Pride with Kulanu Toronto!

Hi folks!

Only 2 weeks left till Pride! This year, Pride weekend runs from Friday, June 29 to Sunday, July 1. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!  

We look forward to seeing you at the June 2 Pride shul service, at our Melting Bead Keychain-Making Pizza Party, and at our Pre-Pride Karaoke Night. We also invite you to sign up for Kulanu Toronto booth shifts (see schedule below).

On a political note, QuAIA (Queers Against Israeli Apartheid) is planning to march in the parade again this year, so we need you to come out and march with Kulanu Toronto at the parade on July 1! Let's bring back the celebratory spirit of Pride.  

EVENTS:

Going to Shul With Pride! (Congregation Shir Libeynu) Saturday June 2^nd, 10:30am, Miles Nadal JCC (750 Spadina Ave, at Bloor)

Celebrate LGBTQ Pride at Congregation Shir Libeynu’s annual and inclusive shul service. Hear innovative liturgy for queer Jews, and participate in contemporary and traditional readings, music, and prayers. Service led by lay Rabbinic leader Dr. Aviva Goldberg and cantor Daniela Gesundheit. Kiddush lunch to follow. Childcare available.

Melting Bead Keychain-Making Pizza Party!

Do you enjoy arts and crafts? Are you creative? If so, join us on Wednesday, June 13 to make colourful Pride keychains for our booth. No previous art experience necessary.

Time: 6:30pm
Place: 30 Holly Street Party Room (Holly is one street east of Yonge, just south of Eglinton)

Pizza and drinks served.
Parking: Available at 30 Holly Street underground

RSVP by Mon, June 11 to kulanutoronto@gmail.com and let us know if you will need parking.Friends and allies welcome.

Pre-Pride Karaoke Night!

Join us for our pre-Pride karaoke night on Saturday, June 23 at Spirits Bar & Grill (642 Church Street, at Bloor).

Arrive 9:30am.
Karaoke starts 10pm.
Appetizers served.
No entry fee.

RSVP by Thursday, June 21 to kulanutoronto@gmail.com.

Bring yourself and your Pride spirit.
Friends and allies welcome.

Booth Volunteering!

We need volunteers to help out at our KT booth over Pride weekend. Our booth will be located at Church and Gloucester. Booth volunteering is lots of fun - you get to schmooze, meet tons of new people, and sell fabulous Kulanu Toronto goodies. We need 2-3 people per shift.

Sign up for one or more of the shifts below. Email us your name with your preferred shift dates and times to kulanutoronto@gmail.com.

Saturday, June 30 (Dyke March)

9am-12pm: (setup)

12pm-3pm: (Dyke March starts 2pm)

3pm-6pm:

6pm-9pm:

Sunday, July 1 (Pride Parade)

10am-2pm:

2pm-6pm: (Pride Parade starts 2pm)

6pm-9pm:

6pm-9pm: (tear down)

We have so much to celebrate! Join us at Pride 2012.

Let My People Go! Film - THIS SUNDAY NIGHT

Are you a film fan? Do you enjoy quirky comedy? If you answered yes to these questions, come join Kulanu Toronto THIS SUNDAY NIGHT at the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival (May 17-27) for the screening of the Finnish/French film “Let My People Go!”

Date: Sunday, May 20
Time: 7:15pm
Cost: $13 online
Place: TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West, just east of Spadina)
Running time: 88 mins (French and Finnish subtitles)

Film synopsis:
For those who hate films with formulas, Mikael Buch's bubbly comedy might provide the antidote they crave—it's impossible to predict where the plot is going next.

The opening shots of an adorable gay couple living in rustic Finnish bliss are so candy-coloured they seem like a dream. But when mail carrier Ruben (played with a winning and somewhat hysterical feyness by Nicolas Maury) tries to force an unwanted package onto one of the village's inhabitants, the twists start coming. Next thing you know, Ruben is headed back to Paris to spend time with his family, a boisterous Jewish brood with a dry-cleaning empire, presided over by matriarch Rachel, who regularly forgets that her son is gay as she encourages him to marry a nice Jewish girl.

Spanish actress Carmen Maura certainly nails the role of overbearing mom, but it's no coincidence Buch cast the star of Pedro Almod—var's camp classic, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, an obvious influence here. Buch's zaniness, however, has a delight- fully contemporary flavour all its own. Despite throwing a lecherous lawyer, oddball parents, a shocked rabbi, an insensitive goy and some hilarious jail scenes into the mix, the director doesn't let things descend into complete anarchy. You'll be amazed how he is able to pull it all together in the end.

Purchase tickets online at http://www.insideout.ca/.

Co-sponsored by: Kulanu Toronto & ProudFM

Don't Miss Downtown Tikkun Leil Shavuot!

Kulanu Toronto is proud to co-sponsor this year's all night Shavuot learning festival held at the Miles Nadal JCC on Saturday, May 26!

The evening starts at 9pm and runs till 6am the next morning.

Stay as long as you like.

Join us for workshops that include an eclectic mix of academic, traditional, and experiential topics. As an example, Dr. Aviva Goldberg from Congregation Shir Libeynu will be presenting "The Art of Midrash: A Photographer's Queer Perspective." This workshop will examine and critique contemporary Midrash as expressed through selected works of the late Jewish gay photographer, Oscar Wolfman. Oscar's Midrashic photographs present a unique and important contemporary perspective building upon and adding to classical Rabbinic, feminist and Queer Jewish commentary.

Other co-sponsors include Makom, Congregation Shir Libeynu, City Shul, Darchei Noam, First Narayever Congregation, Holy Blossom, Annex Shul, Limmud Toronto, Shoresh, Jewish Family and Child Services, United Way, Downtown Jewish Community School, Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School, Danforth Jewish Circle, UJA Federation, Miles Nadal JCC, and Camp Gesher.

Volunteers Needed This Saturday.....

Join us for a couple of hours THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON to hand out Inside Out LGBT Film Festival program guides.

Coffee and schmooze afterwards.

Meet at 12pm in the Beer Store parking lot (west side of Church Street, just north of Wellesley) to pick up program guides. From there, we will walk down to Church and Wellesley, partner off, and hand out the guides to passers by.

When all the guides have been handed out, we will go for a coffee and schmooze.

PLEASE RSVP BY TOMORROW 3PM to kulanutoronto@gmail.com.
Friends and allies welcome.

See you Saturday!