Keshet 4

In honor of Yom Kippur, this week we bring you two queer takes on The Book of Jonah. Tomorrow, poet and professor Dr. Joy Ladin offers her reading.
If it takes holy chutzpah to argue with God, Jonah has it in spades. God’s word steers him to Nineveh, the great Babylonian metropolis whose wickedness is driving the Divine to distraction, but instead of traveling to Nineveh to “proclaim judgment upon it” (Jonah 1:2) as God asks, Jonah books passage on a boat heading to Tarshish, in the opposite direction. Angered that Jonah would turn “away from the service of the…
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Rosh HaShanah: Sanctifying Our In-Betweens
September 3, 2013

Rabbi Reuben Zellman delivered this D’var Torah on Erev Rosh HaShanah in 2006 at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco. Seven years later, his words remain relevant and meaningful.
Gut yontef, L’shanah Tovah, Shabbat Shalom!
Before I begin, I want to offer my deepest thanks to all of my beloved Sha’ar Zahav community for the opportunity to be here with you this year. It is a privilege and a joy, and at this time of year I am especially grateful to God and to all of you.
Creative Common/Michael Fawcett
We stand here tonight without knowing quite where we are.…
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Jewish and Transgender: The Forward Series
August 29, 2013

Last week, Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Private first class Bradley Manning, made headlines. Her announcement that she would be living as a woman eclipsed the news of the previous day–her 35 year prison sentence for leaking classified government documents.
The media frenzy was palpable, the sensationalism undeniable. (MSNBC even ran a story tallying which media outlets were still misgendering Chelsea and continuing to refer to her as ‘he.’)
So while the mainstream media was tripping over itself, The Forward was wrapping up a terrific series exploring transgender and Jewish identity in all of its wondrous complexity. The series looked at how…
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Parashat Nitzavim and Parashat Vayeilech: Four Gemstones
August 26, 2013

Jews read sections of the Torah each week, and these sections, known as parshiyot, inspire endless examination year after year. Each week we will bring you regular essays examining these portions from a queer perspective, drawn from the Torah Queeries online collection, which was inspired by the book Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible. This week, Noach Dzmura examines a line promising inclusion for “queer doorways” that might open the verse, and its promises, up even wider.
A GenderQueer Doorway
Creative Commons/Jaydot
In Parashat Nitzavim, Moses relates the covenant between God and the Hebrews, explaining the curses that will befall them…
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Parashat Ki Tavo: The Deuteronomy Dinner Party: As Many Chairs as We Need
August 20, 2013

Jews read sections of the Torah each week, and these sections, known as parshiyot, inspire endless examination year after year. Each week we will bring you regular essays examining these portions from a queer perspective, drawn from the Torah Queeries online collection, which was inspired by the book Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible. This week, Marisa James discusses how the Biblical injunction to care for the vulnerable applies to today’s LGBT Jews. This week’s Torah Queeries essay was written in 2007.
Creative Common/Toby Simkin
As we read Parashat Ki Tavo, we’re also in the midst of the Haftorot of Consolation,…
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284 Amory Street
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Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
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Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
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Welcome to the Keshet Resources Library!  Here you will find a variety of resources on all things LGBT and Jewish: articles, rituals, poetry, divrei torah/sermons, policies, and more. This is a dynamic collection of resources, written by a variety of authors, in different time periods, who offer a range of insight and perspective. We're grateful to the Institute for Judaism, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity work curating and extraordinary collection of LGBT Jewish resources. While this is not an exhaustive library of resources on these topics, it is extensive and will be updated frequently. We always welcome new contributions and feedback on what’s here.
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Special Collections
Torah Queeries
The online Torah Queeries archive offers over 180 creative and incisive “queer” takes on the weekly Torah portions and major Jewish holidays, written by some of the Jewish world’s most dynamic scholars, rabbis, activists, and lay leaders.
Go to Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
Our library of marriage materials includes liturgy, guidelines, and sample rituals for clergy and couples interested in infusing unions of LGBTQ couples with Jewish tradition.
Go to the Marriage Project
TransTexts
An interactive exploration of what traditional Jewish texts have to say about transgender and gender nonconforming experiences and about gender in general. If the Talmud were a web page, it might look something like this!
Go to TransTexts
 Wrestling with God
A collection of over 160 classical Jewish texts curated by Rabbi Steve Greenberg. These are the primary source texts Rabbi Greenberg explored in depth in his groundbreaking book, Wrestling with God & Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition. Here you can create customizable text-study and source sheets using the Wrestling with God texts for use in classrooms, synagogues, and other educational venues.
Go to Wrestling with God
Plus
Store
Purchase resources to promote LGBT inclusion in your institution.
Go to the Store
Multimedia
Check out videos and photos of LGBTQ Jewish community and activism!
Go to Photos and Videos
Resources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
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Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
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National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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Creating a safe space for Jewish kids
Photo: chiesADIbeinasco
Looking for ways to make your Jewish institution safe and inclusive for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Jews but don't know where to start? We're here to help.
For over 10 years, we've trained and supported Jewish educators, clergy, program staff, camp professionals, youth, and lay leaders to ensure that LGBTQ youth, families, and staff are safe, affirmed, and celebrated in all Jewish educational and community settings.
We believe that providing leaders and staff with knowledge, skills, tools, and resources is the key to creating long-term sustainable change.
Learn more about the 2014 Leadership Summits »
A MUST FOR ANYONE CONCERNED
“What Keshet has created is a must for anyone concerned about making each child feel safe to learn in all of our educational environments. This is not just about LGBT inclusivity – this is reframing the way we look at constructing educational spaces and should be mandatory for every teacher, educator, counselor and youth worker in the Jewish community.”
-Naomi Less, Co-creator, Addressing Evaded Issues in Jewish Education and Founder, Jewish Chicks Rock
We Offer
Workshops and professional development training for faculty and staff tailored to meet the specific needs of your community.
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Our signature Keshet Leadership Summit, a one day action-oriented gathering for leaders of Jewish institutions.
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Consultation with individual leaders, parents, and other community professionals.
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Educational resources on LGBT inclusion through a Jewish lens.
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Our Impact
Learn about the impact of our trainings.
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See where we have worked.

Training & Consultation
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Recently Added Resources
A Mikveh Ritual for Transitioning Gender
Ritual
Rainbow Blossoms On The Tree Of Life: How Torah Grows When Read Through GLBT Eyes
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
Women of the Wall
Lesson Plan/ActivitiesKeshet Training Institute, Bay Area, March 2012 • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/6789632544/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Andrea Jacobs leading a Keshet Training • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7788917398/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 5th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4166337819/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Rabbi Aaron Weininger @ Keshet Training • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7775035052/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet Training with BBYO • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7775045828/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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Home > Training & Consultation > Training Institute Graduates
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Welcome!
This section is solely for graduates of our Training Institutes.
In this section you will find our Facilitator Training Manual, Hineini Curriculum Resource Guide, and additional training materials and lesson plans as they become available. As we develop new lesson plans and training materials, we will post them here for you to see first!
Get your password »
We’D love to hear from you!
How are you using and adapting our curricula and materials? We love to hear stories from your classrooms, youth groups, summer camps, and any other settings in which you've used Keshet's materials.
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Keshet Training Institute, Bay Area, March 2012 • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/6789632544/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Andrea Jacobs leading a Keshet Training • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7788917398/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 5th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4166337819/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Rabbi Aaron Weininger @ Keshet Training • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7775035052/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet Training with BBYO • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7775045828/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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Home > Training & Consultation > Where We Have Worked
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We've worked with hundreds of Jewish institutions, helping them create more inclusive communities. Here's a sample of some of the committed institutions we have been  lucky to work with:
Day Schools
American Hebrew Academy, Greensboro, NC
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, MD
Chicagoland Jewish High School, Deerfield, IL
Gann Academy, Waltham, MA
Jacob Pressman Academy, Los Angeles, CA
Jewish Community Day School, Pittsburgh, PA
Kehillah Jewish High School, Palo Alto, CA
Primary Day School of the Nation's Capital, Washington, D.C.
Rodeph Sholom School, New York, NY
San Diego Jewish Academy, San Diego, CA
Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, Hartsdale, NY
INVALUABLE
This is definitely one of the most valuable trainings I've seen at camp. Clearly the teens found it as valuable as the whole staff. Thank you for again for giving us the tools to continue having this conversation in an open and informed way.
-CIT Supervisor, Camp Pinemere
Camps
B'nai B'rith Beber Camp, Skokie, IL
Camp Tawonga, San Francisco, CA
Camp JRF, South Sterling, PA
Camp Yavneh, Northwood, NH
Capital Camps, Waynesboro, PA
Eisner Camp, Great Barrington, MA
Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst Day Camp, Brooklyn, New York
Youth Movements
BBYO International
North American Federation of Temple Youth
United Synagogue Youth
Young Judaea
Synagogues
Agudath Israel Congregation, Ottawa, Canada (Conservative)
Congregation Beth El, Berkeley, CA (Reform)
Congregation B’nei Israel, Boca Raton, FL (Reform)
Congregation Har Hashem, Boulder, CO (Reform)
Congregation Ohev Shalom, Wallingford, PA (Conservative)
Congregation Rodeph Sholom, New York, NY (Reform)
Kehilla Community Synagogue, Piedmont, CA (Renewal)
Temple Beth Abraham, Nashau, NH (Conservative)
Temple Emanuel, Newton, MA (Conservative)
Temple Israel of  Boston, Boston, MA (Reform)
Temple Israel of Omaha, NE (Reform)
Temple Israel Center, White Plains, NY (Conservative)
Temple Sinai, Brookline, MA (Reform)
Other Community Institutions
CJP Boston
Foundation for Jewish Camp
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Greater Philadelphia
Conferences and Presentations
CAJE and NewCAJE
Creating Change
FJC Cornerstone and Leaders Assembly
Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly
Limmud Boston, Colorado, New York, UK, and South Africa
RAVSAK
TribeFest
URJ Biennial
USCJ Biennial
Learn about the different trainings we offer.
See the impact of our trainings

Training & Consultation
Trainings
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Where We Have Worked
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Keshet Training Institute, Bay Area, March 2012 • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/6789632544/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Andrea Jacobs leading a Keshet Training • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7788917398/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 5th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4166337819/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Rabbi Aaron Weininger @ Keshet Training • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7775035052/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet Training with BBYO • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7775045828/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life
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Home > Events
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Join us for a text study, a holiday celebration, or a relaxed night out. All of our events are open to LGBTQ Jews, friends, and family. Volunteer committees of dedicated and fun-loving LGBTQ Jews plan all of our events!
Keshet hosts events in the areas we have offices: Boston, Denver, and the San Francisco Bay area. We also co-sponsor events in other cities.
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October 19, 2013
Ruach HaYam Shabbaton
Massachusetts
Ruach HaYam, Congregation Am Tikva, and Keshet invite you to join us at  a full day Shabbat retreat for LGBTQ Jews, friends, and family. Refresh your spirit and make new friends in this fabulous day of egalitarian davening, creative and thoughtful…

