✡️ Harvey Milk was a pioneering gay rights activist and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. He was born in Woodmere, New York in 1930 and grew up in a Jewish family. His mother, Minerva Karns, kept a kosher home and his grandfather, Morris Milk, helped found their local synagogue. The son of Litvak parents, Milk did not consider himself religious but later said that his Jewish faith shaped his views on discrimination and equality. After moving to San Francisco, he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 and became a national leader in the fight for gay rights. He was assassinated in 1978 at age 48. During his life, Milk prepared Jewish foods for his partners and was known for jokes in his grandfather’s Yiddish accent. “When in the company of his Jewish friends, Harvey relished the talk of Yiddishkayt”. verklemptmag #lgbtjews #pridemonth #jewishpeople