Reviewing & Connecting with Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells
by Sofia Bralich
For me, queer identity and spirituality are deeply intertwined and inform each other. However, for most of my life, I’ve felt like they’ve been pulled apart. It’s only recently, with my journey to converting to Judaism, that I’ve felt them coming together again in a way that makes me feel whole. Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells is “a celebration of LGBTQ Jewish life and ritual” containing prayers, blessings, and readings for every part of Jewish life. From personal morning prayers to community and special occasion blessings, Where Pride Dwells does a beautiful job of incorporating queer lived experience into Jewish practice. Personally, having a prayer book that celebrates both queerness and Judaism has helped clarify my feelings of spiritual wholeness into words and actions.
Where Pride Dwells is divided into two parts; Part I includes personal prayers and blessings, and Part II is about community voices. The personal prayers section has prayers for mornings and Friday nights, everyday prayers, and unique or special moments. What makes these so impactful is how they are meant to blend seamlessly into already established rituals. For example, there is a prayer meant for before the candle lighting on Shabbat that gives thanks to God for love and life. Specifically, it asks for the wisdom to “remember all parts of our stories, and make space for all that we are.” There is already the space within the rituals of Shabbat to give thanks and appreciate one’s life, and the prayers within Where Pride Dwells incorporate the unique experience of being queer into that space.
The community prayers include prayers for Torah service, LGBTQ+ partnerships, and, one of my favorite parts, prayers for notable days in the LGBTQ+ year. The chapter for the LGBTQ+ year is filled with prayers and blessings, and readings that give an insight into the experiences and history of the queer Jewish community. There is a small biography on Harvey Milk, poems about being queer, and even a recipe for rainbow challah. Some prayers and blessings can be done to make Jewish spaces more inclusive, such as a Pride Seder and Mi Shebeirachs with queer themes. The fact that it’s an anthology of writings from many different queer Jews and the attention to detail in incorporating celebrations of queerness into everyday life gives a feeling of great connection to the wider queer Jewish community.
Personally, I have been using Where Pride Dwells every day. The Westward Amidah provides the time for me to be thankful for my life as a queer person and reflect on where I am today. The blessings that celebrate being non-binary help change my feelings of gender dysphoria into euphoria, reminding me that all of us are created b’tzelem Elohim. And I’m especially looking forward to incorporating part of their Pride Seder into my celebration this upcoming Passover. Participating in spiritual practice that celebrates and brings together all aspects of my identity has been an incredible experience thus far. Whether you want to find a way to pray that feels more authentic or just want to learn more about the intersection between queerness and Judaism, Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells is a great resource.
Sofía Bralich (they/them/elle) is a Latine nonbinary lesbian in the process of converting to Judaism. They are currently earning a bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Women’s, Chicano, and Religious Studies. Sofía is from the border city of El Paso, which had led to a lifelong interest in cross-cultural relationships and intersectionality.
