Ayelet Kaminer (they/היא) is a student at Wellesley College, where they are a Jewish Studies major. Ayelet’s current research endeavor, Perverting the Past, centers around the intersections of Jewish literary history and pornography, with an emphasis on cultural receptions and censorship of Shoah-related homoerotic literature. Their past research topic, Mother Tongue, centered around the translation of Yiddish and Hebrew liturgical poetry. Previously. Ayelet has worked for the Jewish feminist publication Hey Alma, and has spent extensive time working as an educator of Jewish languages and history. Originally from New York City, Ayelet hopes to pursue Rabbinic ordination following their undergraduate education.

 

When they’re not sorting through archival manuscripts, Ayelet is a drag performer and a staunch believer that Ruth and Naomi were lovers. They are deeply humbled and honored to be the first Pink Triangles Legacies intern.

 

As the Inaugural Pink Triangle Legacies Project Intern (May - September 2023), Ayelet developed a comprehensive social media strategy for the Project, including the design of templates, consultations with influencers, and audience research. They also lent their experience and expertise on a number of questions related to the launch of the Project. In addition, they researched, wrote, and compiled a profile on Margot Heuman for the LGBTQ+ Stories from the Holocaust page.

 

Reflecting on their internship, Ayelet said, "I was motivated to apply for the Pink Triangle Legacies Project internship because my life has been immensely, incomprehensibly shaped by the collective and respective legacies of queer liberation and the Holocaust. As a Jewish educator and a researcher of Holocaust literature, I've seen firsthand how under-informed many are about the Shoah, and how sorely needed a book like Pink Triangle Legacies is in preserving the historical cannon which preceded me. After reading Dr. Newsome's book, I was thrilled by the prospect of bringing the long-erased histories he uncovered to a broader audience, and finally doing justice to the untold stories of my queer and Jewish ancestors."