A Wider Bridge

A Wider Bridge is a United States based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which has a goal of connecting LGBT communities in the U.S. and Israel and advocating for LGBT rights in Israel.[1][2] Their tagline is "Equality in Israel and Equality for Israel.”[3] The organization currently has offices in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York, and Tel Aviv.[4][5]

A Wider Bridge
Established2010 (2010)
Location1441 Broadway Suite 6149
New York, NY U.S.
DirectorEthan Felson
Websiteawiderbridge.org

History

The organization was founded in 2010 by Arthur Slepian after a homophobic shooting in Bar Noar, a gay bar in Tel Aviv. Slepian thought that LGBT relations between North America and Israel should not only come in times of crisis, but that the communities in both countries should be more consistently connected.[6][7][8][9] The group also focuses on the message that it is possible to be both LGBT and Jewish.[10]

In 2011 A Wider Bridge was named an Upstarter by the group UpStart, a Jewish entrepreneurial group.[6][11]

In 2017 A Wider Bridge announced that they would be changing directors on January 15 of 2018 from Arthur Slepian to Tye Gregory.[4][3]

In July 2020 A Wider Bridge announced Ethan Felson as executive director.[12]

Services

Education

A Wider Bridge does educational presentations at various places across the United States, including college campuses, to inform others about LGBT rights in Israel.[6][3][10][13][14] The group brings LGBT activists and artists from Israel across the U.S. to help educate people about LGBT life and culture in Israel.[9][7][15][16] A Wider Bridge also educates Jewish LGBT individuals in how to be better leaders.[17]

Trips to Israel

A Wider Bridge plans and sponsors trips that take LGBT people from the United States to various places in Israel so that they can learn and connect with LGBT and other human rights organizations in Israel and develop their leadership skills. The groups also meet with LGBT Palestinians and Ethiopians.[2][4][5][6][3][8][10][18][19][20][21][22][23]

A Wider Bridge has also partnered with Olivia Travel to sponsor a trip specifically for women focusing on feminist and lesbian issues in Israel.[3][24]

Refugee advocacy

A Wider Bridge hosts events specifically to educate the public on issues about LGBT refugees from the Middle East and North Africa.[25][26][27][28][29][30] The group also works to raise money for organizations helping these same LGBT refugees.[31][32]

Controversy
A rainbow flag featuring the Star of David.

Creating Change Conference

In 2016, A Wider Bridge had planned to present with Jerusalem Open House, an Israeli-based LGBT organization, at the National LGBTQ Task Force's Creating Change Conference.[5][33] The presentation was cancelled by the National LGBTQ Task Force because of an outcry from anti-Israel activists.[33] A Wider Bridge called for the presentation to be uncancelled through a petition and press release.[33][34][35] The presentation was then uncancelled.[36] The presentation did go on, but was interrupted by protestors and was not completed.[36][37][38][39][40][41][42] The National LGBTQ Task Force later condemned the protest for anti-semitism.[39][43]

Chicago Dyke March

At the 2017 Chicago Dyke March, three women claimed they were expelled for carrying a rainbow flag with the Star of David on it, a symbol of representation for Jewish LGBT individuals. According to the three women, they were told by the march organizers that they were kicked out because the march was anti-Zionist and pro-Palestine and because others were feeling threatened.[44][45] However, march organizers claimed that the flag was an Israeli flag superimposed on a rainbow flag while American flags similarly superimposed were also not welcome, and that the three women were expelled after repeatedly expressing support for Zionism.[46] One of the women who was expelled was a regional director at A Wider Bridge, and the organization has since come out against their expulsion and has created a petition asking the organizers of the Chicago Dyke March to apologize.[44][45][47][48][49][50][51] The Anti-Defamation League, Human Rights Campaign, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, have also spoken out against the banning of the Jewish Pride flag and the expulsion of the women.[49][52]

References
  1. "A Wider Bridge - Idealist". www.idealist.org. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  2. Bertran, Tori. "Group's mission: Advancing LGBTQ rights in Israel | Opinion". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  3. "LGBT Jewish Org A Wider Bridge Announces Leadership Change - The Seattle Lesbian". theseattlelesbian.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-17. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  4. "A Wider Bridge goes millennial with new executive director". J. 2017-07-05. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  5. Chaitman, Steven. "Oy!Chicago - Double Chai Check-In: Laurie Grauer is building Chicago 'A Wider Bridge'". Oy!Chicago. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  6. "Reflections from A Wider Bridge's Arthur Slepian - UpStart". UpStart. 2016-06-20. Archived from the original on 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  7. Slepian, Arthur (2016-07-20). "We Mourn And Then We Dance: Lessons In LGBT Resilience From Israel To The U.S." Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  8. "Comings & Goings". Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights. 2017-05-06. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  9. "Aguda, A Wider Bridge discuss U.S., Israeli LGBT communities - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News Archive - Windy City Times". Windy City Times. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  10. McDonald, John. "A Wider Bridge Allows LGBT Jews To Keep Faith". Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  11. "The Bay Area Reporter Online | Jewish LGBT organizations stake claim in SF". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  12. "LGBTQ rights group names longtime Israel advocate as director". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
  13. admin (2015-02-06). "Israel's gay-friendly message not welcome in Santa Cruz". J. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  14. "Group offers wider bridge to Israeli transgender teens visiting South Florida". miamiherald. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  15. "Mosaic of Westchester - A Wider Bridge Presents: Israeli Film Producer and LGBT Activist Gal Uchovsky-"Israeli Media: Agent for Equality?"". mosaicofwestchester.org. Archived from the original on 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  16. "Don't Miss: A Night of Ethiopian-Israeli R&B and LGBT Advocacy in NYC". 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
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  27. "Blog Archives". B'nai B'rith International. Archived from the original on 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
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  33. "LGBTQ group: Event with Jerusalem activists canceled due to anti-Israel pressure". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
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  36. "Op-Ed: Gay community must build a tent large enough to include pro-Israel voices". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  37. "VIDEO: Creating Change, Not Hate – AWiderBridge". awiderbridge.org. 24 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-08-12. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
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  39. Abunimah, Ali (2016-01-26). "Israel advocates falsely claim Chicago LGBTQ protest disrupted Jewish prayers". The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  40. Abunimah, Ali (2016-01-23). "Protest shuts down Israel lobby group at Chicago LGBTQ conference". The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
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  42. "Through IAN, Jewish Federations work to defeat BDS | The Jewish Federations of North America". jewishfederations.org. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
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  45. "Chicago gay pride parade expels Star of David flags". BBC News. 2017-06-26. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  46. <Hammond, Gretchen Rachel (2017-06-25). "More than 1,500 at Dyke March in Little Village, Jewish Pride flags banned". Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  47. Sommer, Allison Kaplan (2017-06-26). "Chicago Dyke March Defends Ban on Jewish Pride Flags: It's 'anti-Zionist but Not anti-Semitic'". Haaretz. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  48. Grauer, Laurel (2017-06-26). "The Chicago Dyke March Preaches Inclusion. So Why Was I Kicked Out for Carrying a Jewish Pride Flag?". Haaretz. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  49. JTA (2017-06-26). "Jewish Groups Demand Apology After 'anti-Zionist' Chicago Dyke March Justifies Ban on Jewish Pride Flags". Haaretz. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  50. "Protesters obstruct Jewish reception at gay rights convention". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  51. "Queer Jews: What Kind of Ancestors Will We Be?". Jewish Currents. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  52. ecarroll@cjn.org, ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER. "Cleveland Jews outraged at lack of pride shown at Chicago parade". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
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