JERUSALEMThe rainbow flag that waves outside the second-story, multiple-room offices of the Jerusalem Open House (JOH) is one of the fewquite possibly, onlyvisible LGBT signs here in this diverse, ancient, highly religious city.
The Jerusalem Open House, comparable to Chicago's Center On Halsted, is a 15 year-old organization, started in 1997 as a community center, focused on local social activities. It was not, and still is not, a therapeutic organization, nor one that promotes social change or advocacy. Instead, JOH offers drama classes, yoga, painting classes, hiking trips, and more.
Over the years, JOH has adapted from its original mission, to the needs of the community, said JOH executive director Elinor Sidi. JOH, for instance, now offers some direct services "that we simply had to give," she said, such as, free HIV testing.
Plus, JOH also offers legal aide, psycho-social services, and a teen and youth project, "especially since we realize that kids are being bullied," she said.
"Jerusalem is at the heart of every conflict in civil society. So many different [cultures], so many clashes. JOH is unique because all of the different populations do not meet [elsewhere], but they do at JOH; that's unique," Sidi said.
In addition, JOH has attracted many from the straight world, too, often looking for JOH's free HIV testing and other direct services, she said.
JOH has six employees, which will be increasing to eight. "We are a very small [organization], yet very efficient," she said.
The facility operates on a $300,000 annual budget, and its regulars range from teens through senior citizens, though rarely for the same events. Youngsters are common at hiking trips, while seniors prefer Shabbat services. It also is common to spot LGBT military personnel at the location, as well as families. Members of the ultra orthodox Jewish community often come to JOH for its direct services; Palestinians, too.
"I would say that the biggest thing that we do is, community-building," Sidi said. "Our biggest [financial] projects are the HIV testing clinic, the teen and youth projects, and [Jerusalem] Pride.
"JOH is not anti-religion or anti-God. In fact, some of us [working here] came from a religious background. But we have the impression that religion sometimes is used against us; it's the most common excuse. In 2007, there was a law proposition to forbid Jerusalem Pride. We succeeded [in opposing it]. That same proposition, we discovered [earlier this year], is on the table again at the [legislature of Israel, called the] Knesset."
The proposed law this time was actually meant to limit right-wing extremists from stirring things up in Jerusalem, but JOH fell under that law too, she said.
Sidi estimated that there are at least 10,000 LGBT people in Jerusalem.
When asked, she described Jerusalem's LGBT community as "alternative, very different."
"Jerusalem is very hetero-normative, meaning, even if you are straight yet funny-looking, or have tattoos, people can make you feel uncomfortable … Jerusalem seems to want to embrace normaltivity," she said.
Still, Mondays have been a traditional night locally for drag shows for several yearsand still are. Sidi said the local trans community is, "big and growing."
JOH operates fully on funds raised, including 80 percent of his annual operating budget from the U.S., private donations, mainly from New York, she said. "If [those funds] stopped [coming in], it would seriously impact us," she said.
JOH does not receive any financial support from the city.