We are creating a living and accessible database of figures in Jewish sacred textual tradition that can be read through queer and subversive lenses. By collecting primary sources, commentary, and midrash we build a reframed portrait of our chosen figures with the intention of learning new things about them and about us and encouraging creative work. This resource marries art and text to help build connections from contemporary Jewish experience to those of the narrative past. During a moment where Queer and Jewish lives are under persistent threat, we need mentors and ancestors from our foundational stories that speak to us more than ever. Our goal is to present an array of figures from our texts that everyone can see themselves in, reflecting the diversity of the Jewish people.
The longterm goals of this project are to grow and sustain this archive and publish a corresponding card deck/art book. This is so that there is both digital and material access to this living resource.
This is a joyful project that embraces jokes and wordplay, the occasional flirtatious wink, and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. This playfulness is part of our interpretive tradition, and part of how we engage in these texts with our whole selves. Part of this is acknowledging that there are elements of these texts that are painful and that have caused harm. As marginalized communities, Queers and Jews alike have often found humor in darkness. This project is an outpouring from our love and care for these stories, and our desire to see ourselves and our community reflected in them. Like Yakov and the angel, we embrace and wrestle them until they bestow their blessings upon us.
This website offers a collaborative, expansive space to co-create this archive. In addition to this site, check out our Instagram @thejewishfabulous!
We are seeking resource sharing and art collaborations! How can you get involved? Fill out our contact form or message us on Instagram! You can also check out our project page to see if there is anything you can join!