October 20, 2013
Taking Pride in ALL Our Choices
Colorado
A conversation on end-of-life decisions through an LGBT lens
Let’s broach a difficult conversation as a community. How do we make sure that our wishes and our bodies will be respected and that our deaths are treated as valuable within a Jewish…

October 25, 2013
October Shabbat Celebration
Massachusetts
Join us at any time during the evening for this family-friendly Shabbat celebration! Our services are egalitarian, participatory, and led by Keshet members. A kosher catered dinner will be provided.
Interested in leading/co-leading services…

October 25, 2013
A Conversation with Yehoshua Gurtler, Israeli GLBT Advocate and Attorney
Massachusetts
Come for an exciting conversation with Yehoshua Gurtler, a prominent GLBT advocate across many organizations in Israel.  Learn about LGBT life in Israeli society,  including the Israeli Orthodox world.  Discuss the issues facing…

October 30, 2013
A Wider Bridge invites you on A Unique Journey Through Israel
Israel
Whether you’ve never been to Israel or go regularly, A Wider Bridge’s third annual LGBTQ Trip to Israel will give you an unparalleled opportunity to connect with the land, its people, and your roots. Traveling through Israel as an…

November 4, 2013
Wrestling With Our Sacred Texts
San Francisco Bay Area
Jbbi Steve Greenberg at the Oshman Family JCC for a lunch and learn where we will explore the topic of homosexuality and Jewish law.
Rabbi Greenberg will explore four rationales for the prohibition of sex between men which appear to be in the…

November 12, 2013
A Conversation with Joy Ladin and Norman Spack
Massachusetts
Moderated by Dr. Norman Spack, co-founder of Children’s Hospital’s Gender Management Service Clinic
In 2008, Joy made headlines when after years of teaching at an Orthodox Jewish university as a man, she returned as a woman. Join…

November 15, 2013
Thanksgiving Themed Shabbat Potluck with Beth Evergreen
Colorado
It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten together to celebrate Shabbat! Our friends at Congregation Beth Evergreen have lovingly asked us to join them for a Friday night of singing, food, laughter, and gratitude.
6 pm: Tot Shabbat…

November 17, 2013
Homos On A Hike
San Francisco Bay Area
Join us for a hike at the lovely Albany Bulb, just north of Berkeley. This hike is about a mile and a half round-trip over somewhat uneven terrain. Bring your friends, bring your families, bring your dogs – everyone is welcome.
No car?…

November 20, 2013
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Colorado
Transgender Day of Remembrance was created 15 years ago to give us an opportunity to grieve the loss of all transgender individuals that have been murdered in that past year. Please join our friends from the Gender Identity Center for this important…

December 7, 2013
Colorado Keshet Cabaret
Colorado
Sing, Dance, and Celebrate at the Keshet Cabaret!
Join us at the legendary Tracks nightclub for a rousing evening of music and performance by local entertainers. This fabulous fundraiser supports Keshet’s work in Colorado and around…

