A Wider Bridge (AWB) is a left-of-center nonprofit that focuses on promoting Jewish-oriented pro-LGBT policies related to Israel, including full state recognition of same-sex marriages in the country. The organization also opposes “demonizing and delegitimizing Israel,” promoting “constructive engagement” with the state it calls “the most important project of Jewish people.” ¹

Background

A Wider Bridge was founded in 2010 by Arthur Slepiana political activist involved in several San Francisco-based Jewish and LGBT organizations. ² AWB has two primary campaigns: Equality In Israel and Equality For Israel. Equality In Israel is focused on promoting LGBT rights in Israel, while Equality For Israel is focused on promoting a more sympathetic view of Israel. ¹

AWB’s Equality In Israel campaign largely focuses on promoting full state recognition of same-sex marriage in Israel, legalization of surrogacy for same-sex couples, and removal of obstacles to adoption by same-sex couples. ¹ In August 2018, AWB sent a letter to a number of Orthodox rabbis and the Israeli government requesting that the rabbis retract inflammatory anti-LGBT comments and that the government change a law preventing LGBT couples from using an Israeli surrogate. ³

2019 D.C. Dyke March

On June 5, 2019, organizers of the Dyke March, a radical-left LGBT parade, announced that they would be banning nationalist symbols such as the American and Israeli flags, with the latter being banned on the grounds that Palestinian-American marchers would feel unsafe. ⁴ A Wider Bridge and Zioness, a Jewish feminist organization, disagreed with the organizers. AWB’s Communications Director Ronit Bezalel made the following statement: ⁴

Our point is to have a seat at the table. We believe in the principles of the Dyke March, and we’re going to be bringing Israeli symbols, the Jewish Pride flag [a rainbow flag with a white Star of David]. Our message is, no one should be policing this. We want to bring our full selves to the table.

On its website, AWB published a formal letter to the Dyke March asking that the March retract its stance relating to Israeli flags and related symbols on the grounds that this violates the Dyke March’s tenet of inclusivity. ⁵

Funding

According to A Wider Bridge’s website, it has received funding from the Natan Fund, the Morningstar Foundation, the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, the Paul E. Singer Foundation, the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, the Koret Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Broward County, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and the GLBT Fund of America. ⁶ AWB has GS New York Transportation Specialists and Latham and Watkings, LLP as corporate sponsors. ⁶

Leadership

Founder

Arthur Slepian is the founder of AWB. ² Slepian also serves on the board of trustees of the Jewish Community Federation of the San Francisco Bay Area and as the chair of the LGBT Alliance of the Federation. He also serves on the San Francisco-area Jewish Community Relations Council. In 2020 he was nominated as Board Chair for the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund in San Francisco. ^{2 7}

Executive Director

Ethan Felson is the executive director of AWB, as of June 2023. Prior to AWB he has served with the Jewish Federations of North America as well as the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. In addition, he serves on the boards for the American Zionist Movement, the Shir Shalom Congregation, and the Israel Education Travel Alliance. ⁸

Other Key Staff

Efrat Frank is AWB’s Israeli Communities Manger. When she joined AWB she worked as the director of the hotline for Aguda, or the Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel. Prior to AWB she worked for Unitaf, an educational administration program based in Tel Aviv. ⁸

Board of Directors

Andy Austin is the board chair for AWB. In addition, he is also the President of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s Out Business Builders group and a member of the New York branch of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). ⁸

James Moon is the vice chair of AWB’s board of directors and is also a partner with law firm Meland & Budwick, P.A. Moon as well as associated with AIPAC. ⁹

Cindy Brown is the Secretary of AWB’s board of directors. In addition, she serves as Vice Chair of the LGBT Advisory Committee for the City of Miami Beach, the Vice-Chair of the Mayors Elder Affairs Committee for Miami-Dade County, and works as a board member for the Haitian American Community Development Corporation. ⁸

1. “Mission and Values.” AWiderBridge. Accessed June 10, 2019. https://awiderbridge.org/about/.
2. “A Wider Bridge: Arthur Slepian.” AWiderBridge. Accessed June 10, 2019. https://awiderbridge.org/a-wider-bridge-arthur-slepian/.
3. Oster, Marcy. “600 North American Rabbis Call for Orthodox Rabbis in Israel to Retract Homophobic Letter.” Jewish Telegraphic Agency. August 07, 2018. Accessed June 10, 2019. https://www.jta.org/2018/08/07/united-states/600-north-american-rabbis-call-orthodox-rabbis-israel-retract-homophobic-letter.
4. Pink, Aiden. “Groups Bearing Banned Jewish Flags Plan To Defy Dyke March.” The Forward. June 07, 2019. Accessed June 10, 2019. https://forward.com/fast-forward/425609/groups-bearing-banned-jewish-flags-plan-to-defy-dyke-march/.
5. “By Banning Jewish and Israeli Symbols, DC Dyke March Undermines Its Intended Purpose.” AWiderBridge. Accessed June 10, 2019. https://awiderbridge.org/dc-dykemarch/.
6. “Our Institutional Funders.” AWiderBridge. Accessed June 10, 2019. https://awiderbridge.org/our-institutional-funders/.
7. “Arthur Slepian to Become Next Board Chair of SF-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.” Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, January 27, 2020. https://jewishfed.org/news/press-releases/arthur-slepian-become-next-board-chair-sf-based-jewish-community-federation-and
8. “Staff & Board.” A Wider Bridge, Accessed June 21, 2023. https://awiderbridge.org/staff-board/#
9. “A Wider Bridge: Staff.” AWiderBridge. Accessed June 10, 2019. https://awiderbridge.org/about/who/.