Dorothy Elias: “self-acceptance… my complicated growing up across cultures, the Holocaust, a hidden queer self, led to all kinds of self-doubt and self-hate… leave behind all the struggle”
Glen Phillips: “You can’t be anything if you don’t first know yourself, love yourself. Be comfortable with who you are… I can’t change anybody… the world… anything. I can only change me”
Hope Forstenzer: “growing up as a queer kid teaches you… how easily the world feels like it’s falling apart from your insides and how beautiful it is to put it back together from the inside out”
David Keselman: “stay true to yourself and be honest, and the most important thing is to make sure that you’re happy with yourself”
Val Fishman: “knowing people from different backgrounds and different choices in life enrich our life rather than take something from us”
Aaron Devor: “our job, as the rabbis have taught us, is not to try and finish making the world a perfect place, but it is our job to continue to try”
Jaye Beer: “Be true to yourself… when it’s safe to be so… sometimes just living is enough … the hardest part of trans existence can be between nobody realizing that you’re trans and seeking care”
Ira Rogers: “I have learned that if you care about people, and you value good solid friendships, then be kind, honest and compassionate with people, and they will stand in your light”
Julie Elizabeth: “Don’t have expectations because you’ll be disappointed... Follow your bliss… I didn’t follow mine because I didn’t have the self esteem and it’s all a big huge regret… I’m living right now. I’m not worried about what’s on tomorrow”
Susan Dempsey: “If I had to do it over again, I would be out more… speak up more… I’d be more proud to be a Jew”
Shira Macklin: “it’s possible to live according to your true nature and not your ego… not so much who I am, but who we are… as human beings”
Reva Hutkin: “Be comfortable with who you are… I can’t change anybody. I can’t change the world…. I can only change me…. bottom line truth”
Ann Daskal: “nothing is as it seems in a culture or a family or an organization, but you should believe in what you think is true and act accordingly… don’t necessarily believe what you’re told”
Avital Jarus Hakak: “contribute to society because being open and out as we are, it brings more colour… to the entire puzzle, but not only colour, but also acceptance”
Bayla Greenspoon: “Each person is a unique being that comes here with something to contribute… it’s important for each of us to feel like we are enough… just by being who we are”
Caryl Dolinko: “Who I was 10 years ago is not the person I am now, but the history that I have, carries me here and never leaves me… there’s something solid that’s grounding me”
David Steiner: “you have to be your own person… get an education… listen to your own drum… don’t worry about what other people think… be true to yourself and the rest doesn’t matter”
Debby Yaffe: “It’s always the best of times; it’s always the worst of times. Things will get better; things will get worse. And don’t worry about it. Just do what you can!”
Lauren Nackman: “we’ve suddenly reached this age where we can imagine the end of our lives… so it’s a real conversation starter for reflection… as both a Jew and a queer person… those identities… are the fuel that has kept me going”
Lily Hoenig: “it’s hard not to go into a situation or meet someone without preconceptions… it’s important to stop and actually listen to the actual person and what their stories are, rather than just going based on our understanding of them”
Lisa Weiner: “life is complete unpredictable… planning is helpful, but there’s absolutely no rhyme or reason for results, and to me, that is simultaneously exciting, disappointing, baffling”
SD Holman: “We have a lot to learn from people who are older than us and… from people who are younger than us. Remember that you have history before you that came before you. You probably didn’t invent it”
Pat Johnson: “things can look bleak but it’s possible that change is going to come and it’ll come faster than you think… there are times in history where unexpected progress happens in shockingly, comparatively fast historical terms”
Nancy Rosenblum: “Oy, never judge a book by its cover.. stand for what you believe in… the differences between us are not that vast… anything can be overcome… find our commonness than our differences”
Marsha Ablowtiz: “I learned that I was very, very lucky to be born, where I was , when I was, with such nice parents… wonderful community… I was born in the right place at the right time”
Marc Gelmon: “it’s really important to cultivate confidence in yourself, cultivate the value that you bring, the unique set of strengths that you have”
Jack Huberman: “maintaining a positive attitude… treating people fairly and equally… nobody is better than anybody else. We were born the same way and we die the same way
Syd Lapan: “follow your heart, to believe that it is good and true and right… if it goes against everything that everybody else… that doesn’t make it bad… it’s a tough journey, but it’s worth it”
Alan Stamp: “Life has shot by like a long weekend for me… lead a purpose driven life… be careful what you say and be careful how you express yourself. Words can hurt, or words can heal”
To continue with the online exhibit, please click below on Jewish Goodbye (one more thing).
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