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  Making Challah • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7798312784/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Shabbat • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7782710026/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Tefillin Workshop • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7789153026/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's Queer Seder 2012 • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7119201237/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Hannukah Celebration • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/7789190726/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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Are you a:YouthParent & FamilyEducatorRabbi or CantorJewish ProfessionalLGBTQ JewFriend & AllyVisit our store  Donate Now KeshetWorking for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life
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Home > Events > Past Keshet Events
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October 16, 2013
LGBTQ Jewish Mixer
San Francisco Bay Area
This month, join us at El Rio for our monthly LGBTQ Jewish Mixer! Schmooze, flirt, make some new friends, and catch up with old ones.
Keshet’s work in the Bay Area is generously supported by the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.…
October 9, 2013
Building Inclusion: Becoming a Jewish LGBTQ Ally
Colorado
A discussion and panel-based workshop
Learn concrete tools to be an advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Hear how local rabbis are becoming more inclusive of the LGBTQ community and ways to drive…
October 6, 2013
Melting Away Screening and Panel Discussion
Chicago
Melting Away, from director Doron Eran, marks the first time in Israeli cinema that a feature film depicts parents struggling with and learning about having a transgender child. Join the Keshet Parent & Family Connection‘s…
September 26, 2013
Simchat Torah Meetup
Massachusetts
Keshet takes on the Torah! Meet up with other Keshet members outside of Temple Beth Shalom in Cambridge (the Tremont Street Shul) and we’ll join the celebration together! Contact Jess for more information.
Meet up outside of Temple Beth…
September 21, 2013
Boulder Rainbow Sukkah Shabbat!
Colorado
Boulder Pride will be taking place on Sunday September 15th in Boulder’s Central Park from 11am-6pm. We are going to show our pride by gathering for a 3rd meal on Saturday September 21st at the Har Hashem sukkah. This event is open to LGBT…
September 20, 2013
Shabbat Service & Dinner IN THE SUKKAH!
Massachusetts
Join us at any time during the evening for this family-friendly Shabbat celebration in the sukkah! Our services are egalitarian, participatory, and led by Keshet members. A kosher catered dinner will be provided.
Interested in leading/co-leading…
September 19, 2013
Sukkot on the Farm
San Francisco Bay Area
We’re exicted to join  Wilderness Torah  for their seventh annual Sukkot on the Farm Festival—a three-night campout and celebration of the fall harvest as a  multigenerational community at Green Oaks Creek Farm.
Come co-create…
September 19, 2013
GLBT Dinner in the Succah
San Francisco Bay Area
The South Bay GLBT Havurah welcomes family and friends of GLBT Jews to join us as we celebrate Sukkot with a Potluck dinner in the Sukkah at Congregation Shir Hadash.
Shir Hadash has hosted GLBT Jews on this occasion for the past 15 years. In addition…
September 14, 2013
Break Your Fast with EastBayJews, East Bay Minyan, Moishe House East Bay, KESHET and Wilderness Torah
San Francisco Bay Area
Join our community as we break the Yom Kippur fast at the Jewish Federation of the East Bay in Oakland.  This is a vegetarian potluck dinner, so please sign up and let us know what you can bring!
Questions? Please contact Jessi Norris at jessi@jfed.org or 510-318-6411…
September 5, 2013
Ctrl +Alt + Del: Tashlique at Ocean Beach
San Francisco Bay Area
Join the JCCSF, Reboot and GET FED (with partners Interfaith Family, Keshet and The Kitchen) for our spin on the 600-year-old Rosh Hashanah ritual called Tashlich. This custom of ridding ourselves of all our bad vuggum (karma) from the previous…
August 31, 2013
An Evening With Bruce Vilanch
San Francisco Bay Area
Join the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley for An Evening with Bruce Vilanch. Bruce Vilanch is a renowned comedian, writer, actor, and LGBT activist. Mention Keshet when you purchase tickets to receive a discount!…
August 23, 2013
Keshet Shabbat Service & Dinner
Massachusetts
Join us at any time during the evening for this family-friendly summer Shabbat celebration before the High Holidays. Our services are egalitarian, participatory, and led by Keshet members. A kosher catered dinner will be provided. Interested…
August 23, 2013
Glitter Shabbat
San Francisco Bay Area
Join Glitter Kehilla (a community of young-ish adults) to welcome Shabbat, enjoy a communal meal, and sing fabulous songs. This Glitter Shabbat is a potluck with a light service.  Please bring a vegetarian dish to share, along with bow ties…
August 21, 2013
LGBTQ Jewish Mixer
San Francisco Bay Area
Come join us for our monthly LGBTQ Jewish Mixer at The Lookout! Make some new friends and catch up with old ones.
Keshet’s work in the Bay Area is generously supported by the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.…
August 21, 2013
Transgender Working Group Meeting
Massachusetts
We will have the opportunity to meet and welcome our new organizer Jessica Goldberg, discuss past exploits, savor them once again and determine if we want a repeat, and toss around ideas for the future.…
August 16, 2013
Shabbes Beat
San Francisco Bay Area
Our friends at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav invite you to a rocking service. It’s all about that Shabbes groove!  Sing, dance, and pray.  Joy up, relax, breathe, sway! Join Cantor Sharon and the Shabbes Beat band…
August 15, 2013
Beit Midrash: The High Holidays, Desire & Restraint
Massachusetts
What do you desire, deeply and truly? As we prepare for the High Holidays, join Keshet for learning and discussion around “Teshuvah” as it relates to the LGBTQ community. The tradition might surprise you. Using Psalm 27 as a guide, we will…
August 3, 2013
Glitter Havdalah
San Francisco Bay Area
Looking to dip your challah in some honey? Want to add a little spice to your box? Join Keshet and Glitter Kehilla for an unforgettable evening of making queer Jewish glittertastic memories. We’ll start at Oscar Grant Plaza with a quick…
July 28, 2013
LGBTQ Family Day at the Contemporary Jewish Museum
San Francisco Bay Area
Join Keshet as we celebrate the Contemporary Jewish Museum’s third annual LGBTQ Family Day: A Day for Families, Friends, and Allies. Picnic and play with old friends and new, join our contemporary family parade led by the SF Lesbian/Gay…
July 28, 2013
Jazz in the Park for Young Adults
Colorado
Join your Jewish young adult friends for ‘Jazz in the Park.’
This free concert will take place at the bandstand by the Pavilion on Ferril Lake in Denver’s City Park. Look for the blue and white balloons to find our tent where…
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Rituals and Documents of Marriage and Divorce for Same-Sex Couples
Six years after approving three different teshuvah about homosexuality and gay and lesbian people, the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly approved these rituals and documents developed by Rabbis Dorff, Nevins, and Reisner. This document addresses the difficulties related to nomenclature, the importance of the suspension of rabbinic level prohibitions in order to ensure human dignity, issues of kiddushin, and the history of the document development. The document includes two wedding ceremonies – one which is more traditional and one that “starts fresh.” There is also a dissolution document included….
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What’s Different about Gay Wedding Ceremonies?
…Discusses some of the differences and commonalities between gay and straight weddings, from a secular-humanist rabbi. Highlights the author’s experience conducting interfaith ceremonies….
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Gay, Jewish, or Both? Sexual Orientation and Jewish Engagement
The authors chart the shifting place of gay and lesbian Jews within the organized Jewish community. They argue that the changes and controversies surrounding the participation of lesbian and gay Jews in Jewish life raise questions about the extent to which such Jews actively engage in Judaism both privately and in communal settings. In this context, questions of identity must take into account the sociological and demographic particularities of gay men and lesbians in the United States….
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Synagogue Survey 2009 – Diversity and LGBT Inclusion
Results of a survey of over 3000 North American congregations comparing levels of diversity, focusing on inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community members and best practices for welcoming these members….
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A Concurring Opinion to Rabbi Leonard Levy's Teshuvah: "Same-Sex Attraction and Halakhah" (Committee on Jewish Law and Standards)
This concurrence argues that the Conservative Movement is becoming too lax in its relationship to Halakha (Jewish law) and that the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards should not be “legitimizing private acts in the public sphere.” The author argues that the movement should continue the halachic prohibitions against homosexual acts even as individual Jews can decide for themselves on how they want homosexual acts to be considered within the American legal system….
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We Can’t Legitimate Homosexuality Halakhically
In a talk published in the United Synagogue Review, Rabbi Joel Roth, a member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, writes about the Conservative Movement’s relationship to halakha (Jewish law) and what he sees as a clear Biblical prohibition against gay sex. He is clear that this prohibition is not about people, thoughts, or fantasies but is specific to actions….
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Our Vision of Society Requires A "No" Vote on the Marriage Amendment, or "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself"
In this sermon, Conservative Rabbi Gary Creditor encourages congregants to vote no on a same-sex marriage amendment in Virginia, arguing that civil law should respect, reflect and accommodate all people of our society….
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Update My Listing in the Equality Guide
…filling this form out for yourself or for an organization/institution?* I am an individual and would like to add myself. I am filling this out for my organization or institution. I am a…* Camp – Day Camp – Residential Cantor Day School Hebrew High School Hillel/Jewish student organization (college) JCC Jewish Federation JFCS/JFS (Jewish Family & Children’s Services/Jewish Family Services) Mohel Moishe House/Other young adult program Rabbi Ritual Facilitator/Spiritual Leader/Rabbinical Student Senior Housing Community Summer Program for High School Youth Synagogue/Congregation/Havurah/Minyan with religious school Synagogue/Congregation/Havurah/Minyan without religious school Youth Group I would like to add a…* Camp – Day Camp – Residential Cantor Day School Hebrew High School Hillel/Jewish student organization (college) JCC Jewish Federation JFCS/JFS (Jewish Family & Children’s Services/Jewish Family Services) Mohel Moishe House/Other young adult program Rabbi Ritual Facilitator/Spiritual Leader/Rabbinical Student Senior Housing Community Summer Program for High School Youth Synagogue/Congregation/Havurah/Minyan with religious school Synagogue/Congregation/Havurah/Minyan without religious school Youth Group If your organization type is not listed here please see below. Would you like to add an organization that is not listed above? Yes What type of organization would you like to add?* Affiliation?* Conservative No affiliation Orthodox Pluralistic/Post-Denominational/Non-Denominational Reconstructionist Reform Renewal Secular Secular Humanist…
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Chalamti: I have dreamt
…Blog written by a gay Orthodox Jew. Opinions on the various issues that face gay frum Jews. The author’s thoughts and opinions are all rooted in an attempt to find a balance between Orthodox spirituality and immersion in the secular world….
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A Covenant of Same-Sex Nisu’in and Kiddushin
The author explores the details of traditional Jewish wedding ceremonies according to halakha (Jewish law) and provides a detailed adaptation for gay and lesbian couples to use….
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Aleph Melbourne
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A Less Innocent Love (Parashat Vaetchanan)
…The author explores the characteristics of love in different religious and secular writing and argues that queer religious love, when it is realized, is necessarily self-aware, because it has been tested, as Abraham’s love was tested….
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Journeys with Acharei Mot (Parashat Acharei Mot)
…The author discusses his personal relationship with Judaism and Biblical text, having grown up secular. He focuses specifically on his struggle with the verses of Leviticus that condemn gay sex….
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The Wreathed Chanukah Wand: Sukkot in December
Compares the holidays of Hannukah and Christmas and discusses the issue of when Jesus was actually born, which was probably around Sukkot….
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Beyond Stick Figures (Parashat Vayechi)
The author discusses gender diversity in Jewish tradition and in both Biblical and Rabbinic text, weaving together contemporary stories of gender non-conforming and intersex people….
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History of Jewish Lesbianism
A short survey-style chronological history of Jewish views of lesbianism from biblical to modern times….
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Pluralism in Action
This role play debate gives students the opportunity to examine what pluralism looks like in action. Students take on the roles of members of a religious policy committee at a new school to discuss, debate, and determine school policy on three issues….
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Mobilize the Jewish Community for LGBTQ Rights in Massachusetts
We are in a watershed moment for LGBT rights. Across the country, the secular world is grappling with issues like: Equal marriage rights Equal employment protections for LGBT citizens Civil rights for transgender citizens Adoption for LGBT parents Hate crimes laws Safe schools for LGBT students and many more. SACRED WORK “It is sacred work to make sure that in this Commonwealth, all are treated equally, all have the right to live a safe life, and every citizen is counted as a whole and complete person created in the image of God and reflecting the blessing of wholeness.” -Rabbi Stephanie Kolin, speaking at the Massachusetts State House, Transgender Lobby Day From 2004-07, we mobilized the Jewish community to support equal marriage in Massachusetts. (Here are two Keshet leaders celebrating as the verdict was delivered!) After this success, we launched a statewide campaign to garner faith-based support for a transgender civil rights bill. In November 2011, “An Act Relative to Gender Identity” passed! Our work on this campaign began in 2008, when we spearheaded the Jewish community presence on the Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality (ICTE), a multi-faith alliance to mobilize support for transgender rights legislation in Massachusetts. As far as we know, the ICTE is the only interfaith group in the country working for transgender inclusion and civil rights. We obtained signatures of more than 80 Jewish clergy and institutions and more than 50 lay leaders for a formal declaration of support for the civil rights…
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Orthodox Response to Same-Sex Marriage
This statement by Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, presents his opinion on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. He states, ” Homosexual behavior between males or between females is absolutely forbidden by Jewish law, beginning with the biblical imperative, alluded to numerous times in the Talmud and codified in the Shulchan Aruch.” I’m a test link Dolore twee carles narwhal put a bird on it ut mumblecore, thundercats semiotics fixie assumenda. Dolor letterpress pour-over lo-fi. Anim tofu echo park, velit nisi eu gluten-free. Direct trade dreamcatcher exercitation, four loko in street art voluptate labore dolor leggings wolf delectus flexitarian lo-fi mollit. Biodiesel artisan ethical, typewriter brooklyn vinyl raw denim pop-up ut messenger bag marfa mustache high life. Aute carles etsy do beard, scenester gentrify et excepteur authentic fap occupy bicycle rights. Excepteur accusamus minim, deserunt et laboris VHS semiotics food truck letterpress mlkshk cliche irony occupy marfa….
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Being Gay In The Orthodox World: A Conversation with Members of the YU Community
A transcript from an historic event in 2009 at Yeshiva University about being gay and Orthodox. Three young gay men tell their personal stories of being gay in the Orthodox world, focusing on their relationships with family and their time in yeshivot and other Orthodox institutions….
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Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation and Youth
This factsheet about sexual orientation and youth was developed by a group of education, health, mental health, and religious organizations that all share a concern for the health and education of all students in schools, including lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. Reviews basic concepts and definitions about sexual orientation from a religious framework….
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Balak and Balaam: Language and Knowledge, Speech and Power (Parashat Balak)
The author argues that this Torah portion is a story about speech: who has the power of the tongue, and what impact words can have. As members of the queer community, we can glean something from this portion when we encounter hate speech and as we lobby for equal rights….
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Parent & Family Connection: Massachusetts
Join the Parent & Family Connection » The Keshet Parent & Family Connection is a national mentoring and leadership program for Jewish parents and family members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Jews.* The program originated in Boston with a group of parents who are long-time Keshet members. They brought the idea to Keshet and worked together with Keshet staff for a year to develop the project. In fall of 2011, we launched the Connection in Boston and one year later, we launched nationally. Meet the members of the Massachusetts Parent & Family Connection MAY 2: Join us for a film screening and panel discussion. Learn more! What we provide: Parent mentors provide confidential peer support by phone, email, video chat, or in person for parents and family members dealing with any stage of their family member’s coming out process, and for young adults who are struggling with how to tell their parents and other family members about their identities. Who are the mentors? The mentors are Jewish parents and family members, spanning the gamut of Jewish identities and affiliations from secular through Orthodox. Mentors have children and family members of various ages, at different points in the “coming out” process. All of the mentors have worked through their own process of accepting, understanding, and celebrating their children and their LGBTQ identities. They have come together to affirm the space in Judaism and Jewish community for themselves and for their children and family members. Where is this happening? The Parent…
