Twice Blessed: On Being Lesbian, Gay, and Jewish

Pressures within the Jewish community keep gay and lesbian Jews invisible, according to Balka, a social activist in Philadelphia, and Rose, a San Francisco social worker. The 24 contributors to this landmark anthology seek ways to combine gay pride with active participation in Judaism. In one essay, a rabbi describes her life as a lesbian mother; several pieces are about growing up Jewish and gay. Others discuss coming out, the founding of gay and lesbian synagogues, heterosexist assumptions in Jewish texts, responses to the challenge of AIDS, a ``theology of sexuality'' that embraces the erotic, and the ways homosexuality forces a reevaluation of traditional Jewish notions of family life. (Dec.)