Michelle Kristall-Monnickendam of JPride tells JLife about the Jewish LGBT group’s first year of meetings, barbeques and cheesecakes, following its first birthday party recently.
It was JPride’s first anniversary and birthday party in January. To say we are extremely happy is an understatement, as it’s been a truly wonderful year meeting new people who want to join the group.
Suzanne Benjamin started the group and brought myself, Jo Casey-Marten and David Fligg, who is co-founder of the Performing the Jewish Archive project at the University of Leeds music school, on board.
We’ve had so many events in the last year – the first being a punch and pretzel night which was so successful and equally as fun. This was a chance for us to meet the 22 new people who would later form our group. People of all ages turned up, from early 20s to late 50s, and they all got on so well – especially as the punch was so tasty.
A games night was then held, which was hilarious, as well as a summer barbeque, and a Sukkot event which obviously involved lots of cheesecake and bagels. Bonfire night and a Chanukah meal followed too, with the latter held in the MAZCC centre in December 2017. So it has been a pretty busy year and we’ve also started planning future events like a matzo ramble and a barge trip.
We are all so proud of our group and how it has evolved over the past year. Myself and the rest of the committee feel very passionately about bringing together the Jewish LGBT community and the fact that news of us has spread to London, Sheffield, Hebden Bridge and Manchester is just fantastic.
The next JPride event is a games evening on 24th February, with tickets priced at £5. This is followed by the matzo ramble on 2nd April, which is free to attend.
For more information on JPride and its events, email jprideleeds@gmail.com.
Photo: John Fisher