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Lessons from the Margins: What Interfaith Couples and Families Can Learn from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Activism
The author draws parallels between the experiences of being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender and being in an interfaith relationship. The judgment and alienation that many interfaith couples and families experience is similar (although not identical) to that of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people….
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Gender Variant People in the Bay Area Jewish Community
Report and recommendations based on meetings conducted by Kol Tzedek with community members and rabbinic leaders to informally explore how transgender and gender variant people currently interact, or not interact, with the organized Jewish community. Report highlights the perceived organizational, social and ritual needs of transgender and gender variant persons, and the authors’ wish to understand and serve this community’s needs better….
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The First Commandment Revisited (Parashat Yitro)
The author describes the event of the giving of the Ten Commandments and explains that the first commandment actually occurs at the beginning of the Torah: “be fruitful and multiple.” He explores the common push in Jewish communities for people to have children, arguing that this can be alienating for LGBT Jews….
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Of Barbary Lane and Lorraine Hall: Notes from a Tour and an Introductory Conversation
The author’s interview with an elderly Jewish transgender woman at Barbary Lane, an LGBT-friendly elder-care facility in Oakland….
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Coming out, a young gay man finds self-acceptance
A charming, funny, and captivating story about a young Jewish man, finding his voice and place in the Jewish community as a gay man. For Isaac Lobel’s bar mitzvah, his parents got him a laptop. For what I searched for on it, they got him a shrink!…
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Billy Dalwin Pre-School of Temple Emunah
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Judaism, Reform Judaism and Gay Judaism
Rabbi Joe Hample was asked to speak to Gays and Lesbians in Grace, the LGBT group of Grace Cathedral, an Episcopal church in San Francisco. This is the talk that he gave to that group. It paints a long and large panorama of Jewish history as it relates to homosexuality (and other issues), and how it has evolved through time to be re-interpreted as a living religion….
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Treyf
A film by Alisa Lebow and Cynthia Madansky 1998, 55 minutes, Color, VHS/16mm TREYF —”unkosher” in Yiddish— is an unorthodox documentary by and about two Jewish lesbians who met and fell in love at a Passover seder. With personal narration, real and imagined educational films, and haunting imagery, filmmakers Alisa Lebow and Cynthia Madansky examine the Jewish identity of their upbringings and its impact on their lives. TREYF is iconoclastic and intelligent, humorous and poignant. A reflection on culture, community, and individual desire, this witty film follows the filmmakers as they discover what they thought was most profoundly “treyf” about their worldviews still has roots in Jewish history….
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Stop an Anti-marriage Constitutional Amendment
Article by Renewal Rabbi Arthur Waskow urging Jews to oppose an anti-marriage constitutional amendment and to support gay marriage, with concrete steps….
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Harvey Milk – A Jewish Hero?
Uses the film “Milk” to discuss homophobia in the US, both past and present. Uses this discussion and opinions in both American and Jewish law to argue in favor of same-sex marriage. The author also compares Harvey Milk to Joseph in the week’s Torah portion….
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Response to Rabbinical Assembly’s Decisions Regarding Ordination of Gays and Lesbians, and "Commitment Ceremonies"
Statement from the Rabbinical Council of America reacting negatively to the Conservative Movement’s ordination of gays and lesbians as rabbis and cantors and giving permission to Conservative rabbis to officiate at same-sex commitment ceremonies. The statement states that this decision represents yet another significant step in the further estrangement of the Conservative movement from Jewish law (halakha) and tradition….
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Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are (Parashat Bo)
The author discusses God’s commandment for the Hebrews to smear the blood of a sheep on their doorpost to ensure their protection from the Angel of Death as a sort of “coming out.” She argues that if we read this story as a collective “coming out” of the Hebrew people in Egypt, we may also understand “coming out” as a mitzvah and an act of faith.  …
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A Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Ally Haggadah
A Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Ally Haggadah which follows the traditional structure of the Passover Seder but contains readings and discussion questions pertaining to GLBT identity and life….
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A “Great Moral Issue” of Our Time (Parashat Vayera)
In this sermon. Rabbi Carl Perkins discusses discrimination and bigotry against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the Jewish community and in mainstream American society, specifically in the context of the rise in LGBT suicides in the fall of 2010. He discusses the case of a wedding announcement of a gay couple in a Jewish newspaper that angered Orthodox readers, and the response given by the paper’s editors. He argues that as religious people, we must stop condemning homosexuality as a matter of life and death….
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Responding in Prayer and Practice to Same-Sex Marriages
Three addenda to marriage rituals by rabbis Phyllis Berman and Arthur Waskow….
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Covenant of Love – Brit Reyut
Rabbi Stuart Kelman’s Brit Reyut ceremony was constructed on the assumptions underlying a teshuva (rabbinic responsa) that he wrote on gay and lesbian inclusion in his synagogue in the early 1990s, titled Community and Diversity – A Teshuva on Gay and Lesbian Couples at Congregation Netivot Shalom. Rabbi Kelman’s ceremony replaces the chuppah with a sukkah-like canopy, includes a form of exchange called chalifin for a ring ceremony, and made some changes to the traditional sheva berakhot….
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Parent & Family Connection: Colorado
Join the Parent & Family Connection » The Keshet Parent & Family Connection is a peer-run support program for Jewish parents and family members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Jews.* Meet the members of the Colorado Parent & Family Connection What we provide: Parent mentors provide confidential peer support by phone, email, video chat, or in person for parents and family members dealing with any stage of their family member’s coming out process, and for young adults who are struggling with how to tell their parents and other family members about their identities. Who are the mentors? The mentors are Jewish parents and family members, spanning the gamut of Jewish identities and affiliations from secular through Orthodox. Mentors have children and family members of various ages, at different points in the coming out process. All of the mentors have worked through their own process of accepting, understanding, and celebrating their children and their LGBTQ identities. They have come together to affirm the space in Judaism and Jewish community for themselves and for their children and family members. Where is this happening? The Parent & Family Connection is a national program offering support to parents and family members of LGBTQ children across the country. They are matched with parent mentors who are currently being trained in the following five areas: Boston Chicago Denver/Boulder Philadelphia Washington DC/Baltimore If your situation is urgent, please contact one of these crisis hotlines: The Trevor Project Helpline: 1.866.4.U.TREVOR. Fenway Community Health’s…
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It's the Purity, Stupid: Reading Leviticus in Context (Parashat Tazria and Parashat Metzora)
Sexual practices are forbidden not because of the convenient rationales one often hears today, but because they are maasei mitzrayim, acts of Egypt, and thus taboo for Israelites, who are exhorted to live a life circumscribed by distinctions. The prohibitions are part of Leviticus’s “Holiness Code,” which is chiefly about maintaining cultic and ritual purity – not ethics, not family, and not “nature.”…
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Not a Deathly Hallows: A Year of Queer Torah (Parashat Vayikra)
The author shares what he believes the Ba’al Shem Tov would think of Torah Queeries, summarizing the content of the year of queeries….
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Coming Out in the Orthodox World; Being Out as a Jew in Lesbian Circles
The author’s personal story of falling in love with a woman, coming out to her family and community, and eventually having a commitment ceremony….
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Finding the Good Side: A Portrait of the Priestly Class (Parashat Tetzaveh)
The author explores some questions and difficulties he sees in animal sacrifice, arguing that it is easier to think about these “sacrifices” as part of a tribal economy with the Covenant as its ethical center. He also creates a connection between the Covenant, sacrifice, and the development of social class and social inequality….
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Balancing on the Mechitza
While the Jewish mainstream still argues about homosexuality, many transgender and gender-variant people sit in the congregation, marry under the chuppah, and create Jewish families. Balancing on the Mechitza gives voice to this movement in Jewish culture. Contributors share their theoretical contemplations as well as rite-of-passage and other transformative stories….
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Defending Love, Defending Marriage
An article about legislative gay marriage victories and gay marriage within the Jewish community, particularly in the Reconstructionist community. The author argues that the movement should support the right of gays and lesbians to take on the responsibilities and privileges of marriage….
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Bridging Differences in Gay and Lesbian Interfaith Partnerships
Discusses some of the issues and questions regarding family, community, and theology facing gay and lesbian interfaith partners….
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Breaking news from the Jerusalem Open House: Terror and hate crimes suspect held by police for crimes against LGBTQ community and other minorities
A press release from the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance after the arrest of Yaakov Teitel, who is suspected of carrying out an attack against young people at a Tel Aviv LGBT Youth Center….
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The Gay Orthodox Underground
Article about gay and lesbians in the Orthodox community. Many gay and lesbian individuals and couples say that they are neither “advertising” their identities and lifestyles, nor are they keeping them a secret….
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Aliyah: Trans(Per)forming Jewish Ritual
The author recounts his person experience of being a transgender person at synagogue….
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Support Families
The Keshet Parent & Family Connection is a national mentoring and leadership program for Jewish parents and family members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Jews.* What we provide: Parent mentors provide confidential peer support by phone, email, video chat, or in person for parents and family members dealing with any stage of their family member’s coming out process, and for young adults who are struggling with how to tell their parents and other family members about their identities. WHEN MY DAUGHTER CAME OUT “When my daughter came out, I was surprised by how cut off I felt. She was going into this world, and all these experiences, that I knew nothing about. All parents of LGBT kids just want to hear that their children can live safe, normal lives, and it was through meeting others through Keshet that I realized this was possible, that it was possible to be part of a welcoming Jewish community. Keshet helped me connect. And now I know that we, the parents and families of LGBT kids, have the ability to be tremendous allies in helping to accomplish the advocacy work Keshet has been doing so incredibly.” -Jayne Guberman, founding member of the Parent & Family Connection Join the Parent & Family Connection » Who are the mentors? The mentors are Jewish parents and family members, spanning the gamut of Jewish identities and affiliations from secular through Orthodox. Mentors have children and family members of various ages, at different points in the…
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Birkat HaChama – 1925, 1953, 1981, 2009, 2037
A description of Birkat HaChama (blessing of the sun), a ritual celebrated every 28 years. Connects Birkat HaChama to LGBT liberation….
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Emerging Torah of Same-Sex Marriage
The author explores arguments used against same-sex marriage, including “be fruitful and multiply” and the sacredness of sex. He both in an LGBTQ-positive light….
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Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Equal Rights
Official document of the Religious Action Center of the Reform Movement reviewing the relevant political issues in 2006 to LGBT people in the United States, including employment non-discrimination, partner immigration, a landmark Supreme Court case involving a gay leader of a Boy Scouts troop, gay marriage, gay adoption, and don’t ask don’t tell. The document concludes with the Reform Movement’s position on these issues….
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The Former Rain and the Latter Rain: A Queer Jew in Diaspora Wrestling with Tradition and Progress (Parashat Ekev)
In this commentary, the author discusses their personal experience of the changing text of the siddur, specifically its translation of the V’Ahavta prayer….
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From The Look Of Love, From The Eyes Of Pride (Tu B’Av)
The author remarks on Jewish time: it goes in cycles from Shabbat to Shabbat, and one year to the next, with lots of ups and downs for the different emotions of different holidays. He explores the holiday of Tu B’Av, the Jewish love holiday, and its proximity to Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning….
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Jewish Stars and Pink Triangles
The author documents his journey as a speechwriter for a leading Reform rabbi from writing words first of derision for, then of acceptance and tolerance of, and finally of full embracing gays and lesbians, arguing that in the US, gay rights should not be dependent at all upon religious acceptance of homosexuality….
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The Hillel LGBTQ Resource Guide
A resource guide designed for Hillel professionals with articles by different authors on a variety of topics, including inclusive vocabulary, Jewish LGBTQ history, skill-building towards inclusiveness, rituals, and more….
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Religious Action Center – Reform Movement Perspective on Gay & Lesbian Rights & Jewish Values
Summary of the Reform Movement’s positions on issues relating to Gay and Lesbian Rights and Jewish values. Covers positions on Biblical texts, thoughts on human dignity, gay marriage, and Boy Scouts of America. Also includes links to related resolutions passed by the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR)….
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How I Ended Up at the Jerusalem Same Sex Attraction Discussion Group
In observance of Jewish Social Action Month, Zeek Magazine staff decided to look within the community and focus space in the magazine regarding who is “vulnerable to violence, repression and subjugation.” The essay, written in a first person narrative, takes a sometimes humorous look at the author’s life, his move to study at a haredi yeshiva in Jerusalem and the phenomenon of conversion therapy in the Jewish community….
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Gender Variant People in the Bay Area Jewish Community
In this report, Kol Tzedek recommends that the Jewish federations of the San Francisco Bay Area address the needs of gender variant Jews, a growing, struggling and threatened population of Jews in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Many members of this population are eager to increase their participation in Jewish communal life and organizations, though they suffer from discrimination and transphobia, which hinders from from fully participating….
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Being Gay In The Orthodox World: A Conversation with Members of the YU Community
Video from an historic event in 2009 at Yeshiva University about being gay and Orthodox. Three young gay men tell their personal stories of being gay in the Orthodox world, focusing on their relationships with family and their time in yeshivot and other Orthodox institutions….
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BEKI (Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel)
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Aleph Melbourne
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Transforming Beitecha – A Guide to Creating LGBTQ Ritual, Spiritual, and Pastoral Homes
Produced by Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) in New York, the guide contains resources on pastoral care with elders, developing LGBTQ affirming liturgies, how to talk about both problematic and celebratory texts, glossary of terms, and innovative ritual. These resources are based on the workshops that were originally intended for cantorial and rabbinical students….
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Home > Resources > Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Share on facebookLikeShare on twitterTweetShare on printPrintShare on emailEmailMore Sharing ServicesShareHineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
The story of a whole community inspired and changed by one girls courage
Hiniei: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Buy the DVD
HINEINI (Hebrew for ‘Here I am') chronicles the story of one student's courageous fight to establish a gay-straight alliance at a Jewish high school in the Boston area and the transformative impact of her campaign on her entire community.
Longing to connect more deeply with her Jewish identity, Shulamit Izen enters 9th grade at The New Jewish High School (now Gann Academy) in Waltham, Massachusetts. She also starts school as an out lesbian.
Using interviews with Shulamit, her family, teachers, and other students – both those who support her campaign and those who oppose it – the film allows the members of this community to tell their own stories. What emerges is a potent and inspiring story of Jewish pluralism and a community navigating the cross-currents of Jewish tradition and social change.
Beyond the struggle to create a supportive environment for gay and lesbian students and teachers at the school, this is the story of a community wrestling with the very definition of pluralism and diversity in a Jewish context.
From sanctifying same-sex marriages to ordaining gay rabbis, discussions of GLBT identity and inclusion are taking place across the Jewish religious spectrum. Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School offers a vital new framework in which to understand these issues and a powerful catalyst for discussion and dialogue in all communities.
Learn about the making of Hineini

