Jerusalem Open House

The Jerusalem Open House Pride and Tolerance (JOH, Hebrew: הבית הפתוח בירושלים לגאווה ולסובלנות‎ HaBayit HaPatuach, "Open House" Arabic: البيت المفتوح في القدس للفخر والتسامح‎ Al-Beit Al-Maftoukh) is a grassroots, activist organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people and their allies. Since 1997, the JOH has aimed to provide direct services for the LGBT community within the city of Jerusalem and to secure LGBT rights in Israeli society at large.

The JOH’s annual budget is derived entirely from private donations, foundation and federation support, and membership and participation fees. The JOH does not receive financial aid from municipal, governmental sources or commercial sponsorships.

History

The Jerusalem Open House was founded in 1997. The annual Jerusalem Pride marches organized by the center have become the largest human-rights demonstrations in Jerusalem. In 2006 the JOH hosted WorldPride. The JOH also founded the first LGBT health clinic in Israel - the Open Clinic - and developed programming including a comprehensive youth program and unique projects bridging LGBT and religious identities.

Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance

Since the first March for Pride and Tolerance in 2002, Jerusalem Pride - entitled “Love Without Borders” - has become an established event in Jerusalem, each year bringing in additional partners and supporters.

In 2005 a municipal ban attempted to halt the parade, but it was overturned by a district court order. Protesters, many of them religious Jews, lined the mile-long parade route shouting insults and displaying signs with messages like: "You are corrupting our children" and “Jerusalem is not San Francisco” ^[1] During the parade, Yishai Schlissel, a Haredi Jew stabbed three parade participants with a kitchen knife. During a police interrogation, he described the motive behind his actions: "I came to murder on behalf of God. We can’t have such abomination in the country.".^[2] The perpetrator was subsequently convicted of three counts of attempted murder and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The Jerusalem District Court also ordered that NIS 280 million (about USD 60 million) be paid as compensation to the victims.^[3]

The 2006 Pride parade was also steeped in controversy. Radical right-wing activists Hillel Weiss, Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir declared a “holy war” against those participating in the Parade and announced that unless the parade was cancelled, violence would ensue.^[4] The Parade’s coordinators filed a complaint, accusing them of incitement to murder.^[5] A week before the parade violent rioting broke out in the Haredi neighborhood of Mea Shearim. Seven policemen and a number of unknown protesters were wounded. However, the parade proceeded without incident.

Advocacy

The JOH takes action on a variety of issues concerning the LGBT community through campaigning and advocacy. Current campaigns include efforts to convince the Rabbinical School of the Conservative movement to accept LGBT people into its Rabbinical program in Israel; to achieve recognition for LGBT victims of the Holocaust and their inclusion in Israel’s national Holocaust memorial ceremonies; and to protest against conversion therapy.

Religious programming

The JOH is the only LGBT organization in the country to offer ongoing religious programming, including Kabbalat Shabbat services, and holiday services. The center also organizes meetings and events for people of all religious denominations, including a social group for Orthodox gay men. In addition, JOH supports exchanges with LGBT synagogues abroad.

Health services

The JOH’s efforts to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and encourage better care and prevention in Jerusalem culminated in 2007 with the launch of Israel’s first LGBT health clinic: the Open Clinic.

See also

• Tehila

External links

• Jerusalem Open House
• Jerusalem Open House Blog

References