Drag queen to Sabbath Queen: Irwin Keller juggles roles as spiritual leader...

[Shana A]

Friday February 6, 2009

Drag queen to Sabbath Queen: Irwin Keller juggles roles as spiritual leader, cross-dressing performer

by dan pine
staff writer

http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/36996/format/html/displaystory.html

Irwin Keller works 40 hours a month as spiritual leader for Congregation Ner Shalom. That leaves him time to focus on his main vocation: professional drag queen.

As a founding member of the a cappella group the Kinsey Sicks, Keller just may be the world's only drag queen/synagogue leader (at least openly so). Since taking the reins as de facto rabbi for the Cotati Reconstructionist synagogue last fall, he's enjoyed the best of both worlds.

"They like how unorthodox the whole thing is," says Keller of his fellow congregants' reaction to his double life. "We are a congregation where, whoever you are, you will be welcome."