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Home > Resources > Wrestling with God
Share on facebookLikeShare on twitterTweetShare on printPrintShare on emailEmailMore Sharing ServicesShareWrestling with God

On1foot.com logoHosted by our partner, On1Foot.org, this is an interactive collection of more than 160 classical Jewish texts curated by Rabbi Steve Greenberg. These are the primary source texts Rabbi Greenberg explored in depth in his groundbreaking book, Wrestling with God & Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition. Here you can create customizable text-study and source sheets using the “Wrestling with God” texts for use in classrooms, synagogues, and other educational venues.
Deuteronomy 23:20
February 27, 2012
You shall not deduct interest from loans to your countrymen, whether in money or food or anything else that can be deducted as interest. [Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg] ????? ?”?:?’ ??? ????????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????????: Suggested Discussion…
Exodus 22:24
February 27, 2012
If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them. [Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg] ???? ?”?:?”? ??? ?????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ????????? ??? ?????????? ?????? ???????: Suggested Discussi…
Ecclesiastes 4:1
February 27, 2012
I further observed all the oppressions that goes on under the sun. Behold, the tears of the oppressed. There is no one to comfort them. In the hands of their oppressors there is power, and there is no one to comfort them. [Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg] ???? ?:? ??????????? ?????, ????????? ?…
Exodus 20:12
February 27, 2012
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may long endure on the land that the Lord your God is assigning to you. [Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg] ???? ?:?? ??????? ???-???????, ?????-???????–???????, ?????????? ???????, ??? ?????????, ??????-?????? ????????? ????? ???? Suggested Discuss…
Deuteronomy 22:28
February 27, 2012
Then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he has humbled her, he may not put her away all his days. [Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg] ????? ??:?? ????-??????? ?????, ?????? ???????? ?????? ???-????????, ???????????,…
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Resources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
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The Purim Superhero
TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
Store
Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
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Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
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Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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18 Ways to Make Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Members Feel Welcome in Your Congregation
November 28, 2008 | Union for Reform Judaism
Ideas on how make LGBT Jews feel at home and a welcome part of a community.…
Policies and Best Practices | Reform Movement
Download
 
All Gender LGBTQ Tefillin Workshop
January 22, 2012 | JP Payne
The act of laying tefillin is an act of intimacy between a Jewish person and God. In this workshop, we encourage people of all genders to partake in this ancient ritual. We also encourage participants to engage in a text study which examines the…
DIY LGBT Jewish Events
Download
 
Andrea Jacobs @ Vigil for Tel Aviv LGBT Center
Keshet Director of Education Andrea Jacob’s speech at a vigil for victims of Tel Aviv’s GLBT Center shooting.…
Activism & Civil Rights

Article or Document
"Gay Judaism" and the Struggle for Inclusion
October 1, 2003 | Rabbi Joshua Lesser
The author writes of his decision to go to rabbinical school and the history behind the Reconstructionist Rabbinical School’s inclusive attitude towards gay and lesbian students. He also addresses some landmark legislative cases…
Activism & Civil Rights | Reconstructionist Movement
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Article or Document, Blog, Torah Commentary
What’s Jewish about Gay Pride?
June 2, 2012 | David Levy
A sermon in honor of Gay Pride about the connections to be made between the Torah portion and Gay Pride. Includes personal stories and reflections from the author.…
Activism & Civil RightsPride

Article or Document, Blog
Arise
August 14, 2012
Author’s personal story of becoming a bat mitzvah following transitioning genders from male to female. Focuses on choosing a new name and the powerful role it plays in one’s bar/bat mitzvah, particularly following gender transition.…
Lifecycle Events | Ritual/Liturgy/Prayer | Transgender and Gender Identity

Article or Document, Blog
Coming out, a young gay man finds self-acceptance
June 12, 2013 | Isaac Lobel
A charming, funny, and captivating story about a young Jewish man, finding his voice and place in the Jewish community as a gay man. For Isaac Lobel’s bar mitzvah, his parents got him a laptop. For what I searched for on it, they got him…
Coming Out | Families and Parenting | Youth

Article or Document, Blog
Modelling Respect
May 10, 2012 | Rabbi Avi Katz-Orlow
Blog post by an Orthodox rabbi, making a case against homophobia and bullying and in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage using Jewish texts about respecting our fellow human beings.…
Marriage and Weddings | Orthodox Movement

Article or Document, Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Transforming Beitecha – A Guide to Creating LGBTQ Ritual, Spiritual, and Pastoral Homes
Congregation Beit Simchat Torah
Produced by Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) in New York, the guide contains resources on pastoral care with elders, developing LGBTQ affirming liturgies, how to talk about both problematic and celebratory texts, glossary of terms,…
Policies and Best Practices
Download
 
Article or Document, Educational Tool, Ritual
The Velveteen Rabbi’s Haggadah for Pesach
Rachel Barenblat
A free and open-source LGBT-inclusive haggadah for Passover which combines traditional texts with poetry and creative interpretations.…
Ritual/Liturgy/PrayerPassover
Download
 
Article or Document, Educational Tool, Website
Queerly Created
Rabbi Elliot Kukla, Rabbi Reuben Zellman
Examining the creation of humanity in Jewish sacred texts from the Bible until today, Queerly Created is the first section of Jewish Mosaic’s TransTexts section.…
Transgender and Gender Identity

Article or Document, Educational Tool
Creating a Jewish Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA): Youth Organizing Manual
The Aleph Project at Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY)
A 30 page step-by-step guide to creating a GSA in a Jewish environment. Includes an explanation of GSAs, concrete steps to take to starting a GSA, talking points, tips for running successful meetings, and other resources. To download this…
Activism & Civil Rights | Policies and Best Practices | Youth

Article or Document, Educational Tool
Jewish Pride: Celebrating LGBT Voices in Our Community
July 8, 2009 | Karen Kushner
A brochure with biographies of six bay area Jewish members of the LGBT community, each followed by each person’s answer to the question, “When you go to a new synagogue, what do you look for to feel welcome?”…

Download
 
Article or Document, Educational Tool
Making Your Community More Transgender-Friendly: Guidelines for Individuals and Congregations
January 1, 2004 | Rabbi Reuben Zellman
Guidelines for how to Jewish communities can make their institutions more transgender friendly. Includes general tips for individuals.…
Policies and Best Practices | Transgender and Gender Identity
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Article or Document, Educational Tool
Making Your Jewish Congregation or Community More Transgender Friendly
January 1, 2007 | Rabbi Elliot Kukla, Rabbi Reuben Zellman
A brochure with concrete steps that Jewish communities can take to be more inclusive of transgender members.…
Policies and Best Practices | Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Article or Document, Educational Tool
National Coming Out Day: Planning Manual
The Aleph Project at Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY)
Step-by-step guide to planning a National Coming Out Day (NCOD) observance in a Jewish educational setting. The NCOD campaign is a one-day campaign that engages the community to take a stand against bullying and harassment against gay,…
Activism & Civil Rights | Bullying or Harassment | Coming Out | Policies and Best Practices | YouthNational Coming Out Day

Article or Document, Educational Tool
The Berman Jewish Policy Archive – LGBT Section
Open access to a growing library of 14,000+ policy-relevant documents from leading authors, journals, and organizations. LGBT section contains over 150 policies.…
Conservative Movement | Jewish Law | Marriage and Weddings | Orthodox Movement | Policies and Best Practices | Reconstructionist Movement | Reform Movement

Article or Document, Educational Tool
What Does Gay Mean?: How to Talk with Kids about Sexual Orientation and Prejudice
Dr. Lynn Ponton
Published by Mental Health America (MHA), this pamphlet is designed to help parents have honest conversations with their kids about sexual orientation. Discusses the positive effects of having these conversations, followed by concrete…
Bullying or Harassment | Youth
Download
 
Article or Document, Educational Tool
What to Do When a Teen Comes Out to You
Keshet
A short list of concrete suggestions for responses and reactions for when a teenager comes out as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer.…
Coming Out | Youth
Download
 
