It has become a much-loved tradition at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue (LJS) to mark LGBTQI+ Pride with a joyful Erev Shabbat service.

This year, something special occurred. A service that combined LGBTQI+ and D/deaf Pride, using British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation.

Over the past six months, Owen Power, Board of Deputies representative for York Liberal Jewish Community and a member of Liberal Judaism’s Board of National Officers, has been working with Vicki Ashmore, a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter and founder of DeafShul, on a quiet innovation – introducing a signed Erev Shabbat service once a month to explore interest and need.

As both D/deaf and gay, Owen saw an opportunity to bring these two identities together and approached Karen Newman, Libereal Judaism Chair and a key organiser of LJS’s Pride service, with a question: “What if we created a joint LGBTQI+ and D/deaf Pride service?” The answer was a resounding ‘yes’, and Karen was instrumental in organising the service.

The landmark event, led by Rabbi Igor Zinkov, was inclusive, accessible and moving. He seamlessly integrated DeafShul’s visual language of prayer into the spirit of the evening.

Rabbi Indigo Jonah Raphael, a longstanding advocate for diversity, delivered a powerful sermon that will long be remembered for its passion and enthusiasm. Jewish LGBT+ group members also took part in the Pride Shabbat, with some meaningful prayer readings.

Reflecting on the experience, Owen said: “We were delighted LJS ran with the Pride Shabbat vision. The service was joyful, and I was moved by the experience of feeling my D/deaf and gay identities fully welcomed and affirmed in such a beautiful setting.”

Rabbi Igor Zinkov leads the Pride Shabbat service at the LJS