EDUCATOR’S GUIDE By Rabbi Suzie Jacobson
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CONTENTS
An Educator’s Guide
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Timeline of Harvey Milk’s Life
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Harvey Milk: The Son of Jewish Immigrants
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In and Out of the Closet: Gay and Jewish
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Harvey Milk’s Vision for Tikkun Olam
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From Drifter to Visionary: A Hero’s Journey
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Reading the Whole Book
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Suggestions for Further Reading
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About Keshet and Jewish Lives
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HARVEY MILK: HIS LIVES AND DEATH By Lillian Faderman AN EDUCATOR’S GUIDE
Harvey Milk was a champion for civil and human rights and a visionary leader of the gay rights movement. In 1977, Milk become one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was a uniquely authentic and unapologetic gay candidate in an era when discrimination and repression of LGBTQ — a term that hadn’t even been coined yet — lives was the norm. His campaigns for office and activism gave hope to a community under siege. Harvey Milk’s remarkable but short career ended when he was assassinated by a colleague, only one year after taking office. Harvey Milk was also a proud Jew, whose vision for justice emerged from his Jewish background as the grandson of immigrants, growing up in the shadow of the Holocaust. Through learning about Harvey Milk’s life and vision for justice, we learn much about what it looks like to bring our Jewish values into action. From Harvey Milk, we can all learn what it means to truly make change in a complicated world. In this guide, you will find suggestions on how to draw out specific themes and questions for inquiry, using sections or chapters of the book. Beginning with essential questions and suggested passages for reading, each theme also includes suggested activities for exploration. At the end of the guide, you will find suggestions for how to assign the entire book to your students.
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TIMELINE May 22, 1930
Harvey Bernard Milk is born in Woodmere, New York.
1943–1947
Milk attends Bay Shore High School. He is a popular jock with a quick sense of humor. He knows he is gay but keeps his identity a secret.
1947–19451
Milk attends New York State Teachers College at Albany and earns a degree in mathematics.
1951–1955
Milk serves in the Navy, becoming an expert deep sea diver on the San Diegobased U.S.S. Kittiwake. He is honorably discharged.
1957–1970
Milk works as a high school math teacher and basketball coach at Hewlitt High School in New York. When he tires of teaching, he becomes an actuary and then works in finance on Wall Street.
May 28, 1969
Police raid the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Protests and demonstrations begin, sparking the gay civil rights movement in the US. Harvey Milk is not involved, though he was in NYC.
1970
Milk is fired from his job in finance when he refuses to cut his long hair and burns his Bank of America card.
1972
Milk and his new boyfriend, Scott Smith, move to the Castro in San Francisco. The neighborhood is just starting to become a gay mecca.
March 1973
Milk and Scott open Castro Camera. The store becomes a community center and hub for support and conversation.
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TIMELINE Nov 1973
Milk runs for supervisor for the first time. He is not backed by most of the gay political organizations who see him as an irresponsible hippy. Milk loses. He also loses his next two elections in ’75 and ’76.
1974
Milk organizes the Castro Village Association of local merchants and helps launch the first Castro Street Fair, a great success.
Nov 8, 1977
Milk is elected to the Board of Supervisors for District 5 in his fourth run for elected office. He is the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States but not the first openly gay person. Two gay women have already beaten Milk to this honor: Kathy Kozachenko had been elected in Ann Arbor (1973) and Elaine Noble in Massachusetts (1974).
April 1978
Mayor George Moscone signs the San Francisco Gay Civil Rights Ordinance – a bill that Harvey Milk introduced and championed.
Nov 27, 1978
Dan White assassinates Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone at City Hall. That night, more than 30,000 people peacefully march from the Castro to City Hall and hold a candlelight vigil.
May 21, 1979
Dan White is convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to only 7 years in prison. Thousands of people surround City Hall, rioting. Later that evening, several police cars converge at a gay bar in the Castro, storming the bar and beating patrons at random. This became known as the White Night Riots.