Article or Document, Interview
Interview With a Transsexual Within the Orthodox Jewish Community
October 3, 2008 | Unknown
An interview with an Orthodox transsexual individual about their personal experience transitioning and negotiating community and family space.…
Orthodox Movement | Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Article or Document, Interview
Of Barbary Lane and Lorraine Hall: Notes from a Tour and an Introductory Conversation
July 28, 2009 | Noach Dzmura
The author’s interview with an elderly Jewish transgender woman at Barbary Lane, an LGBT-friendly elder-care facility in Oakland.…
Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Article or Document, Interview
Sacred Sexuality: An Interview with Jay Michaelson
February 20, 2007 | Cole Krawitz, Jay Michaelson
The author interviews writer Jay Michaelson about his latest book, God in Your Body; the organization Michaelson founded, Nehirim; gay, lesbian, transgender, and queer identity, and Rabbinic literature.…

Download
 
Article or Document, Lesson Plan/Activities
Gender Diversity in Aggada
March 1, 2007 | Rabbi Elliot Kukla
Text study on gender and gender diversity in ancient Jewish texts. Includes discussion questions.…
Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Article or Document, Lesson Plan/Activities
Gender Diversity in Halacha (The Way We Walk)
March 1, 2007 | Rabbi Elliot Kukla
Rabbinic texts on the tumtum and adrogynous, beings created by the rabbis to explore the limits of law, and now used by many contemporary teachers to discuss trans/gender identity in Jewish law and antiquity. Concludes with study questions.…
Jewish Law | Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Article or Document, Lesson Plan/Activities
Oy Vey! The Rabbi is Gay! A Children's Tale for All the Conservative Synagogue Educators Who Might Need a Little Extra Help Next Week
December 1, 2006 | Rabbi Daniel Brenner
A gay-positive short story for children about a congregation whose new rabbi turns out to be gay.…
Youth
Download
 
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All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
Store
Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
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National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
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Denver, CO 80224
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Are you a:YouthParent & FamilyEducatorRabbi or CantorJewish ProfessionalLGBTQ JewFriend & AllyVisit our store  Donate Now KeshetWorking for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life
Learn More +About UsOur WorkEquality GuideEventsTraining & ConsultationResourcesBlog
Home > Resources > Torah Queeries
Share on facebookLikeShare on twitterTweetShare on printPrintShare on emailEmailMore Sharing ServicesShareTorah Queeries
Keshet's Torah Queeries archive offers more than 150 creative and incisive “queer” takes on the weekly Torah portions and major Jewish holidays, written by some of the Jewish world’s most dynamic scholars, rabbis, activists, and lay leaders.
For a collection of Torah Queeries essays, check out the Torah Queeries book.
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Search Resources
Use these dropdowns to select multiple search criteria.
Keyword: TopicsActivism & Civil RightsBullying or HarassmentComing OutDating and RelationshipsFamilies and ParentingJewish LawLesbianLifecycle EventsMarriage and WeddingsOrthodox MovementReform MovementRitual/Liturgy/PrayerTransgender and Gender Identity
HolidaysFast DaysHanukkahPassoverPridePurimRosh Hashanah and Yom KippurShavuotSimchat TorahSukkotTransgender Day of Remembrance
AuthorAbi WeissmanAlex CarterAmichai Lau-LavieAmos LassenAmy SouleAndrew RamerAri Lev FornariCantor David E. ReinwaldCaryn AvivChaim Moshe haLevi (Marc Howard Landas)Cynthia HoffmanDarren LipmanDavid KatzenelsonDavid LevyDavid ShneerDebora A. Larry KearneyDr. Sarah PessinGregg DrinkwaterHoward SteiermannIgael Gurin-MalousJ. Simone PosnerJase SchwartzJay MichaelsonJay StantonJeremy SchwartzJo HirschmannJohn E. HirschJoseph A. ShapiroJoy LadinJulia Watts BelserKaren Lee ErlichmanKaren PerolmanKerrick LuckerLev RaphaelMaggid Jhos SingerMarisa Elana JamesMeir HobermanMichael SaridMijael VeraMiryam KabakovMoshe Ben ChaconNoach DzmuraRabbi Adina LewittesRabbi Amber PowersRabbi Andrew SacksRabbi Carl M. PerkinsRabbi David GreensteinRabbi David LazarRabbi Elliot KuklaRabbi Jacob J. StaubRabbi James GreeneRabbi Jane Rachel LitmanRabbi Jill HammerRabbi Joshua LesserRabbi Laurence EdwardsRabbi Lisa EdwardsRabbi Melissa B. SimonRabbi Rachel GurevitzRabbi Reuben ZellmanRabbi Rick BrodyRabbi Robin NafshiRabbi Seth GorenRabbi Steven GreenbergRachel BarenblatRachel BialeRachel BrodieRebbetzin Hadassah GrossRebecca WeinerRi J. TurnerSasha T. GoldbergStephanie SilbersteinTucker LiebermanVanessa "Vinny" PrellY. Gavriel A. Levi AnsaraZvi Bellin
Media TypeArticle or DocumentBooksEducational ToolTorah CommentaryWebsite
Grade LevelCollege and AdultHigh School
Your selections:
Reset SearchShow 102550100 entriesShowing 1 to 25 of 175 entriesFirstPrevious12345NextLastResource Name
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
High Healing: A Purim Message
March 14, 2006 | Amichai Lau-Lavie, Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross
A tongue-in-cheek essay by Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, the drag queen persona of Amichai Lau-Lavie, about the meaning behind Purim. She writes about some of the issues facing the Jewish community and gives some advice for how rabbis might deal…
Purim
Download
 
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
On the Thirteenth Day (Parashat Naso)
June 9, 2006 | Jo Hirschmann
The author asks why a census must be taken. To be counted is to be blessed. To count others is to bestow a blessing upon them. She argues that this is what LGBT Jews have been doing since the 1970's: started synagogues and organizations,…

Download
 
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
Singing for Our Lives (Parashat Be’Ha’alotekha)
June 16, 2008 | Gregg Drinkwater
The author explores the story of Miriam and Aaron challenging Moses’ authority as a prophet and speak “against Moses regarding the Cushite woman he had married.” For this, God punishes Miriam by afflicting her with tzaaras, a skin condition…

Download
 
Article or Document
The Wreathed Chanukah Wand: Sukkot in December
December 17, 2008 | Chaim Moshe haLevi (Marc Howard Landas)
Compares the holidays of Hannukah and Christmas and discusses the issue of when Jesus was actually born, which was probably around Sukkot.…
Hanukkah | Sukkot
Download
 
Books, Educational Tool, Torah Commentary, Website
Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible
September 1, 2009 | David Shneer, Gregg Drinkwater, Rabbi Joshua Lesser
Buy the Torah Queeries book »
See Torah Queeries essays online »
This book brings together some of the world’s leading rabbis, scholars, and writers to interpret the Torah through a queer lens. Use these essays in your weekly parsha text…

Torah Commentary
"A Simple Matter of Justice" Achare Mot-Kedoshim
April 29, 1993 | Rabbi Lisa Edwards
The author writes about the verses in Leviticus that forbid gay sex and the dangers in heeding them too closely, highlighting other verses instead that call for love and respect.…
Reform Movement
Download
 
Torah Commentary
"And God Called": The Process is the Message (Parashat VaYikra)
April 1, 2006 | Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman
The author discusses our human urge to connect with God and its relationship to struggling with verses of Torah that do not speak to us as LGBT Jews. We know that some of the Torah’s words seem homophobic, sexist, insensitive to disabled people,…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
"Hey Yaacov, Someone’s Calling your Name!" "If it isn’t Yisrael, I’m not Home." (Parashat Vayishlach)
December 12, 2008 | Zvi Bellin
The author explores why Jacob was renamed twice in this Torah portion, and argues that each one of us has an ideal vision of who we want to be and how we wish to be perceived in our communities.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
"Queer" Tribes: Finding a Place for Alternative Families (Parashat B’midbar)
May 25, 2006 | Gregg Drinkwater
The author reviews the notion of family and family lineage in the parasha, comparing it with his own non-traditional family.…
Families and Parenting
Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Generation’s Judge (Parashat Devarim)
July 24, 2009 | Cynthia Hoffman
The author discusses the position the Torah portion appears to take on the issue of rendering judgment, and the ways in which distance from certain events permits clearer judgment of the events themselves. She asks what it means for the next…
Marriage and Weddings
Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Less Innocent Love (Parashat Vaetchanan)
August 5, 2006 | Jay Michaelson
The author explores the characteristics of love in different religious and secular writing and argues that queer religious love, when it is realized, is necessarily self-aware, because it has been tested, as Abraham’s love was tested.…
Dating and Relationships
Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Little Bit of Soap (Parashat Chukat)
July 4, 2008 | Noach Dzmura
Short commentary on the use of a red cow’s ashes to ritually purify a person, and the preparation of Miriam’s body for burial.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Mandatory Donation (Parashat Terumah)
February 19, 2010 | David Katzenelson
The author explores the notion of terumah, translated as gift, portion, offering, or donation. He asks how this can be considered a donation if, in the context of this Torah portion, God commands the Israelites to give a terumah. Further, why…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A New Vision of the Scapegoat (Parashat Pinchas)
July 18, 2008 | Ri J. Turner
Commentary on the scapegoat. Whether killed by the knife or abandoned in the woods, the sin-offering goat is a potent symbol. What does it mean to release our sins—or relieve our worries about being held accountable—not by repairing the…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Parade of Welcome (Parashat Beha’alotecha)
May 28, 2010 | Rabbi James Greene
The author discusses the imagery of the Israelites wandering through the wilderness, focusing on a midrash that says that each tribe moved in its own unique way. He sees the LGBTQ community as its own tribe within the congregation of Israel.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Revolution With Boundaries (Parashat Korach)
June 30, 2006 | Rebecca Weiner
The author relates her own experience of struggling with her relationship to halakha (Jewish law) to Korach doing something similar in this parsha. She names two lessons she learns from this parsha, that you have to pick your battles, and that…
Jewish Law
Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Well in the Desert (Parashat Vayera)
November 14, 2008 | David Katzenelson
The author compares the experience of Hagar in the desert, after having been cast out by Sarah, to the experience of LGBT Jews.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A “Great Moral Issue” of Our Time (Parashat Vayera)
October 23, 2010 | Rabbi Carl M. Perkins
In this sermon. Rabbi Carl Perkins discusses discrimination and bigotry against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the Jewish community and in mainstream American society, specifically in the context of the rise in LGBT…
Bullying or Harassment
Download
 
