EXHIBITION | HONORING OUR QUEER ELDERS
History of the Project
By Rabbi Camille Shira Angel
"Honoring Our Queer Elders" is the culmination of several years of teaching a project-based, community engaged learning Jewish studies course offered at the University of San Francisco (USF). Created, designed, and taught by USF's Rabbi Angel, through this extraordinary class students engage in meaningful interactions with queer Jewish elders and others, while embarking on a path of learning that fosters critical thinking and cultivates a commitment to the public good.
Students produced each video in conversation and collaboration with a specific queer elder, from whom they learned LGBTQIA+ history, literally from those who lived and shaped it. In small, seemingly unnoticed ways as well as those much grander and more public, students got to know queer individuals 60 years of age and older -- proud trans, lesbian, gay, intersex, and/or asexual Jews who have managed to have thriving lives despite the challenges they have faced due to intolerance. Through this process, students explored topics such as Jewish ethics, Feminism, and Intersectionality, and were empowered to confront societal inequities with compassion and conviction. By applying a Jewish lens to this project, students considered what it means to have a covenantal responsibility to believe in the inherent human dignity and value of all human beings. They also learned about the paramount obligation of individuals and societies to pursue justice and righteousness.
Additional Educational Goals of This Project
As explained on the most recent syllabus to "Honoring Our LGBTQIA+ Elders," here is a brief selection of some of the additional pedagogical underpinnings of this course:
The number of queer people doubled in the last 12 years. There are an estimated 2.4 million queer adults over the age of 50 in the United States. In the course of their lifetime, they have seen monumental changes. Any queer person in the U.S. who is over the age of 65+ was born at a time when consensual same gender sexual activity was still illegal in all 50 states. Though this latter issue has changed, far too many queer adults continue to struggle in what should be their golden years. Queer elders face high rates of economic insecurity, challenges with queer-specific housing, severe health and wellness issues, and a dearth of support services tailored to meet their needs. In addition, many in this population face unique circumstances in terms of growing old and not having connections with their family of origin with whom that can be provided with accompaniment and care, as families often provide.
Contemporary Jewish ethics requires humans to care for the aging and aged populations in society. We are called to interrupt discrimination of all kinds and to make amends with those who have been impacted by prejudice and hatred. Tikkun olam is a Jewish way of saying that the world needs fixing and it is our job to fix it. In the words of the Mishnah, "It is not upon you to finish the work, but neither are you free to ignore it" (Ethics of the Sages, 2:21).
Another core purpose of this course is to develop students' knowledge and concern about communities that have been affected by injustice and to prepare students to lead lives committed to equity and community engagement with the aging elders of local queer communities. Students will have an opportunity to think deeply and critically about society at large, particularly about older adults who may identify as queer, and who may have meaningful stories and life experiences to transmit to younger generations. Through this process students will develop skills and practices to helping build a community that values and includes marginalized groups. For most, matters of the heart are the most precious legacy of one's life.
Exhibit's (and logo's) Origins
These legacy videos are a contemporary adaptation of the Jewish idea of an ethical will. Rabbi Angel's father, Rabbi Camillus Angel, of blessed memory, left an audio cassette for his loved ones before he died.
Camille's story of the importance of that audio cassette also served as the inspiration for the exhibit's logo found on the title page, which was created by Lydia Scott. In Lydia's own words, "I designed this logo because it represents how we can keep alive the voice and the spirit of those who have influenced us, and be able to share their stories with future generations. If you look closely, you will see that the background of the logo lists the names of the first 24 elders whose stories appear in the exhibit."
