Category: Community

Young Jewish Queers launched | AJN

Pride Across Cultures

Young Jewish Queers launched

“YJQ is a place for queer Jewish teens to meet each other and to see that there are other people like them.”

By Sharyn Kolieb

July 14, 2025, 3:06 pm

The Jews of Pride stall at the Pride Across Cultures event on June 25.  Photo: Michael Barnett.

During the pride month of June, a broad range of cultural and faith groups from Melbourne’s LGBTIQA+ community came together at the Collingwood Town Hall for the inaugural Thorne Harbour Health “Pride Across Cultures” event on June 25.

Amongst the dozen stalls were Jewish groups Aleph Melbourne and Jewmos, and newly formed group Young Jewish Queers for Jewish queer teenagers aged 13 to 18.

Michael Barnett of Aleph Melbourne said that amongst those who came to their stall were recent arrivals to Melbourne’s Jewish community from Israel and from interstate. Others came to share their support for the Jewish community in these challenging times including Matt Mackenzie from the Department of Home Affairs and Victoria Police LGBTIQA+ liaison coordinator Jeremy Oliver.

Barnett told The AJN that Mackenzie has been working closely with the Jewish community to understand their safety needs post-October 7, and Oliver has been instrumental in providing protection for the Jewish contingent at the Midsumma Pride March and at the Pride Across Cultures event.

Jarod Rhine-Davis of Jewmos delivered a presentation in the breakout room on the events being organised for this year including a queer Shabbat dinner to be hosted at Temple Beth Israel on August 15.

Freshly showcased on the night was Young Jewish Queers Melbourne (YJQ) formed to create a safe space for Jewish queer teenagers, who recently hosted a film night. Speaking to The AJN about starting YJQ, Nick Wainstein said, “The reason why I started YJQ is so that I could build a community and a space where I don’t feel the need or pressure to hide my identity. Whether that be being queer or Jewish.

“Having the experience of that constant feeling of not being fully accepted or being safe in either of the communities that you’re a part of is really isolating. And so that’s where YJQ comes in.”

Wainstein added, “YJQ is a place for queer Jewish teens to meet each other and to see that there are other people like them. This is a space where they don’t have to choose between being a queer person or being Jewish.”

To get involved in YJQ email: info@yjqmelbourne.com

To book the shabbat dinner at TBI visit tbi.shulcloud.com/event/queer-dinner

Jews of Pride at 2025 Midsumma Pride March

The Jews of Pride contingent came to life again at the 30th Midsumma Pride March on Sunday February 2, 2025.

Enjoy this compilation of clips taken from the day showcasing the diversity of Melbourne’s Jewish community, celebrating LGBTIQ+ people and our families.

Facebook: Jews of Pride at Pride March (Feb 2 2025)

Extended version includes photos and a bonus interview courtesy of 3CR’s Queering The Air:

Facebook: Jews of Pride at Pride March (Feb 2 2025) Extended version

Jewish News photo sales here (access password: AJNsubscriber18).

Participating/Supporting organisations:

AJN Letters: Funding alert

Aleph Melbourne is committed to both the welfare of LGBTIQA+ people and combatting antisemitism in Melbourne’s Jewish Community.

On discovering J United’s decision to fund a campaign with money from Advance (“Jewish-led anti-Greens campaign launches“; AJN Jan 30 2025), the latter an organisation that strongly campaigns against transgender rights, Aleph Melbourne co-convenor Michael Barnett responded with a letter to the editor.

Funding alert

It alarms me that J United has resorted to taking money from conservative lobby group Advance, which has campaigned hard against LGBTIQA+, Indigenous and other progressive causes for many years. History has taught us that people who are intolerant of diversity tend to be intolerant of Jews too. When a Jewish organisation takes money and in-kind support from Advance, they are inadvertently harming other vulnerable minorities in the pursuit of eradicating antisemitism.

I can’t say whether Advance genuinely care about Jews and antisemitism, however I am confident their motivation is not rooted in benevolence. They are a hardline outfit that promotes division and intolerance. I call on the Jewish community to fundraise from reputable sources.

Michael Barnett
Ashwood, Vic

AJN Letters to the Editor; February 14 2025

Aleph Melbourne will continue to stand up for the rights, visibility and inclusion of all LGBTIQ+ people, both in the Jewish community and beyond it.

UPDATE: March 12 2025

Two responses to this letter were published in the Australian Jewish News (“Defending Advance” by Michael Burd; Feb 21 2025 and “Straightforward” by Dan Coleman; Feb 28 2025):

Dr David Zyngier posthumously awarded Order of Australia

Aleph Melbourne heartily acknowledges the admittance of the late Dr David Zyngier as a Member of the Order of Australia in the June 10 King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List.

David Zyngier AM was recognised for significant service to tertiary education, and to the community of Glen Eira.

Of particular note, David was a passionate supporter of Aleph Melbourne and of improving the lives of LGBTIQA+ people.

Despite the poignancy of receiving this award posthumously, the recognition helps provide a way for those who knew and loved David to hold his memory strong in perpetuity.

We will be forever grateful for the support David gave our organisation and LGBTIQA+ people over the years.

Full citation: The late Dr David Zyngier

“Jews of Pride” at 2024 Midsumma Pride March

The “Jews of Pride” contingent came to life again at the 29th Midsumma Pride March on February 4, 2024.

Enjoy this compilation of clips taken from the day showcasing the diversity of Melbourne’s Jewish community, celebrating LGBTIQ+ people and our families.

Facebook: “Jews of Pride” at Pride March (Feb 4 2024)

Jewish News photo sales here (access password: AJNsubscriber18).

Participating organisations:

Supporting (non-participating) organisations:

Jewish community comes together at Midsumma Pride March

In a fantastic show of support from Melbourne’s Jewish community, over 13 community groups and 100+ participants danced their way down the length of Fitzroy Street St Kilda for the Midsumma Pride March.

Following months of planning the day came together without a hitch, not taking into account the 38 degree weather forecast.

The sound system had been boosted with extra speakers, to bring more of our exciting Jewish and Israeli music mix to the street, and the ute was more vibrantly Jewish in appearance.

As with previous years, the crowds cheered us from the sidelines, loving our Jewish solidarity for LGBTIQA+ diversity.

Poignantly, placards of the late David Zyngier were flown especially high to commemorate his participation in the contingent over recent years and his commitment to LGBTIQA+rights.

One long-standing participant of the Jews of Pride contingent told us that being part of the march this year was really important to them and made them even more proud, a sentiment reflected by many others.

We are especially grateful to both Midsumma Festival and Victoria Police LGBTIQA+ Liaison for their assistance in keeping us safe, and to CSG Victoria for their additional assistance.

Photos from the day are available on Facebook and Google Photos.

Colin Krycer OAM & Michael Barnett OAM
“Jews of Pride ” Contingent organisers