Torah Commentary
Affirming the Sanctity of Same-Sex Love (Parashat B'reshit)
October 20, 2006 | Gregg Drinkwater
In this commentary, the author argues that LGBT Jews spend a lot of time defending ourselves against misunderstood Torah verses that supposedly forbid same-sex relationships. Rarely do we have the opportunity to pro-actively affirm, rather…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Amalek and The Good Soldier (Parashat Ki Teitze)
September 12, 2008 | Noach Dzmura
This commentary discusses the literary themes and narrative structure of the Torah portion. The author argues that there is an overarching meta-narrative to the portion which suggests that the ethical behavior of soldiers will lead to ultimate…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Apres le Deluge: Moi (Parashat Noach)
October 28, 2006 | Michael Sarid
The author explores the question of how Noah’s enormous personal losses affect his life after the flood. He cultivates the world’s first vineyard, drinks the world’s first wine, and, upon drinking himself into oblivion, becomes the…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?: Pharaoh, the Plagues, and His Mutinous Magicians (Parashat Vaera)
January 23, 2009 | Marisa Elana James
The author writes about power-hungry Pharaoh, who is more interested in upholding his own power than protecting his own people, and the cunning strategy of the Egyptians magicians: to use their powers on the Egyptian people – not on Moses…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Balak and Balaam: Language and Knowledge, Speech and Power (Parashat Balak)
July 11, 2008 | Jeremy Schwartz
The author argues that this Torah portion is a story about speech: who has the power of the tongue, and what impact words can have. As members of the queer community, we can glean something from this portion when we encounter hate speech and as…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Ba’al Ha’Chalomot: Keepers of the Dreams (Parashat Vayeshev)
November 29, 2007 | Karen Lee Erlichman
This Torah portion focuses on the story of Joseph, a dreamer and a visionary who was reviled and exiled by his own siblings. The author argues that this story is profoundly relevant to LGBTQ Jews. Many of us can recall our first feelings of being…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Bind These Words (Parashat Ekev)
August 11, 2006 | Ari Lev Fornari
The authors writes of his personal experience being transgendered and wearing a chest binder, interwoven with instructions of tying the tzitzit (fringes) of a tallit (prayer shawl).…
Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Showing 1 to 25 of 175 entriesFirstPrevious12345NextLastResources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
Store
Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutubeDesigned by: Free Range StudiosClose Box Keshet    Remember Me
  
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address.
You will receive a link to reset the password via email.
  
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Are you a:YouthParent & FamilyEducatorRabbi or CantorJewish ProfessionalLGBTQ JewFriend & AllyVisit our store  Donate Now KeshetWorking for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life
Learn More +About UsOur WorkEquality GuideEventsTraining & ConsultationResourcesBlog
Home > Resources > Torah Queeries
Share on facebookLikeShare on twitterTweetShare on printPrintShare on emailEmailMore Sharing ServicesShareTorah Queeries
Keshet's Torah Queeries archive offers more than 150 creative and incisive “queer” takes on the weekly Torah portions and major Jewish holidays, written by some of the Jewish world’s most dynamic scholars, rabbis, activists, and lay leaders.
For a collection of Torah Queeries essays, check out the Torah Queeries book.
Loading...

Search Resources
Use these dropdowns to select multiple search criteria.
Keyword: TopicsActivism & Civil RightsBullying or HarassmentComing OutDating and RelationshipsFamilies and ParentingJewish LawLesbianLifecycle EventsMarriage and WeddingsOrthodox MovementReform MovementRitual/Liturgy/PrayerTransgender and Gender Identity
HolidaysFast DaysHanukkahPassoverPridePurimRosh Hashanah and Yom KippurShavuotSimchat TorahSukkotTransgender Day of Remembrance
AuthorAbi WeissmanAlex CarterAmichai Lau-LavieAmos LassenAmy SouleAndrew RamerAri Lev FornariCantor David E. ReinwaldCaryn AvivChaim Moshe haLevi (Marc Howard Landas)Cynthia HoffmanDarren LipmanDavid KatzenelsonDavid LevyDavid ShneerDebora A. Larry KearneyDr. Sarah PessinGregg DrinkwaterHoward SteiermannIgael Gurin-MalousJ. Simone PosnerJase SchwartzJay MichaelsonJay StantonJeremy SchwartzJo HirschmannJohn E. HirschJoseph A. ShapiroJoy LadinJulia Watts BelserKaren Lee ErlichmanKaren PerolmanKerrick LuckerLev RaphaelMaggid Jhos SingerMarisa Elana JamesMeir HobermanMichael SaridMijael VeraMiryam KabakovMoshe Ben ChaconNoach DzmuraRabbi Adina LewittesRabbi Amber PowersRabbi Andrew SacksRabbi Carl M. PerkinsRabbi David GreensteinRabbi David LazarRabbi Elliot KuklaRabbi Jacob J. StaubRabbi James GreeneRabbi Jane Rachel LitmanRabbi Jill HammerRabbi Joshua LesserRabbi Laurence EdwardsRabbi Lisa EdwardsRabbi Melissa B. SimonRabbi Rachel GurevitzRabbi Reuben ZellmanRabbi Rick BrodyRabbi Robin NafshiRabbi Seth GorenRabbi Steven GreenbergRachel BarenblatRachel BialeRachel BrodieRebbetzin Hadassah GrossRebecca WeinerRi J. TurnerSasha T. GoldbergStephanie SilbersteinTucker LiebermanVanessa "Vinny" PrellY. Gavriel A. Levi AnsaraZvi Bellin
Media TypeArticle or DocumentBooksEducational ToolTorah CommentaryWebsite
Grade LevelCollege and AdultHigh School
Your selections:
Reset SearchShow 102550100 entriesShowing 1 to 25 of 175 entriesFirstPrevious12345NextLastResource Name
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
High Healing: A Purim Message
March 14, 2006 | Amichai Lau-Lavie, Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross
A tongue-in-cheek essay by Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, the drag queen persona of Amichai Lau-Lavie, about the meaning behind Purim. She writes about some of the issues facing the Jewish community and gives some advice for how rabbis might deal…
Purim
Download
 
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
On the Thirteenth Day (Parashat Naso)
June 9, 2006 | Jo Hirschmann
The author asks why a census must be taken. To be counted is to be blessed. To count others is to bestow a blessing upon them. She argues that this is what LGBT Jews have been doing since the 1970's: started synagogues and organizations,…

Download
 
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
Singing for Our Lives (Parashat Be’Ha’alotekha)
June 16, 2008 | Gregg Drinkwater
The author explores the story of Miriam and Aaron challenging Moses’ authority as a prophet and speak “against Moses regarding the Cushite woman he had married.” For this, God punishes Miriam by afflicting her with tzaaras, a skin condition…

Download
 
Article or Document
The Wreathed Chanukah Wand: Sukkot in December
December 17, 2008 | Chaim Moshe haLevi (Marc Howard Landas)
Compares the holidays of Hannukah and Christmas and discusses the issue of when Jesus was actually born, which was probably around Sukkot.…
Hanukkah | Sukkot
Download
 
Books, Educational Tool, Torah Commentary, Website
Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible
September 1, 2009 | David Shneer, Gregg Drinkwater, Rabbi Joshua Lesser
Buy the Torah Queeries book »
See Torah Queeries essays online »
This book brings together some of the world’s leading rabbis, scholars, and writers to interpret the Torah through a queer lens. Use these essays in your weekly parsha text…

Torah Commentary
"A Simple Matter of Justice" Achare Mot-Kedoshim
April 29, 1993 | Rabbi Lisa Edwards
The author writes about the verses in Leviticus that forbid gay sex and the dangers in heeding them too closely, highlighting other verses instead that call for love and respect.…
Reform Movement
Download
 
Torah Commentary
"And God Called": The Process is the Message (Parashat VaYikra)
April 1, 2006 | Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman
The author discusses our human urge to connect with God and its relationship to struggling with verses of Torah that do not speak to us as LGBT Jews. We know that some of the Torah’s words seem homophobic, sexist, insensitive to disabled people,…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
"Hey Yaacov, Someone’s Calling your Name!" "If it isn’t Yisrael, I’m not Home." (Parashat Vayishlach)
December 12, 2008 | Zvi Bellin
The author explores why Jacob was renamed twice in this Torah portion, and argues that each one of us has an ideal vision of who we want to be and how we wish to be perceived in our communities.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
"Queer" Tribes: Finding a Place for Alternative Families (Parashat B’midbar)
May 25, 2006 | Gregg Drinkwater
The author reviews the notion of family and family lineage in the parasha, comparing it with his own non-traditional family.…
Families and Parenting
Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Generation’s Judge (Parashat Devarim)
July 24, 2009 | Cynthia Hoffman
The author discusses the position the Torah portion appears to take on the issue of rendering judgment, and the ways in which distance from certain events permits clearer judgment of the events themselves. She asks what it means for the next…
Marriage and Weddings
Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Less Innocent Love (Parashat Vaetchanan)
August 5, 2006 | Jay Michaelson
The author explores the characteristics of love in different religious and secular writing and argues that queer religious love, when it is realized, is necessarily self-aware, because it has been tested, as Abraham’s love was tested.…
Dating and Relationships
Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Little Bit of Soap (Parashat Chukat)
July 4, 2008 | Noach Dzmura
Short commentary on the use of a red cow’s ashes to ritually purify a person, and the preparation of Miriam’s body for burial.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Mandatory Donation (Parashat Terumah)
February 19, 2010 | David Katzenelson
The author explores the notion of terumah, translated as gift, portion, offering, or donation. He asks how this can be considered a donation if, in the context of this Torah portion, God commands the Israelites to give a terumah. Further, why…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A New Vision of the Scapegoat (Parashat Pinchas)
July 18, 2008 | Ri J. Turner
Commentary on the scapegoat. Whether killed by the knife or abandoned in the woods, the sin-offering goat is a potent symbol. What does it mean to release our sins—or relieve our worries about being held accountable—not by repairing the…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Parade of Welcome (Parashat Beha’alotecha)
May 28, 2010 | Rabbi James Greene
The author discusses the imagery of the Israelites wandering through the wilderness, focusing on a midrash that says that each tribe moved in its own unique way. He sees the LGBTQ community as its own tribe within the congregation of Israel.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Revolution With Boundaries (Parashat Korach)
June 30, 2006 | Rebecca Weiner
The author relates her own experience of struggling with her relationship to halakha (Jewish law) to Korach doing something similar in this parsha. She names two lessons she learns from this parsha, that you have to pick your battles, and that…
Jewish Law
Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Well in the Desert (Parashat Vayera)
November 14, 2008 | David Katzenelson
The author compares the experience of Hagar in the desert, after having been cast out by Sarah, to the experience of LGBT Jews.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A “Great Moral Issue” of Our Time (Parashat Vayera)
October 23, 2010 | Rabbi Carl M. Perkins
In this sermon. Rabbi Carl Perkins discusses discrimination and bigotry against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the Jewish community and in mainstream American society, specifically in the context of the rise in LGBT…
Bullying or Harassment
Download
 
