Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria

At our meetings we regularly discuss important issues, such as anti-Semitism, lesbophobia and coming out. We have organised many ground-breaking activities in our communities and will continue to do as issues arise.

Updates are provided on our JLGV page.

In 2012, we began thinking of a way to celebrate our 20 year anniversary!  We decided that producing a documentary film telling our story would be a real celebration. We then embarked on our fund-raising and media campaigns, and the making of our film began. By the end of the year, we had successfully raised over $10,000 towards the production and distribution of our documentary film, ‘It’s Who We Are: Celebrating 20 years of the Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria’. 

Throughout 2013, we worked with professional film makers to produce and edit our documentary film, ‘It’s Who We Are’. In December, we received the exciting news that our film had been chosen to screen in the Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2014.

In March 2014, our documentary film ‘It’s Who We Are: Celebrating 20 years of the Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria’ will have its world premiere at Melbourne Queer Film Festival. Check our page for details.

In Feb 2009, the Australian Jewish News (AJN) featured a photo of JLGV members at Pride March. 

In 2006, we launched the JLGVic website using the web design expertise of Zina Sofer. 

We mourned the untimely death and celebrated the life of one of our most dedicated and loved members, Rochelle Millar in October 2006. Many of us were recipients of her warm and caring nature, as well as her wicked humour. Rochelle's remarkable attitude to her illness was an inspiration to us all. She is very much missed. 

The Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria was one of the groups that organised the AGMC “Living and Loving in Diversity Conference” in October 2004. 

We wrote a letter regarding lesbian and gay youth suicide which was published in 'The Australian Jewish News' in August 2002.

‘Reclaim the Night March' 2001 changed the night of the march from Friday night to Saturday night to increase Jewish access after concerns were raised by members of the Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria.

We organised the fun-tastic ‘Multi-culti Lesbian Party' in 2001, building bridges with culturally diverse lesbians.

We organised the very successful open ‘Shabos' ceremonies at LesFest (2001), Sistajive Women's Music Festival (2001), South Coast Women's Music Festival (1999) and National Lesbian Cultural Celebration and Conference (1998).

We have held Jewish Lesbian Seders every year since 2000.

We established the Jewish Australian Lesbian Anthology Collective and compiled and edited the first Australian Jewish lesbian anthology.

We ran the hugely successful ‘Feast of Jewish Lesbian Films' (1998).

We organised and facilitated workshops on ‘Creating Cultural Inclusion in our Communities' at National Lesbian Cultural Celebration and Conference (1998).

In coalition with other groups, we succeeded in closing down the nazi bookshop in Fawkner (1998).

We were the first Jewish group to march in the annual Sydney Mardi Gras (1998).

We were the first Jewish group to march at Pride March Victoria, and have marched  with our banner in the annual Victorian Pride March every year since 1998.

We ran the  very successful forum, ‘Are Jewish Lesbians Kosher?' where a psychologist debated a rabbi (1996).

We staffed a  table at the annual ‘In One Voice', Concert in the Park (since 1995).

We have presented papers about Jewish Lesbian issues at countless conferences, starting with ‘Sappho was a Wog Grrl conference' in 1995.

We have been interviewed and have written many articles for Lesbian, Gay and Jewish publications in Australia and overseas.

We have been interviewed extensively on radio, including  the SBS Hebrew program, 3ZZZ, Dykes on Mics (3CR) and Joy Melbourne, as well as on Channel 31 ‘Bent TV'.

We have run many educational workshops, including for the Australian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS).

Our members are involved in many diverse community organisations where we have input into greater awareness and inclusion of Jewish lesbians.

Some of the activities in which we have been involved include:
A number of us participated in the introductory Keshet event, ’The Need for Educating our Jewish Community on GLBTI issues‘  which took place in August 2012.

One of us was a member of the JCCV reference group that was established in 2010 ’to better understand the needs of gays, lesbians and transgender people in the community’. The JCV report was released in October 2011.

In May 2007, JLGV and Aleph Melbourne participated in a public forum at the Temple Beth Israel on Jewish same-sex commitment ceremonies. The Council of Progressive Rabbis of Australia, New Zealand and Asia decided at its meeting on 5 June 2007, to give permission to rabbis to officiate at same-sex ceremonies where both members of the couple  are Jewish.

In August 2005, we participated in the Australian Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transsexual/Intersex and Queer Multicultural Conference (AGMC) Trivia Night.

In December 2002, we participated in ‘United We Dance: A Celebration of Melbourne's Gay and Lesbian Cultural Diversity'.

We were active in the Victorian AIDS Council Cross Cultural Group.

We participated in ‘Stand Strong Against Racism' and ‘Heath and Difference' conferences, speaking on panels and facilitating workshops.