By Jenna Pierson
Popular artists like Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga pulsed through the speakers and strobe lights went crazy as Hamsa, the LGBTQ Jewish group on campus, hosted their first drag show on Nov. 7 at Hillel.
The Hillel Multi-Purpose Room held over 30 attendees who were eager to watch drag queen Aveira dance around the room to Jewish remixes of popular songs, tell stories and poke fun at various aspects of Jewish culture.
“When I got to college I started to learn more about queer culture and I thought the Jewish holiday Purim would be a great opportunity to dress in drag for the first time,” said Avi Alpert, the senior computer science major whose drag persona is Aveira.
Purim is a Jewish festival that is held to celebrate the rescuing of the Jews from persecution in Persia, which is recounted in the biblical book of Esther.
“Drag is community-building because it gets straight and cis and queer people to all come together to have a fun time,” Alpert said.
Aveira pranced around the room in sparkly high heels and lip-synced in a variety of costumes, ranging from a sexy black latex catsuit to a nun-like robe. The room periodically exploded in a thunder of cheers and laughter. Although this was only Aveira’s second show, she was in her element and the room was full of joy and encouragement.
“This is the first time we have ever done a drag show through Hamsa, although the idea has been off and on for the past 12 years,” said Jacob Elspas, a senior computer science and linguistics double major on the executive board for Hamsa.
Elspas, who was an emcee for the show, also highlighted the importance of bringing queer culture to the Jewishsphere where there is little representation.
“There is this big clash between being queer and being Jewish, and we want to show that it is possible to be both,” Elspas said.
Hamsa is a space for both Jewish allies and LGBTQ members to come together, with larger events open to all and then ‘Nice Jewish Queer’ meetings held in the LGBTQ Equity Center on campus twice a month where students can share updates on their lives and seek community support.
While many scholars argue about the meaning of the Hamsa, a religious symbol, some Jewish people believe that the Hamsa can invoke the hands of God to ward off evil and establish peace. Hamsa at UMD hopes to nurture proud acceptance and growth for those who are Jewish and who identify within the LGBTQ community, as some may come from a strict religious background where they may have had difficulty being open and transparent in the past.
Aveira’s performance ended with an explosive number in which she jumped off a table and did a hairflip.
“I thought the performance was awesome, there was just so much enthusiasm,” said Raphaella Tenembaum, a freshman English major who was in attendance. “It’s so good to see people doing what they love and having a good time, and in turn, it’s a good time for everybody else too.”
Featured photo courtesy of Jenna Pierson.