June is Pride Month! There a plenty of ways to celebrate being LGBTQ+, loving someone who is LGBTQ+ and being Jewish with joy and plenty of rainbows. Here are many ways to celebrate.

Temple Emanuel

Lunch and Learn – The State of LGBTQ+ Rights in Missouri with Senator Greg Razer 
June 15 | 12:00 pm
Zoom 

In honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Temple Emanuel welcomes Senator Greg Razer, who is the only openly gay member of the Missouri State Senate. As a once-suicidal teen struggling with his sexuality growing up in southern Missouri’s cotton country, Razer especially feels a kinship with transgender youth who are targeted in our state. He spent the entire session standing up for these kids and worked relentlessly to try and stall these bills. Hear from him about what we can do as community volunteers to support trans youth and how we can plan for future legislative attacks against the LGBTQ+ community. Register here.

Congregation B’nai Amoona

Pride Shabbat Lunch & Learn
June 17 

Come together as a community for a morning of pride and prayer.

Immediately following morning services, bring your kiddush lunch and join B’nai Amoona families, Erez and Sara Haluf and Alison Fox and her daughter, Autumn, for a Lunch and Learn in the Krupat-Oberman Community Lounge.

Congregation Shaare Emeth

Keshet Committee Honors Pride Month
June 17 – June 25

As a congregation committed to affirming and embracing our LGBTQ+ community members, members will gather to mark Pride as a community and proudly state our continued dedication to allyship, fighting for dignity and equality for all, and creating a space where everyone feels they truly belong.

Participants can attend all events or pick any combination of events to attend. All programming is free, but registration is required for Saturday’s Torah Study and workshop. All times are Central.

Schedule of Events:

Pride St. Charles
June 17 from 12 to 7 p.m.
Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St. Charles
Stop by the Shaare Emeth booth

Pride Shabbat
Friday, June 23 at 6 p.m. at Shaare Emeth with special musical guest, BandTogether’s Woodwind Ensemble

Our Clergy and Worship Team, along with members of our Keshet Committee, will lead a Shabbat service of special prayers, music and teaching. BandTogether is a volunteer music organization in the greater St. Louis area open to performers of all abilities, providing performance opportunities to members of the LGBTQ+ community in a safe and relaxed setting.

Saturday, June 24
At Congregation Shaare Emeth
9 a.m. – Nosh • 9:30 a.m. – Torah Study with Rabbi Rachel Bearman: Following The Rainbow Thread: Celebrating Jewish LGBTQ+ History

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: LGBTQ+ Inclusion: What it Means, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do; Workshop with Ben Greene

Greene is a public speaker and fierce advocate for the transgender community. After coming out at 15 years old, he built a career based on spreading storytelling and education to individuals, corporations, government groups, hospitals, and schools around the world. He is publishing a book about supporting transgender youth and is passionate about educating everyone—no matter where they’re starting from.

St. Louis PrideFest
Saturday and Sunday, June 24 & 25
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. • pridestl.org

PrideFest Grand Pride Parade
Sunday, June 25
12 p.m. – Join members of the Jewish community and walk as a group, beginning at 8th and Market streets.

Action needed:

Please email Michele Siler and let her know if you’re joining us to walk.

If you are interested in carpooling, email Siler and let her know if you can drive or need a ride.

Bais Abraham Congregation

Summer Speaker Series: Gender Identity & Judaism
June 21 | 7 pm Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael
June 28 | 7 pm Dr. Joy Ladin

Today, public discussion of transgender and nonbinary people has become ever more painful, hurtful and confusing, leaving many feeling isolated and unable to talk or ask about our own and others’ experiences of gender. Bais Abe is proudly hosting a series of discussions this summer that go beyond hurtful and polarizing headlines to talk about real human experiences and practical questions on both the personal and communal levels.

Learn more.

Central Reform Congregation

The J

PRIDE Community Beach Party Shabbat
June 23 | 5:30
The J’s Outdoor Pool

The St. Louis Jewish community is coming together for a Pride Shabbat, Tel Aviv-style Beach Party. We’re inviting all who identify, their allies and families of all kinds to join us for a community-wide event with special concession snacks, games, music, and a photo booth. Bring your own towel and enjoy the “beach.” The Pride Shabbat Picnic is made possible by support from the Helene Mirowitz Center of Jewish Community Life Fund and sponsored by the J, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School and PJ Library.

Register here.

Congregation Temple Israel

June 25th | 6 p.m.
Pride Shabbat at TI

Kick off Pride weekend and show support for the LGBTQ community by wearing a bright, colorful outfit to Shabbat services at Congregation Temple Israel. During the sermon, the rabbis will speak about inclusion and why supporting all our fellow human beings is an essential part of our Jewish beliefs. There will be a pre-oneg at 6 p.m., followed at 6:30 by Shabbat services, ending with a dessert oneg. Attend in person: Details and RSVP online. Attend online by visiting www.ti-stl.org/Watch.

PrideFest STL

June 25 | 12 pm
Downtown St. Louis

Jewish Federation of St. Louis invites you to stand with us at this year’s PrideFest. The annual Grand Pride Parade brings our community together to march in support of the LGBTQIA+ community and celebrate the diverse groups in STL.

Jewish community gathering location and time will be announced closer to the date. We look forward to a strong Jewish community presence.