“Tonight, These Lights Are Beacons of Hope for an AIDS-Free World”: Jewish Prayers of Remembrance and Healing for Those Affected by HIV/AIDS

Elazar Ben-Lulu ()
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Elazar Ben-Lulu: Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: Various religious responses to the AIDS epidemic were and still are often laden with stereotypes and homophobic attitudes, sometimes justifying the disease as a divine response to “sin”. This study is dedicated to examining prayers written by non-Orthodox gay rabbis to commemorate those lost to AIDS-related causes and to pray for healing and robust health for those living with the virus. In each of these prayers, most of which are recited on World AIDS Day (WAD), the worshiper is invited to remember the deceased and the hardships they endured, as well as to bless the present moment; those struggling with the virus; and the medical teams treating it. The textual analysis illustrates how AIDS liturgy reveals the congregation’s distinct religious–therapeutic egalitarian culture. These prayers serve as political instruments of resistance against AIDS-phobia and related stereotypes, demonstrating how LGBTQ+ collective memory can be constructed through religious liturgical texts rather than exclusively within secular frameworks. This is another way for non-Orthodox Jewish communities to signal their liberal agenda and distinguish themselves from conservative communities.

Keywords: AIDS/HIV; liturgy; non-orthodox Judaism; LGBTQ+; sexuality; healing; memory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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