Baltimore’s Joey Fink Crowned the Winner at NJB 2023
Sunday's lively NJB 2023 Pageant was filled with drag, comedy, music, and mishegoss.
“I am going to catch up on sleep.”
Joey Fink had just been crowned the winner at the annual NJB Pageant, held at the Edlavitch DCJCC on Sunday, Aug. 13.
Also, he added, “I’m going to go to Vida Gym, clearly.”
A three-month membership to Vida Fitness was one of his prizes, along with a $200 bar tab at Pitchers.
Fink bested three other worthy contestants — Avi Alpert, Michael Greenberg, and Micah Feinstein — for the title, which is presented by NJB+ D.C., a social organization for the LGBTQ Jewish community.
As Pitbull’s “Timber” shook the Edlavitch’s Trish Vradenburg Stage, family, friends, and members of the DC Queer Jewish community chatted, hugged, and held up cut-outs of the four contestants’ faces.
The event was hosted by local drag sensation Vagenesis — who described their name as “if you took the first book of the Bible and threw a big vagina at it” — with characteristic wit, charisma, and a run of dazzling gowns.
Stories of first love, the Jewish community, and sex puns dominated the pageant’s first round as Avi, Michael, Micah and Joey answered questions posed by Vagenesis.
Doused in neon purple stage lights, Fink sang Remember That We Suffered from the TV series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Greenberg performed an original comedy set, Alpert’s drag persona Averia lip synced to Noa Kirel’s Unicorn, and Feinstein roused the crowd with Wonderwall by Oasis.
While the votes were tallied, Vagenesis announced raffle prize winners, including bar tabs to JR.’s and the Little Gay Pub, Skip the Line passes to Trade, gift cards to Crazy Aunt Helen’s and Bite the Fruit, and a date night charcuterie board.
Amid a thunderous audience drum roll, surrounded by previous winners, Fink was crowned winner and Greenberg was named runner up. Fink was then hoisted on a chair and danced around the stage to the tune of Hava Nagila.
“This was a lot of fun when I was 13,” Fink said from the circling chair, crown askew and pride flag turned cape arcing with the turns. “It’s a lot more nerve-wracking when I’m 30.”
As Fink reached solid ground, he told Metro Weekly, “There’s been months and months of prep for this. The fact that this is finally coming to a close, it feels great… I’m just so honored to have been able to compete with these wonderful people.”
“NJB+ is going to continue growing and expanding,” said Alexander Chaves, President of NJB+ DC, following the event.
“We’ve rebranded, so we are now open to all queer Jewish folks in the DMV region. We have cook-offs coming up. We have Happy Hours coming up. We have our Shabbaton retreat coming up in January. We’re just going to keep growing and keep being sure that we are a safe place for the Queer Jewish community in the DMV region.”
For more information about NJB+ DC, visit them on Facebook at or on Instagram at @njb_plus_dc.
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