Viewpoints

The Viewpoints Committee celebrates the rich diversity of the Jewish community. Viewpoints presents a wide variety of programs that help the congregation grow and learn together about different segments of our family, especially the interfaith, Jews of color, and the LGBTQ communities. These programs involve speakers, films, readings, and performance artists who hail from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. The one recurring program that Viewpoints sponsors is our Pride Shabbat in June. At that Shabbat service, there are special readings and speakers that highlight the LGBTQ Jewish experience.

The Viewpoints Committee offers a variety of films and speakers to the Temple Emeth community.

As part of our efforts to raise awareness of the minority, LGBTQ, disabled, and interfaith communities, the Viewpoints Committee sponsors a program of DEI groups. The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) groups are small discussion groups, whose purpose is to enable us to understand how others experience life at Temple Emeth. Reading and assessment materials are used to facilitate the discussions.

Programs for 2025-26
 

Disability Shabbat
Friday, February 27, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month, a unified initiative to raise disability awareness and support efforts to foster inclusion in Jewish communities worldwide. This year's Disability Shabbat will feature guest speaker Judy Eichinger, who will present Transforming the Lives of Kids with Kidney Disease. Additionally there will be a table with informational pamphlets, hosted by the National Kidney Donation Organization. A representative of the organization will be present to answer questions.

It's All in Her Name: The Jewish Soul of Queer Criminal Cantor Gold
Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
Author Ann Aptaker's Cantor Gold crime/mystery series has been the recipient of Lambda Literary and Goldie Awards. A native New Yorker, she has also earned a reputation as a respected exhibition designer and curator of art during her career in museums and galleries. This talk will focus on Cantor Gold, a dapper, custom-tailored lesbian art thief and smuggler in 1940s New York City. Her publisher, Bywater Brooks, is offering a 30% discount on her books by using the code Emeth30. This offer is valid until April 27.

Movie: Labors of Love
Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
This documentary offers a though-provoking look at a woman who helped reshape history. A visionary leader and one of history’s most influential, yet under-recognized, American Jewish women, Henrietta Szold left an indelible mark on the 20th century. She founded Hadassah in 1912, creating a vital link between American women and communities in Palestine. Through this organization, she established the region’s modern healthcare system, built on a mandate to treat Arabs and Jews equally. Later, she spearheaded Youth Aliyah, an operation that rescued 11,000 Jewish children from Nazi Europe.The documentary tells the story about the role of Henrietta Szold in the development of Israel. Director Abby Ginzberg will join us for question-and-answer session over Zoom at the conclusion of the movie.

Pride Shabbat
 Friday, June 12, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. Temple Emeth celebrates each year with a special service featuring special readings and music.

This year will feature a speaker from PFLAG, an organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. More details to follow.

The Viewpoints Committee welcome your suggestions about future programming. Email viewpoints@emeth.org.