was teeming with overweight, drag queen make-uped, fake tanned, glittery dressed brides having their photos taken. It was both entertaining and nauseating. Then it was off to Dizingoff for the best shwarma in the land. It's right below the fountain. They only bake the laffa once you order and the meat (yes - I ate meat, but it was worth it) is not from a stick, instead its grilled in front of you once you order. And it's only 25 shek (though this time last year it was only 22 shek). Also the shwarma man is nice n friendly n not all sleazy/rude. Basically it's strongly recommended.

This shabz I'm having past sherut girls over and we're having a picnic in the park with my university friends. Yayness!

With that, sabbatical salutations O loyal followers.

Nati's Brother

Tonight I had a wonderful experience.

I went to a homosexuality and orthodoxy panel tonight.

For those of you who remember Ailon Goldstein - he was the adjudicator/host of the evening.

It began with a talk from Rabbi Benny Lau of the famed Ramban community in Katamon. He spoke of the need for patience in the gay community because their families and communities will take a while to accept them but that baby steps happen all the time and slowly slowly the religious world is progressing.

Then Rabbi Arleh Harel (the past Rosh Yeshiva of Shilo) who spoke about how homosexuality, both the act and the lifestyle, is forbidden. Furthermore that in his role as a counselor for homosexual religious boy-men, he refers them on to conversion therapy.

After that a gay-religious lawyer spoke very charismatically about how in place of patience in our society we need tolerance (it's a good play of words in hebrew). He also spoke about how homosexuality is a sin between man and his maker and therefore as a community we shouldn't interfere here, but rather we should focus on mitzvot that are between man and his neighbour and hence we should be more inclusive.

This was followed by a lesbian representative who echoed the lawyers requests. She added that she doesn't want any privileges but rather simply the same rights as heterosexuals, the right to get married, the right to have children/adopt.

There was then a speaker from Hebrew University who used to be Haredi and now also heads a secular Beit Midrash. He read out many of the very offensive things that rabbis have written about homosexuality in recent times. He also sought to argue that lesbianism is a totally new prohibition invented only in the wake of the feminist/sexual revolution.

After that there was alot of arguing backwards and forward - but it was generally done in a very polite and respectful manner. The crowd were abit rowdy - but I found that entertaining more than anything.

If you would like to check out the website please see http://www.hujihillel.org.il/59460/%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%A9%D7%90%D7%94%D7%91%D7%94-%D7%A0%D7%A4%D7%A9%D7%99

Other then that - my personal response to this evening is one of immense pride. I went to a homosexuality panel in Australia (I even helped host it) and the speakers said nothing controversial in the least. It was, to put it in Jew terms, very parve. I also read the Yeshiva University panel transcript and that also wasn't nearly as passionate. At this panel I feel they managed to get over their fear of offending people and really deal with the issues. They didn't resolve them, obviously, but they were raised n discussed. Which I suppose is all that we can expect for the present.

In any case - it was very impressive.