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Dear Friend,
Every winter, my inbox is filled with emails from parents asking us for summer camps that are LGBTQ+ friendly. Trans and nonbinary soon-to-be-Jewish people ask us for rabbis who will facilitate conversion in respectful ways. LGBTQ+ people are looking for communities in which they can celebrate and connect Jewishly, for leadership and places of excellence for LGBTQ+ Jewish life.
Of the many tools we offer to support LGBTQ+ belonging in your work and community, I want to make sure you know about Keshet's updated Equality Directory—a publicly searchable database of LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ supportive Jewish organizations and clergy.
If you work at a Jewish organization or you are a clergyperson, and your organization strives to be a place where LGBTQ+ people feel at home—create your listing in our Equality Directory today. (Thank you to the 200+ of you who already have!)
For 20+ years, Keshet has trained thousands of Jewish organizations and leaders seeking to remove barriers to belonging and cultivate places of joy. For those of you whose organizations have increased LGBTQ+ programming and adopted LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, for those of you who are clergy and have guided LGBTQ+ Jews through the rituals of marriage, divorce, starting parenting journeys, coming out, gender affirmation, death and mourning—I want to especially make sure that LGBTQ+ Jews can find you!
And if you are an LGBTQ+ Jew or their loved one seeking supportive clergy and Jewish organizations and communities, or know others who are—please use and share the Keshet Equality Directory. You can search for organizations with specific policies, for clergy with specific areas of experience, for summer camps with gender neutral spaces, or by a wide range of other criteria that are important to you.
Despite all the challenges we face, there are so many organizations and leaders across the country who offer guidance, safety, and celebration in our Jewish community. In partnership with you, let us keep building the communities and the world we all need.
In community,
Rabbi Micah Buck
Director of Education & Training
he/they
TAKE ACTION WITH KESHET
2026 Florida Legislative Session: Take Action for LGBTQ+ Rights. The Florida Jewish community is invited to join our informational meeting to learn about the LGBTQ+ priority bills coming up this session and how to take action. If you plan to join Keshet in person for Pride at the Capitol, we strongly encourage you to attend this meeting. TODAY, January 14, 6:30pm ET. Register.
Pride at the Capitol. Keshet is returning to Tallahassee to take action for LGBTQ+ rights with our local partners, including Equality Florida. Last year, because of our community's work, we defeated all anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the Florida legislature. Join us again this year to demand our lawmakers protect our rights. January 26-28. Learn more and register.
Jewish organizations are invited to join Thrive: The Jewish Coalition to Protect Trans and LGBQ+ Youth. Together with our coalition partners, we are stopping anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in its tracks and protecting the lives and dignity of our transgender, nonbinary, and intersex youth. Now is a great time to join an upcoming meeting to prepare for the 2026 legislative sessions in your state. Our next meeting is Wednesday, February 4, 3pm ET. Learn more about Thrive and join the movement.
Texas and Florida: Decorate Your Walkways! In response to state directives to ban symbols of LGBTQ+ pride, Keshet is giving away free rainbow chalk kits in target states. If you're in Texas or Florida, you can request a chalk kit from us. Join us in spreading messages of love, unity, and support for our LGBTQ+ community.
LEARN WITH KESHET
Shivyon: Keshet’s Equality Project is a year-long training and consultation program to help Jewish institutions become communities of LGBTQ+ belonging. It’s more important than ever that your Jewish community is ready to protect and affirm LGBTQ+ members. Bring Shivyon to your community! Email H. Henschel to learn more.
We are currently accepting applications for the following cohorts:
Greater MetroWest New Jersey Cohort. Open to Jewish organizations in New Jersey, we will prioritize applications from groups that have already done some work towards LGBTQ+ belonging. Launches Thursday, February 5. Learn more and apply.
Houston Cohort. Open to Jewish organizations in the Houston region. Launches Thursday, February 26. Learn more and apply.
- New York City Cohort. Open to Jewish organizations in the New York City region with supplemental education programs, such as religious schools, JCCs, synagogues with Sunday/after-school programming, etc. Launches Wednesday, April 29. Learn more and apply.
Keshet's Online Community of Practice for Jewish Educators. Join a community of Jewish educators and get resources and training to help expand your capacity to be LGBTQ+ affirming in your classroom. Together, we're creating a supportive online community where Keshet experts and partners provide learning opportunities and new resources, all while advancing our work towards LGBTQ+ belonging. Our next session is Wednesday, March 11, 6pm ET. Register.
Building Blocks of Belonging. This short series on LGBTQ+ belonging in the classroom is designed for Bay Area Jewish educators, in partnership with Jewish Learning Works. Led by Rabbi Eliana Kayelle, Keshet Bay Area Education & Training Manager, we'll explore a range of topics to energize and inspire, ensuring our community members are affirmed and thriving. While these sessions are intended to be taken together, feel free to attend any sessions you can make.
Request a Training, Speaker, or Advocacy Event. Bring Keshet to your community! We can host a training or advocacy event to teach you how to take action, or you can request a speaker for an upcoming LGBTQ+ event in your congregation. Learn more.