Aug 12, 2009
Milk is posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
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HARVEY MILK THE SON OF JEWISH IMMIGRANTS
Essential Question 1. How did Harvey Milk’s family story of immigration, anti-Semitism and struggle for success inspire his vision for justice? Suggested Text Selections • • •
Chapter 1 - The Milchs ○ The Milk immigration story. p.179 in Chapter 11, Leading ○ The influence of the Holocaust on Harvey Milk’s political ideas. p.233 (last paragraph) - p. 234 in Epilogue: Harvey Milk’s Legacy ○ Harvey Milk’s vision for tikkun olam.
Suggested Activity Harvey Milk grew up in the aftermath of his family’s transformation from “Milch.” The Milch’s were an impoverished Lithuanian family trying to find their place amidst the xenophobia and anti-Semitism of the early 20th century. To the Milks, this meant the middle class, businessowning, synagogue-building family of the suburb of Woodmere, New York. Inspired by these early experiences of anti-Semitism and struggle, Milk’s later vision for justice called for the equality and dignity of all people regardless of difference. We each are shaped by our individual and family stories. Like Harvey Milk, our experiences of trauma or oppression, opportunity or success shape us as individuals and shape our values. By comparing our family stories and experiences to Harvey Milk’s life, we encourage students to understand how they are shaped by their past, while distilling and understanding their personal values. a.
After studying the Milch/Milk family immigration story, have students go home and record their family’s story of coming to this country, asking questions such as:
i. When did your family come to America? Where did they come from? How did your family find employment? Where did they live? ii. Did they face oppression in their country of origin? Did they face anti-Semitism in America? iii. How did oppression shape your family’s life and goals? How does your family story touch your life and your vision for justice? b.
Have students present their own personal stories, comparing and contrasting their family’s experience to Harvey Milk and articulating what they learn from these narratives. This can be done informally or conversationally, or through formal presentations or multimedia explorations (creating prezis, videos, websites, etc) and may include pictures or other artifacts from their families. 6
IN AND OUT OF THE CLOSET GAY AND JEWISH
“If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.” – Harvey Milk, in a tape sent to Frank Robinson (p. 152) “Coming out is the most political thing you can do.” – Harvey Milk, from a 1978 speech Essential Questions 1. How did the dual experiences of being “closeted” (hiding his gay identity) and experiencing anti-Semitism influence Harvey Milk as a young man? 2. Though Harvey Milk spent much of his life in the closet, he later advocated that every gay person come out as a political action. Why did he think this was important? 3. How did Harvey Milk’s two oppressed identities - gay and Jewish - shape his life and his vision for justice? Suggested Text Selections • • •
Chapter 1 - The Milchs (particularly pp. 16-17, 18, and 23) ○ Harvey Milk’s early experiences with anti-Semitism (See also pp 49-50). Chapter 2 - Deep, Dark Secrets ○ Harvey Milk realizes he is gay and struggles to live an authentic life in the closet. Chapter 11 - Leading (particularly p. 170) ○ Harvey Milk advocates that every gay person come out of the closet in an act of political visibility, though he never came out to his own parents before their deaths.
