גאווה (Pride) – A Word with Many Faces

Reflecting on Pride Month and the Power of Belonging

גאווה (ga’avah) – Pride

גאוותן (ga’avatán) – Arrogant person

אני גאה בך (ani ge’eh/geh bechh/bach) – I’m proud of you (to a male/female)

ערך (erech) – Value

חלק מ (chelek mi) – Part of

חשוב (chashuv) – Important

מצעד (mitz’ad) – Parade

להט"ב (la’atab) – LGBT

חודש הגאווה (chodesh ha-ga’avah) – Pride Month

The Hebrew word גאווה (ga’avah) is ancient and deeply layered. It comes from the Bible and means to rise—physically and spiritually.

This built-in duality is powerful: it reminds us that pride can lift us up… or pull us away from others.

In Hebrew, the word גאווה appears in both positive and negative contexts.

• אני גאה בך – I’m proud of you.

• גאוותן – An arrogant person.

So what makes the difference? Intent. Connection. Humility.

Pride is a sense of value (ערך).

It’s the feeling we get when we recognize our own efforts, our growth, or the strength of the communities we are part of (חלק מ).

Healthy pride helps us feel rooted, seen, and connected.

It drives us to be our best—not to prove ourselves better, but to be fully ourselves.

But when pride becomes inflated, when it turns into a feeling of superiority—thinking we are more important than others—that’s when גאווה shifts into its negative form.

History is full of stories warning us about this:

• The Tower of Babel (Bible): human ambition gone too far

• Greek hubris: arrogance punished by the gods

• The Titanic: confidence overtaken by nature

These stories remind us: Pride that loses sight of others becomes isolation.

Pride that includes others becomes powerful belonging.

חודש הגאווה – Pride Month

This month is Pride Month (חודש הגאווה), celebrated with pride parades (מצעדי גאווה) around the world.

These are not just parties or protests—they are acts of self-affirmation.

For the LGBT community (קהילת הלהט"ב), גאווה is about visibility, identity, and the right to live with dignity and safety.

In this case, pride is the opposite of shame.

Pride Month is a good opportunity to check yourself – are you proud of who you are without looking down on others?