How are LGBTQ+ Jews navigating today’s overlapping crises in Israel and in America? In this Z3 Podcast episode, Rabbi Amitai Fraiman speaks with Hila Peer and Asher Gellis about the impact of rising antisemitism and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment at a moment when community feels both more fragile and more essential than ever. The aftermath of October 7 saw rising tensions around LGBTQ+ identity in Jewish and queer spaces alike, and the polarization in both Israel and America have placed enormous pressures on an already vulnerable community. They conversation explores the heated debate over pinkwashing and how it has shaped perceptions of Jewish LGBTQ+ activism. What unfolds is a candid and deeply personal conversation about personal identity, community belonging, and the shared values that can sustain Jewish communities through times of crisis.

About Our Guests

Asher Gellis, MBA, founder and CEO of JQ International earned a BA in Political Theory from UCLA and an MBA from Pepperdine University. Prior to launching JQ International in 2004, Asher served as the Regional Director for Hadassah’s Young Judaea in California, Nevada, and Hawaii. He created curriculum for the Bureau of Jewish Education in Los Angeles, and guided teen scholastic Israel tours. Asher has launched dozens of groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Jewish programs and services affecting tens of thousands of lives and steering the Jewish Community towards greater LGBTQ+ inclusion for generations to come.

Hila Peer is the Chair of the Aguda – Israel’s LGBTQ Association, the country’s pioneering LGBTQ organization established in 1975, now celebrating 50 years of activism. A respected leader and passionate social activist, she has spearheaded major advances in civil rights and pro-LGBTQ legislation in Israel. Re-elected as Aguda’s Chair since 2020, Peer is recognized as one of the most prominent voices of Israel’s LGBTQ community and a proud mother of twins.

(00:00 ) Introduction

(03:14 ) Meet the Guests

(05:34 ) The U.S. Experience

(07:47 ) The Israeli Experience

(12:25 ) Polarization and Internal Divides

(18:03 ) Proximity and Resilience

(20:00 ) Media, Families, and Acceptance

(25:00 ) What Makes a Community?

(26:49 ) Debates over inclusion: “Drop the T” controversy

(32:14 ) Understanding divides within the LGBTQ+ community

(40:10 ) Pinkwashing and Tokenization

(53:36 ) Extreme Polarization

(54:44 ) Judaism and Advocacy

(1:03:07 ) Signs of Hope