Suggested Activity Harvey Milk spent the first 40 years of his life living primarily in the closet, often experiencing antiSemitism and struggling to find his place in the world. He suffered both as a gay man and as a Jew. It was only when he moved to San Francisco and decided to become an openly gay Jewish politician that he was able to find himself and his purpose. Use Harvey Milk’s story of identity-hiding and coming out to encourage students to explore their own identities. After reading the above selections, have students map their own identities, answering the following suggested questions: • • • • • •
What is/are your primary identity/ies? Have you ever felt that you needed to hide your identity/ies? Where? Why? Is it possible for you to be all of your identity/ies everywhere? Where do you feel that you are your most authentic self? Was there a time when you had to “come out of the closet?” How did it go? Do your identities inspire you to help others who struggle similarly? Allow these questions to encourage a conversation about what it means to be an ally and to support others in their quest for self actualization. 7
HARVEY MILK’S VISION FOR TIKKUN OLAM
“And the young gay people in the Altoona, Pennsylvanias and the Richmond, Minnesotas who are coming out …The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow...Without hope, not only gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the us-es, the us-es will give up. And if you help elect...more gay people, that gives a green light to all who feel disenfranchised, a green light to move forward. It means hope to a nation that has given up, because if a gay person makes it, the doors are open to everyone.” – Harvey Milk’s “Hope Speech,” 1978 Essential Questions 1. What was Harvey Milk’s vision for justice? 2. What did he accomplish during his very short time as a San Francisco Supervisor? Suggested Text Selections • • • • •
pp. 91-2, from Chapter 6 - Learning to Put Up the Chairs ○ Harvey Milk finds his political voice. pp. 121-24, from Chapter 8 - Milk vs. The Machine ○ Milk struggles to appeal to everyone, gay and straight and to find acceptance from the mainstream gay political community. All of Chapter 9 - Victory, particularly: ○ pp. 142-145, Harvey Milk leads the gay community in a moment of anger and outrage. ○ pp. 145-46, Milk finds support from the drag queen community and champions gay youth. ○ pp. 148-9, Milk wins and is known as “Moses for gay people.” He inspires the entire community. All of Chapter 11 - Leading, particularly: ○ pp. 171- End of chapter, Harvey Milk helps defeat the Prop 6 ballot initiative that would have introduced a witch hunt of gay and lesbian educators in California public schools. All of Epilogue - Harvey Milk’s Legacy, particularly: ○ pp. 233-35, Harvey Milk’s vision of tikkun olam.
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HARVEY MILK’S VISION FOR TIKKUN OLAM CONTINUED
Suggested Activities The Harvey Milk story is an excellent launching pad for any number of conversations about tikkun olam, what it takes to fix the brokenness in our complicated world. Here are a few suggestions for activities. 1. Harvey Milk is called the “Gay Moses,” (p.149). Read excerpts from his life in preparation for Pesach. Compare Milk’s story to Moses’ reluctance to lead (Shemot 3) or the crossing of the Sea of Reeds (Shemot 14-15). On Pesach we are commanded to “remember when we were slaves in Egypt,” in order to inspire us towards justice and freedom today. How does the Harvey Milk story inspire you this year to become more of a leader for social justice? 2. Harvey Milk’s story is an incredible case study about how one person’s audacious insistence on justice inspired hope and strength in a beleaguered community. Not only did he achieve this after only one year in office, but his vision for a just world extended far beyond the gay community. Harvey Milk believed that it is not enough to fight for one social group’s freedom without fighting for justice for all. Milk understood that the injustices faced by groups of people are interconnected and often overlapping. Individuals often find themselves in more than one marginalized social group, such as race, class, gender, sexuality and other categories. A black woman may face both racism and sexism; a gay immigrant may face both homophobia and xenophobia. Therefore, if we want to change racism, sexism, homophobia or xenophobia, we have to understand how these marginalized identities are interconnected. In this way, one person or group’s freedom is bound up with everyone’s freedom. Harvey Milk could not fight for gay rights without learning how to fight racism, sexism and poverty. 1. This is why as Jews, we use our experiences of oppression to inspire us towards social justice for all. Have students research contemporary justice issues and find stories of collective liberation - how one group supports and fights for another. Allow this to lead to a conversation about how we all can fight for a better world, particularly as allies for those who have identities and experiences different from our own.
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FROM DRIFTER TO VISIONARY A HERO’S JOURNEY
Essential Questions 1. How did Harvey Milk transform himself and his life from aimless drifter who couldn’t find a meaningful career into the most visible and inspiring gay politician of his era? 2. How did Harvey Milk measure success? He died beloved but penniless - what was most important to Milk? Suggested Text Selections • • •
Chapter 3 - Drifting ○ Harvey Milk’s fabulous success as a politician came later in life. For the first four decades of his life, he struggled to find his place in the world. This chapter is a good example of this period in his life but pieces from chapters 1, 2 and 4 also illustrate his journey. Chapter 11 - Leading, (particularly p.173) ○ In this chapter, Harvey Milk finds success as a leader, inspiring hope for so many. Epilogue - Harvey Milk’s Legacy, particularly: ○ pp. 233-35, Harvey Milk’s vision of tikkun olam and his legacy as a gay martyr.
