Keshet, an Ottawa group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jews is making a comeback at Ottawa Pride. The last time the group marched together was in the late ’90s, but when core members left, the group dwindled and their participation in Pride ended — until now.
“A younger generation has taken up the torch and revived the group and decided that this year would be a good one to get back into Pride,’ says Gabriella Goliger, a member of Keshet and a well-known Ottawa author.
Goliger is neither a new member nor part of the younger generation, but she is the main instigator. Her motivation for pushing the group to participate was simple; after marching in Pride as a lonely individual, she wanted company.
“Which is partly why I wanted to get Keshet to march — for my own personal reasons,” she says. “My partner walks under the Unitarian banner. I don’t belong to any group anymore and was there [at Pride] as a nothing.”
Goliger says that the group invites not only queer Jews to take part, but all allies. She is not expecting a massive turnout, but she says that whatever happens, it will be good to march as a group again.
“Lots of Jews have marched as individuals with other groups, but this is the first time in a long time that we can do this as a group of Jews together,” she says.
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