KESHET EVENTS
Spectrum of Belonging: LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Your Community. Join Keshet Education & Training Manager Tracey Labgold and Dr. Dani Rosenkrantz of Brave Space Psychology for an interactive program exploring our Jewish values of inclusion. Together, we'll develop next steps for creating belonging in your Jewish organization. TONIGHT, January 14, 7pm ET. Register.
Twin Cities: Taste of a Keshet Teen Shabbaton. LGBTQ+ Jewish teens are invited to join Keshet and our partner J-Pride for a community gathering with just a taste of the magic we bring to our Shabbaton weekend retreats! Meet other LGBTQ+ Jewish teens, explore queer Jewish teachings, and of course, enjoy snacks! Sunday, January 18, 3pm CT. Register.
Online Youth Programs. Our weekly online hangouts for Jewish LGBTQ+ and ally youth! Join us for connection, laughter, and community.
For ages 18-24 and post-high school: You’re invited to our 18-24 Chill Space for Jewish LGBTQ+ and ally young adults. This is a space for young adults to chat and chill in community. Next meeting is Thursday, January 22, 8:30pm ET. Register.
For ages 13-18 and in grades 8-12: Join us for Monday Evening Hangouts, hosted by and for LGBTQ+ Jewish youth. Discussions, games, and more await! Next meeting is Monday, January 26, 8pm ET. Register.
QJOC Kinship Affinity Space. Join our monthly meeting for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, as we gather to recharge, share laughs, and build community. Tuesday, January 27, 7pm ET. Register.
We Are Here: 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Film Hineini. Join us at the Vilna Shul for a powerful evening marking the 20th anniversary of Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School, the groundbreaking documentary that changed the landscape of LGBTQ+ inclusion in Jewish education. We'll have a post-film conversation facilitated by Keshet President & CEO Jaimie Krass with Hineini producer Idit Klein, Vice President of Hebrew College Dr. Susie Tenchel, who was featured in the film, and Liana Galper, current Gann Academy student and GSA co-leader. Thursday, February 12, 6pm ET. Register.
2026 LGBTQ+ & Ally Teen Shabbaton Retreats. These magical weekend retreats are unique gatherings for LGBTQ+ and ally Jewish teens, 13-18 years old, to explore and learn about their Jewish and queer identities in an affirming and joyful community.
March 20-22 in the Midwest
April 17-19 on the East Coast
Learn more and register.
KESHET RESOURCES
Keshet's Resource Library. Our resource library got a huge upgrade! If you need B'Mitzvah blessings, a primer on pronouns, tips for taking action for LGBTQ+ equality, and more, we have a resource for whatever you're looking for. Make sure to check out the newly organized and easy-to-use search tool.
Flowers for Our People. Curated by Keshet Jews of Color Program Manager Sage Cassell-Rosenberg, this historic exhibit uses photography and written reflections to reimagine iconic figures from Jewish text through the lens of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color. View the exhibit, including reflections written by Saffie Kaplan.
Meet Our Staff!
Talia Makowsky (she/her) is Keshet's Senior Communications Manager, marking five years at Keshet this June. If you've ever liked or commented on our social media accounts, you've interacted with Talia, who oversees our social media calendar and other project management to support all our communications. We asked Talia what her favorite part of working at Keshet is:
"I may be biased, but I really think we have the most amazing staff, and I truly enjoy working with all the people at Keshet. All of us are so passionate about the work we do and show up fully each day to support each other. There's a real sense of care and community at Keshet, and I'm lucky that I get to work with each department to market their programs. Every time we get to gather in-person, whether we're attending a rally, hosting a training, or bonding at our staff retreats, our joy and laughter fills my soul and keeps me motivated to work towards a world where all of us can be wholly ourselves, as queer Jews."
Say hi to Talia by commenting on our social media posts! She always appreciates your engagement!
Keshet Stands with Trans Youth by Jaimie Krass
Trans Jewish Youth Are Ready for More by Elie Hausman
Transness Is Our Salve by Rabbi Lonnie Kleinman
COMMUNITY EVENTS
LGBTQ+ Monthly Sit. Join Jes Golden and guest leaders for a monthly Jewish mindfulness sit, offered by and for those who identify as LGBTQ+. Keshet is a close partner. Thursday, January 15, 12pm ET. Register.
Why LGBTQ+ Inclusion Is a Core Jewish Value. Join us for a conversation with Keshet Education & Training Manager Tracey Labgold, Dr. Dani Rosenkrantz of Brave Space Psychology, and a local college student as we discuss why LGBTQ+ inclusion is a Jewish value and the power of belonging. Monday, January 26, 7:30pm ET. Register.
Jewish Grandparents Network Learning Fest 2026. Join the first global virtual gathering of Jewish grandparents. This immersive experience is specially designed for connection and participation, with expert sessions including Keshet Education & Training Manager, Tracey Labgold, small-group conversations, and a keynote from clinical psychologist, Dr. Becky Kennedy. Keshet is a close partner. Tuesday, January 27, 3pm ET. Register.
Pride Empowerment Circle. In a time when the LGBTQ+ community is under attack, it is more important than ever to be in community with one another. Join the Alper JCC in Miami on the second Monday of every month. Keshet is a co-sponsor of this program through the JCCA Keshet Shivyon Project. Monday, February 9, 6:30pm ET, at Alper JCC Miami. Register.
