Related Blog Posts on LGBTQ+ Jewish Life and Social Justice

Photo of people standing in a Sukkah

Building a Sukkah That Stands for Justice

Tamara Upfal

Our Jewish story teaches that our collective safety depends on society protecting the rights of every individual. As we gather in our synagogues, under the canopy of the sukkah, and in early childhood centers, immigrants across the country are facing the

Photo of two girls, one hugging another who looks depressed

Empathy in Action: Becoming a Teen Mental Health First Aider

Tali Susman
Many of my friends struggle with anxiety and depression. I wanted to support them and guide them toward help. So, when I got an email about Teen Mental Health First Aid training as a next step after participating in the RAC's Teen Justice Fellowship last fall, I was intrigued.
Photo of a young girl of color with her hand on top of a pile of hands in the middle of a circle

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a Human Right

Yolanda Savage-Narva
As we prepare to commemorate Juneteenth this year, we must pause and realize that we must constantly work to maintain our freedoms and liberties. If not for us, then in service to our descendants and their descendants.
A large group of children all dressed in white in front of tall trees

Reflections

Hannah Szabó
Read about one transgender camper's journey of self discovery at Eisner Camp 12 years ago and how her camp community encouraged her to be her full, authentic self.
Photo of a group of people on A Wider Bridge Leader's trip to Israel

Hope and Pride in Be’er Sheva

Rabbi Dara Lithwick
During Pride Month, I participated in a leaders' trip to Israel through A Wider Bridge, an organization dedicated to connecting LGBTQ+ people in North America and Israel.
Photo of Chaim Harrison wearing a Walk the Moon shirt, holding his hands up, standing in fromt of a rainbow colored arch

Being Honest with God and Myself

Chaim Harrison
I took the Commandments seriously. However, one of the Commandments deeply resonated above all others: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," meaning "You shall not lie" (Exodus 20:13). This affected me most because I was lying to others and myself about a core aspect of my identity: my bisexuality.
an image of a person helping another person to the top of a mountain

Keva and Kavanah: The Importance of Authenticity in Mentorship

Eliana Rubin
I'm grateful for Carter's trust in me. What started as a teacher-student relationship (I was his theatre teacher at CAA) slowly morphed into a mentor-mentee relationship with post-camp questions about Judaism, acting, and being a young trans person in this world.
female and male symbol combined and written with chalk

Affirming and Loving Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Expansive Grandchildren

Given these realities, the Union for Reform Judaism, Jewish Grandparents Network, and Keshet collaborated to create a series of conversations to support grandparents and other loving adults who are interested in providing affirming spaces for gender expansive, non-binary, and transgender young people. These sessions have provided grandparents with foundational knowledge, shared language, and inclusive practices.