The Welcoming Nature Expands: Diving into the Sha’ar Zahav Archives
Marchers from Sha’ar Zahav at Lesbian & Gay Freedom Day Parade circa 1986; photograph courtesy of Sha’ar Zahav.
By Andrew Shaffer
So much of our history is sitting in attics, garages, and basements, just waiting to be recovered. At Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (Golden Gate), San Francisco’s queer synagogue, bringing their history into the light started as a pandemic project which has now taken on a life of its own.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the congregation’s office manager reached out to long-time members Ron Lezell and Paul Cohen z"l (1947-2022) to let them know about a collection of files found in their attic. According to Lezell, a member of the congregation’s newly formed archives committee, “almost nobody knew about the existence of these boxes. When we moved into our current space in 1998, the old files from the previous spaces were tossed into an attic and largely forgotten.”
The archives committee, which has included Alex Ingersoll, Lisa Katz, Mark Mackler, Sharyn Saslafsky, and Robert Tat along with Lezell and Cohen, has uncovered a treasure trove of materials documenting the congregation’s internal evolution and development, as well as its impact on the broader Jewish and LGBTQ worlds.
They describe the efforts – led by Sha’ar Zahav members – to reinterpret Leviticus 18:22, which is usually seen to condemn sex between men, and how that updated interpretation promulgated through the Reform Movement and non-Orthodox Movements of Judaism.
According to Lezell, “the fact that queer Jews are welcomed and embraced within the non-Orthodox movements of Judaism was hugely influenced by our work.” Sha’ar Zahav was one of the first congregations to be established as an explicitly safe space for queer Jews, along with groups in Los Angeles and New York City, and they have worked to create additional safe spaces throughout the world.
The work hasn’t always been easy and in the early days, their work was more discreet by necessity. Early files found in the archives show this transformation clearly. “For the first several years of our newsletters, we never published with last names,” said Lezell. “Even the newsletters would get mailed out in a plain white envelope, so the name of the synagogue wouldn’t out somebody.” Today, the congregation is much more visible, and is proud to count current and past openly LGBTQ elected officials among its members.
In addition to advocating for more queer welcoming spaces, the congregation has worked on numerous fronts towards greater social justice. The archives include meeting minutes from the congregation’s committees, from those helping people with AIDS and migrants during the sanctuary movement, to committees focusing on climate action, racial equity, voting rights, trans rights, and more.
Deborah Levy, president of the congregation, stated “our social justice work continues - and is even strengthening.” The group is responding to the current moment by doing significant work to support trans folks, including providing training and education around pronouns, hosting a trans supportive group, participating in trans-supportive activism, and reviewing and updating their bylaws to better reflect the gender diversity of the congregation.
“The welcoming nature expands, as people from diverse communities take the stage and step into the spotlight,” Levy noted. Some folks in the congregation are working now on creating gender neutral Hebrew, and non-binary prayers are incorporated into the congregation’s services.
As the congregation works to ensure a welcoming environment for all, they are seeing continued interest from folks around the world. Levy noted that, with the move to virtual meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic, “our community really expanded to include folks who are only able to attend online.” This includes both local people with limited mobility and those in areas lacking a welcoming space, and the group is working to continue serving all members and create a unified community with different points of access.
The archives committee is hoping to do the same for the accessibility of their material. While the archives are not currently open for researchers, plans are underway to digitize much of the collection, to make it widely available. The committee is still processing the collection, and will undoubtedly continue to uncover incredible treasures from the last 45+ years of history as they go.
Anyone interested in getting involved with Sha’ar Zahav, or learning more about their archives, should visit their website at shaarzahav.org.
Supported by the Jewish Pride Fund, a program of the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.
To learn more about our archival collections policy, and explore a possible archival donation, visit glbthistory.org/donations-acquisitions.