Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, commences on December 6. As always, there will be eight days and nights of candle lighting, gift giving and celebrating. This being the Bay Area, some of the events might have a queer twist or two.
Glimmering
Keshet, an organization which seeks to include LGBT Jews into all aspects of Jewish life, will offer Glimmer, its annual Chanukah party, on Thursday, December 3. This year's party takes place at Oasis, currently the City's hottest queer club; no doubt a drag queen or two will be in attendance. There will also be a few dignitaries at Keshet who will be honored for their work in the Jewish community.
Rabbi Tsipora Gabai, head of Judaic Studies at Tehiya Day School in El Cerrito, recently garnered national attention when one of her students, 13-year-old Tom Sosnick, came out as transgender. Rabbi Gabai not only supported Tom's transition, she led the young man in a Hebrew name-changing ceremony.
Also scheduled to receive accolades are Ruth Messinger. Formerly the Borough President of Manhattan, Messinger currently serves as President of American Jewish World Services. She has a long history of supporting the LGBT community. The final honoree is Al Baum, Founder of the LGBT Alliance of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
Glimmer's dinner commences at 6PM, followed by the program. Mazel Top, a monthly party for gay Jews and friends. Your ticket to Glimmer gets you into Mazel Top.
Come as you are, Keshet asks. Dress in your evening wear, your party attire, or your feathers and boas. Tickets vary in price from $150-5000. Hey, its a fundraiser!
Keshet is the host of a new social group dubbed Nice Jewish Boys. Described as a community group for young gay, bi, trans or otherwise Queer Jewish men, Nice Jewish Boys will throw Lights, Latkes and Liquor, its own Chanukah party, on Thursday, December 10 at a private home in Alamo Square. The party is free, but RSVPs are required, and space is limited to 30 attendees.
"We're exited to be creating spaces where our boys can bring their Queer side and their Jewish side to the same event, and meet others who share these overlapping identities", said Keshet's Gene Goldstein-Plesser.
RSVP for Lights, Latkes and Liquor here: www.keshetonline.org/event/lights-latkes-and-liquor-nice-jewish-boys-hanukkah-party/
Updates on future Nice Jewish Boys events can be found at the group's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/1616787835251886/
Tickets for Glimmer are available at the Oasis: www.sfoasis.com
Super-Hebrews
Also on December 10, from 6:30-9 pm, the Contemporary Jewish Museum offers Night at the Jewseum, its own annual holiday party. MIxing partying with politics, this year's event is tied in with Chasing Justice, one of the museum's current exhibitions.
"We are exited to continue the tradition of celebrating Chanukah with the artistic and contemporary spin that is the mark of all programming at CJM," said Gravity Goldberg, the museum's Associate Director or Public Programs. "This year we want to connect the themes of Chasing Justice with the apocryphal story of Chanukah: The Maccabees fighting for freedom and regaining the temple. And so we started thinking about how they were the superheroes of the time, and since superheroes are pretty Jewish anyway, we are going with it as a theme. We encourage people to come in costume."
A Night at the Jewseum will include a latke bar, storytelling, and the lighting of Chanukah candles. Admission is free with museum admission, $5 after 5PM. Must be over age 21. Ticket info: www.thecjm.org
Lox of Laughs
And finally, comedian and hostess with the mostess Lisa Geduldig returns for another laugh-filled edition of "Kung Pao Kosher Comedy: Jewish Comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant." (Where else?) As always, Geduldig and her comics will be serving stand-up comedy with Chinese food at New Asia Restaurant, 722 Pacific Avenue. You can choose between a 5 pm dinner show or an 8:30 pm cocktail show from Thursday December 24 through Saturday December 26. Proceeds to benefit the Institute on Aging Friendship's Line and Legal Assistance for the Elderly.
This year's line-up includes Wendy Liebman, Dana Eagle, Mike Fine, and Geduldig herself.
"I used to make sure that the Kung Pao line-up was half gay and half straight, but I ran out of gay Jewish comics," Geduldig said. "I was waiting for some to come out or convert, and hadn't had any others on the line-up for awhile. This year marks the return of a half and half line up with out lesbian comedian Dana Eagle �-and me- on the bill."
Kung Pao is a comedy show like no other. "People walk into a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown" Geduldig explained. "There are Chanukah and Bar Mitzvah decorations adorning the walls and inflatable dreidels and matzoh balls, and a dreidel pinata, on the stage."
Geduldig said that she usually gets a mixed crowd of Jews and Goyim (non-Jews), gays, straights, older and younger.
"One of my proudest accomplishments through a Kung Pao donation was the creation a dozen years ago of Comedy Clinic at the Jewish Home in San Francisco," Geduldig added, noting that the bi-monthly class continues to this day.
Ticket info for the 23rd annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy: www.koshercomedy.com
Happy Chanukah!