Suggested Activities The Harvey Milk story is a unique hero’s journey. Milk was not a reluctant leader, but it took him decades to find his voice and his vision. For so long he bounced from job to job, from relationship to relationship. Here are few ways to continue to learn from the Milk hero story: 1. How do you define a hero? Does Harvey Milk measure up? Create a definition for your ideal leader and explain how Milk measures up. Did he have essential characteristics that made him an exceptional leader, or was it luck that brought him to the forefront? 2. Compare Harvey Milk to other hero’s journeys that you have studied in literature or in Judaism. For example, compare to Moses or another biblical prophet. Or compare the Harvey Milk story to other hero stories you have learned about in your history or literature classes.
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READING THE WHOLE BOOK
Though it is possible to learn much about Harvey Milk through excerpts of the book, reading the whole text is the best way to fully understand Milk’s life and legacy. In classrooms where teachers seek to assign the whole book to students, it is possible to use the preceding four suggested study themes as mini-lessons or units as your class studies the whole book. Below are a few suggestions for culminating conversations or activities after students have completed the book. Suggested Activities 1. Have students recreate the timeline of Harvey Milk’s life, highlighting what they see as the essential struggles, successes and turning points. Compare the timelines. How are they different? 2. Split the class into two (or more) groups and have them stage a debate on topics such as: a. When did your family come to America? Where did they come from? How did your family find employment? Where did they live? b. Did they face oppression in their country of origin? Did they face anti-Semitism in America? c. How did oppression shape your family’s life and goals? How does your family story touch your life and your vision for justice? 3. Using online and creative resources such as prezi, stop-action animation, piktochart (infographic creation) or video editing resources, have students work in teams to create short presentations of Harvey Milk’s life and legacy. They can focus on themes in the preceding guides, split up chapters or decades, or any other topic that is important for instruction.
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SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING
Books on Harvey Milk Harvey Milk. An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk’s Speeches and Writings. University of California Press, 2013. Corinne Grinapol. Harvey Milk: Pioneering Gay Politician. Rosen Publishing, 2015. Angela F Luna. In Celebration of Harvey Milk: Educational Materials for Grades 4 through 12. AuthorHouse, 2011. Randy Shilts. The Mayor of Castro Street: the Life & Times of Harvey Milk. St. Martins Press, 1988. Michael Woodford. Harvey Milk: The Politics of Hope. 2017. Books on the LGBTQ Rights Movement in America David Carter. Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution. Griffin, 2011. James Daley. Great Speeches on Gay Rights. Dover Publications, 2010. Lillian Faderman. The Gay Revolution the Story of the Struggle. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2016. Linda R. Hirshman. Victory: The Triumphant Gay Revolution. Harper Perennial, 2017. Eric Marcus. Making Gay History: The Half-Century Fight for Lesbian and Gay Equal Rights. Perennial, 2002.
How to Take Action in your School Rabbi Suzie Jacobson. A Guide to LGBTQ Inclusion for Jewish Day Schools. Produced by Keshet. http://bit.ly/KeshetLGBTQGuide
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ABOUT KESHET
Keshet is a national organization that works for full LGBTQ equality and inclusion in Jewish life. Led and supported by LGBTQ Jews and straight allies, Keshet cultivates the spirit and practice of inclusion in all parts of the Jewish community. We began as a small, grassroots group working for change in the Greater Boston area, and we are now a national organization with offices in the Bay Area and New York in addition to our national office in Boston. Our work is guided by a vision of a world where all Jewish organizations and communities are strengthened by LGBTQ-inclusive policy, programming, culture and leadership, and where Jews of all sexual orientations and gender identities can live fully integrated Jewish lives. To learn more about Keshet, visit www.keshetonline.org
ABOUT JEWISH LIVES
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present. Jewish Lives is a partnership of Yale University Press and the LDB Foundation. Ileene Smith is editorial director. Anita Shapira and Steven J. Zipperstein are series editors. For curated collections and special offers, visit www.jewishlives.org
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