Center for Jewish History Announces June Events to Focus on LGBTQ+ History

In June 1969, the Stonewall Uprising took place in Manhattan. It was the tipping point in the gay liberation movement in the United States. The Center for Jewish History will commemorate this historical month-long celebration with a series of programs and more.

Streaming on Wednesday, June 23rd at 4:00 pm is The Daring Life and Dangerous Times of Eve Adams. Acclaimed historian Jonathan Ned Katz has recovered the extraordinary story of Eve Adams, an early, daring activist. Born Chawa Zloczewer into a Jewish family in Poland, Adams emigrated to the U.S. in 1912. Adams took a new name, befriended anarchists, sold radical publications, and ran lesbian- and-gay-friendly speakeasies in Chicago and New York. In 1925, Adams risked all to write and publish a book titled Lesbian Love. Adams's association with notorious anarchists caught the attention of J. Edgar Hoover and the US Bureau of Investigation, leading to her surveillance and arrest. Adams was convicted of publishing an obscene book and of attempted sex with a policewoman sent to entrap her. Adams was jailed and then deported back to Europe and experienced the Nazis' reign of terror.

"This is an astonishing and timely story about an unknown LGBTQ pioneer, thankfully rescued from oblivion. Eve Adams was a bold iconoclast who paid the ultimate penalty for living her truth," says Lauren Gilbert, Senior Manager for Public Services at the Center for Jewish History.

Streaming on Monday, June 28th at 2:00 pm is Family History Today: Researching your Historical LGBTQ+ Relatives. You may have heard family rumors about the "bachelor uncle" or the aunt and her "roommate." Perhaps you identify as LGBTQ+ and want to know if there were others like you in your family tree. Professional genealogist Janice Sellers will show you how to pursue your family history research. She will also discuss ethical concerns you should consider, and why an understanding of gay history is critical to finding and understanding the information.

The Center for Jewish History Partners will be hosting additional programming. To view the calendar of events, visit programs.cjh.org.