Every year, during the month of June, the LGBTQ+ community celebrates Pride Month that includes a variety of gatherings and experiences as a way of recognizing the influence LGBTQ+ people have had around the world. June was chosen for Pride Month because the Stonewall Riots (which served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement and led to the creation of various gay activist groups in the United States) took place in June 1969.

In that spirit, LiNK Jewish Buffalo is spotlighting LGBTQ+ leaders in Jewish Buffalo throughout June, and today we’re delighted to cast a spotlight on Ruth Goldman, Associate Professor at Buffalo State College.

Ruth grew up in Cincinnati and received her BA in English at University of Massachusetts-Amherst. After working a few years in New England, she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she eventually earned an MA in American Studies. She then relocated to Madison, Wisconsin for doctoral studies in Communication Arts before transferring to the University of Buffalo where she earned her MFA in Media Arts Production and PhD in American Studies.   

While at the University of Buffalo, Ruth produced the documentary “And these are Jews” which offers an engaging and humorous glimpse into the lives of the descendants of one of the most influential Jewish-American communities of the 19th and 20th centuries: The German Jews of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ruth is currently Associate Professor in the Communications Department at Buffalo State College where she also coordinates the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies interdisciplinary minor. She also co-curates the Beyond Boundaries Film series an annual, six-part film and discussion series organized around categories of diversity including, but not limited to race, gender, class, sexuality, and abilities, with an emphasis on intersectionality. 

Ruth is a member of Havurah and she shared that her spirituality is based on the idea that each person is interconnected to the earth and dependent on one another. Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) is deeply important to her and she strives to make the world better each and every day. It is important to Ruth, as a Jew to support other marginalized groups. She appreciates that Jewish practice and belief is diverse which allows everyone to individually find a Judaism that resonates with them.

Ruth loves being a part of Jewish Buffalo and appreciates how deeply involved members of the community are in Western NY. She is proud to be part of a community that continues to make a significant contribution to Greater Buffalo.