Pride and the Dangerous Beauty of Being Free
Words of Wisdom with Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar
This Dvar Torah was written by Mark Kravitz, the Chair of the Board at CAJE – the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education – and a board member of The Jewish Education Project and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. A proud graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program, Mark is a passionate advocate for Jewish education, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and vibrant Jewish identity in Israel and the diaspora. He is also the President of Jenco Properties, a real estate investment firm in South Florida, and a dad who believes Jewish learning is our greatest superpower.
Photo by Ted Eytan on Flickr.
There’s a certain kind of person who simply cannot handle other people being free.
Not because they oppose freedom, of course. Heavens, no!
They'll say things like: "I'm all for justice!" or "I believe in equality!" — as long as you don’t outshine them, out-speak them, or out-fabulous them.
Once you start living a little too out loud? Suddenly they’re quoting scripture, calling security, and suggesting it’s “not the right time.”
Welcome to Parshat Korach, where the Torah introduces us to a man who would have absolutely crushed it on Instagram Reels.
Korach rolls into the scene with a populist pitch: “The whole community is holy! Why do you (Moshe) get to be in charge?” (Bemidbar/ Numbers 16:3)
It sounds noble — like he’s auditioning for a TED Talk on spiritual democracy.
But the commentators (and, let’s be honest, anyone with sibling rivalry experience) know better.
Korach wasn’t here for justice. He was here for attention.
As the medieval commentator Rashi says, he was jealous. This was less about “power to the people” and more about “power to me.
Every generation has its Korachs. People who pretend to stand for equality but actually can’t stand people who stand tall.
And whether they’re hiding behind ideology, theology, or WiFi firewalls, they all share one thing in common: they want the loud, proud, visible ones to sit down and be quiet.
Which brings us to... us.
Let’s talk modern-day visibility. Let’s talk being Jewish and queer in the public square. Let’s talk Israel and Pride.
Israel, as you may have noticed, is loud. It’s not a subtle kind of place.
It’s a country where cabinet ministers scream at each other in Hebrew and then go out for coffee together (ideally).
Where you can get kosher shawarma, free WiFi, and a Tel Aviv Pride parade all within the same block.
Israel is also the only country in the Middle East where:
- There are regular elections.
- LGBTQ+ people are protected by law.
- Same-sex families can adopt and thrive.
- Queer teens don’t have to flee — because they’re already home.
Now contrast that with Israel’s neighbors:
- Iran: Elections? Only if the Ayatollah approves the candidates. LGBTQ+ people are criminalized and executed. Supporting Israel is punishable by law.
- Gaza (under Hamas): LGBTQ+ people live in fear and try to flee to Israel if they can. There are no elections. Opposition voices disappear.
- Saudi Arabia: No national elections. No religious freedom. No Pride parades — unless your idea of a parade involves prison vans and decapitation.
- The West Bank (PA): No elections since 2005. LGBTQ+ rights? Absolutely not.
Meanwhile, in Israel:
- You’ll find openly gay MKs, Arab Supreme Court justices, and Jewish drag queens reading Torah.
- Tel Aviv was named the world’s top gay travel destination.
- Pride parades are protected by police and celebrated by many politicians.
So yes — Israel is a little loud. A little proud. A little extra. And guess what? That makes people very uncomfortable.
Just like Korach was uncomfortable with Moshe.
Just like fundamentalists are uncomfortable with two men under a chuppah or a woman wearing tefillin.
Just like every tyrant in history has been uncomfortable with Jews who refused to disappear.
But as Harvey Milk said: “Hope will never be silent.”
We didn’t survive Pharaoh, Haman, Inquisition, pogroms, and Twitter trolls just to quiet down now.
This kind of hope doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s **taught.** It’s **nurtured.** It’s **inculcated.**
Rabbi Yitz Greenberg teaches: “The central drama of Jewish history is the transition from powerlessness to responsibility.”
That transition is made possible through Jewish education.
Education is what gives us the tools to speak, to dream, and to resist being erased.
And when it comes to role models, we are blessed with many — from Jewish history and LGBTQ+ activism alike.
- Magnus Hirschfeld, a German-Jewish doctor, founded one of the first gay rights organizations in the world in 1897.
- Bella Abzug, Jewish Congresswoman and advocate for women and LGBTQ+ rights.
- Barney Frank, the first openly gay Jewish Congressman.
- Abby Stein, the first openly trans woman to emerge from the Hasidic community.
- Larry Kramer, ACT UP founder and playwright, who fought for AIDS awareness with righteous Jewish rage.
And in Israel, we have our own bold, proud voices:
- Gal Uchovsky and Eytan Fox, creators of iconic Israeli LGBTQ+ cinema like “Yossi & Jagger.”
- Chen Arieli, former chair of the Aguda (Israel’s LGBTQ+ Task Force) and Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv.
- Assi Azar, beloved Israeli TV host who helped normalize LGBTQ+ identities in Israeli pop culture.
- Rabbi Mikie Goldstein, the first openly gay pulpit rabbi in Israel.
- Hagai El-Ad, former director of B’Tselem, and advocate for human rights for all people living under Israeli rule.
As Rabbi Sharon Brous writes: “The sacred task of our generation is to walk toward one another. To stand in the messiness of it all and choose love anyway.”
And so we choose education. We choose memory. We choose visibility.
We choose Jewish learning not just to preserve our past — but to power our future.
So this Shabbat Korach, in the heart of Pride Month, let’s be a little dangerous.
Let’s be too proud, too Jewish, too queer, too educated, and too fabulous for those who’d rather we shrink.
Let the ground open for the Korachs of the world.
We’ve got parades to plan, Shabbat tables to set, and Jewish futures to build.
Because maybe — just maybe — being “too much” is exactly what God had in mind all along.
Shabbat Shalom & Happy Pride!
Jewish LGBTQ+ Organizations & Educational Tools:
Keshet – LGBTQ+ advocacy and inclusion in Jewish life.
SOJOURN – The Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity.
JQ International – Jewish queer programming, youth support, and leadership development.
Eshel – Support for Orthodox LGBTQ+ Jews and their families.
SVARA – A traditionally radical yeshiva rooted in Talmud and queer community.
National Israel Education & Advocacy Resources:
The Jewish Education Project – Resources for educators navigating Israel and identity.
Unpacked for Educators – Smart, engaging Israel videos, podcasts, and lesson plans. (www.unpacked.education)
StandWithUs – Israel education and support tools for high school, college, and community leaders.
The iCenter for Israel Education – Training educators to teach Israel with nuance and depth.
Makom – Dynamic Israel education resources and professional development from the Jewish Agency.