Torah Commentary
Affirming the Sanctity of Same-Sex Love (Parashat B'reshit)
October 20, 2006 | Gregg Drinkwater
In this commentary, the author argues that LGBT Jews spend a lot of time defending ourselves against misunderstood Torah verses that supposedly forbid same-sex relationships. Rarely do we have the opportunity to pro-actively affirm, rather…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Amalek and The Good Soldier (Parashat Ki Teitze)
September 12, 2008 | Noach Dzmura
This commentary discusses the literary themes and narrative structure of the Torah portion. The author argues that there is an overarching meta-narrative to the portion which suggests that the ethical behavior of soldiers will lead to ultimate…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Apres le Deluge: Moi (Parashat Noach)
October 28, 2006 | Michael Sarid
The author explores the question of how Noah’s enormous personal losses affect his life after the flood. He cultivates the world’s first vineyard, drinks the world’s first wine, and, upon drinking himself into oblivion, becomes the…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?: Pharaoh, the Plagues, and His Mutinous Magicians (Parashat Vaera)
January 23, 2009 | Marisa Elana James
The author writes about power-hungry Pharaoh, who is more interested in upholding his own power than protecting his own people, and the cunning strategy of the Egyptians magicians: to use their powers on the Egyptian people – not on Moses…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Balak and Balaam: Language and Knowledge, Speech and Power (Parashat Balak)
July 11, 2008 | Jeremy Schwartz
The author argues that this Torah portion is a story about speech: who has the power of the tongue, and what impact words can have. As members of the queer community, we can glean something from this portion when we encounter hate speech and as…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Ba’al Ha’Chalomot: Keepers of the Dreams (Parashat Vayeshev)
November 29, 2007 | Karen Lee Erlichman
This Torah portion focuses on the story of Joseph, a dreamer and a visionary who was reviled and exiled by his own siblings. The author argues that this story is profoundly relevant to LGBTQ Jews. Many of us can recall our first feelings of being…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Bind These Words (Parashat Ekev)
August 11, 2006 | Ari Lev Fornari
The authors writes of his personal experience being transgendered and wearing a chest binder, interwoven with instructions of tying the tzitzit (fringes) of a tallit (prayer shawl).…
Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Showing 1 to 25 of 175 entriesFirstPrevious12345NextLastResources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
Store
Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutubeDesigned by: Free Range StudiosClose Box Keshet    Remember Me
  
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address.
You will receive a link to reset the password via email.
  
Sign in
Sign in | Lost your password?



Are you a:YouthParent & FamilyEducatorRabbi or CantorJewish ProfessionalLGBTQ JewFriend & AllyVisit our store  Donate Now KeshetWorking for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life
Learn More +About UsOur WorkEquality GuideEventsTraining & ConsultationResourcesBlog
Home > Resources > Marriage Project
Share on facebookLikeShare on twitterTweetShare on printPrintShare on emailEmailMore Sharing ServicesShareMarriage Project
Jewish Weddings for LGBTQ Couples

Search the Marriage Project»
Rabbis affiliated with Judaism’s Reform and Reconstructionist movements in the United States have long been officiating at weddings and partnership ceremonies for LGBT couples.*  In 2006, after years of impassioned study and debate, the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS, the movement’s authority on Jewish law) made an historic policy change in normalizing the status of gay and lesbian Jews in Conservative-affiliated synagogues and organizations and legalizing the ordination of gay and lesbian rabbis .
When the 2006 responsum, or Jewish legal ruling, was approved by members of the CJLS, the authors of the responsum were not prepared to offer guidance on ceremonies and legal instruments for creating and dissolving gay and lesbian unions but made it clear that they favored “the establishment of committed and loving relationships for gay and lesbian Jews.” In May 2012, the authors of the 2006 responsum that opened the doors for gay and lesbian rabbis shared a new ritual framework for officiating at unions for same-sex couples. The two model ceremonies they created will likely become templates that Conservative rabbis will rely upon when officiating at ceremonies in their own communities. Our Resource Guide offers additional models and includes discussions of the relevant Jewish legal frameworks.
The Resource Guide is geared for those within Jewish communities who have already accepted the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships may focus on the question of what forms these rituals and liturgies might take. The guide offers ceremonies and articles grounded in considerations of halacha (Jewish law), as well as the opportunity to dialogue and contribute to the evolving innovation and development of this relatively new ritual area of Jewish life. We have included liturgy, guidelines, ritual, and legal materials that respond to the diverse needs of clergy and couples.
Isaiah’s words capture our efforts. He preached to those in exile who might return to their homeland:
Widen the place of your tent,
Stretch the curtains of your dwellings – stint not!
Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes (Isaiah 54:2)
The image is of a tent flexible enough to expand to contain those who had not been included in the past – but also capable of rooting itself in the soil of Jewish law, culture, and tradition – so it does not remain too loose to be able to stand firm. Our established and created rituals are the places in which we dwell and create meaning, and the strength of our future community is grounded within them.
Thank You
Thank you to Rabbi Tracy Nathan, the project editor. Rabbi Nathan is the Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Waltham, MA. She taught on the faculty at Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston and served as rabbi of Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco. She received her rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she served as a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, New York City’s synagogue for LGBT Jews, their friends, and families. Many thanks to Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, who began the work of researching authors and ceremonies for this project and to countless individuals who consulted with Keshet on the formation of this Guide.
*The Reform Movement ‘s Central Conference of American Rabbis gave official sanction to its affiliated clergy in 2000 and the Reconstructionist Movement gave official sanction indirectly in 1993 and directly in 2004. In both movements, individual clergy had been officiating at unions for LGBT couples long before the official policy shifts.
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Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
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National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
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Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
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Home > Resources > LGBT Jewish Education Resources
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Here's an easy-to-use collection of educational resources.  Whether you’re looking for materials to create a queertext study or activities to create a workshop for the teens in your community, Keshet has it all. You can find LGBTQ-inclusive lesson plans, resource guides and best practices for creating LGBTQ-inclusive camps and youth groups, as well as samples of educational programs created by other educators, youth professionals, and Jewish youth leaders. We're always looking to build our collection so please send us any resources you come across that would be a good fit.
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Keyword: TopicsActivism & Civil RightsAllyBullying or HarassmentComing OutConservative MovementFamilies and ParentingFeminismHolocaustInterfaithJewish LawJewish ValuesJews by ChoiceJews of ColorLegislationLesbianLifecycle EventsOrthodox MovementPolicies and Best PracticesReconstructionist MovementReform MovementRitual/Liturgy/PrayerTransgender and Gender IdentityYouth
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AuthorAndrea GuerraAnn AbramsBBYOJennifer BersdaleKendra LubalinKeshetMartin Rawlings-FeinNili YoshaRabbi Steven GreenbergRachel AckermanRebecca WeinerRoni Alperin
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Reset SearchShow 102550100 entriesShowing 1 to 25 of 46 entriesFirstPrevious12NextLastResource Name
Article or Document, Teaching Guidelines
Top 10 Ways to Respond to “That’s So Gay!”
September 4, 2013 | Keshet
This Top 10 List was complied from responses gathered from participants of Keshet’s National Training Institutes.…
Ally | Bullying or Harassment | Policies and Best Practices
Download
 
Article or Document
Creating Inclusive Curricula
Suggestions for inclusive lesson planning at the Elementary level and how to include GLB/Trans experiences and perspectives in the
curriculum.…

Download
 
Article or Document
LGBT Jewish Resource List
September 4, 2013 | Ann Abrams, Keshet
This is a list of suggested resources for Jewish educators, parents, and youth program leaders. It includes books, film, and websites. The document features a focused list of key resources that we think may be most helpful to Jewish educators,…

Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Civil Rights Movement
This lesson is designed for use with Hineini or as part of a curriculum in history, social studies, or civics. Using small group work, class discussion, text analysis, and writing exercises, students examine the writing and actions of Rabbi…
Activism & Civil Rights
Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Gender Boxes
Hands-on activity for students to discuss proscribed gender roles. For all all ages with adjusted discussion questions for age and developmental appropriateness.
 …
Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Hiding and Coming Out
This “chalk-talk” activity is an empathy–building exercise about the risks individuals take (or are afraid to take) in order to be seen and known within their community. After viewing the film, students will reflect on the experiences…
Coming Out
Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Identity Molecule
This exercise gives participants an opportunity to investigate how a perceived shared identity can in fact contain significant diversity. By articulating all the different aspects of their identities, participants have an opportunity…

Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Institutional LGBTQ Inclusion Audit Workshop
This session gives some guidelines for helping institutions and organizations understand the multi-faceted process of bringing the ideological and spiritual practice of inclusion into alignment with the material and cultural “face”…
Policies and Best Practices
Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Looking at Change in Jewish Law: The Evolving Legal Status of the Deaf Person
This lesson looks at original source materials to see how the Jewish legal code’s standards about the status of deaf people have changed over the centuries. It suggests that the Jewish legal position about homosexuality could also change…

Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Pluralism in Action
This role play debate gives students the opportunity to examine what pluralism looks like in action. Students take on the roles of members of a religious policy committee at a new school to discuss, debate, and determine school policy on three…

Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Pluralism Is Jewish: The Houses of Hillel and Shammai
In this activity, students examine a text about the differences between the rabbinic schools of Hillel and Shammai. This activity helps students understand the meaning of pluralism both in action and as a value in Judaism.…

Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Stand Up For Each Other: Rainbow of Tolerance
BBYO
Curriculum providing an educational, yet interactive way for people to learn about the Stand Up For Each Other campaign and the LGBT community.…
Youth

Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
Step Into the Circle
Participants stand in a circle and are asked to step in if a statement applies to them. After all the statements are read, participants are asked if they want to share any reflections on what they noticed.…

Download
 
Educational Tool, Lesson Plan/Activities
What Does It Mean to Be an Ally?
This activity begins with a short text study of Talmudic teachings about communal responsibility. Students then explore together the role of an “ally” in creating change. Students are asked to recall moments when they stood up for someone…
Ally
Download
 
Educational Tool
LGBTQI Terminology
A glossary of basic terminology for LGBTQI sexual orientation and gender identity.…
Lesbian | Policies and Best Practices | Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Educational Tool
Sample Agenda for Integrated Gender Diversity & Sexual Orientation Workshop
To be used in conjunction with Keshet’s Curriculum Resource Guide. Sample workshop (group of curricula) for half day on gender diversity and sexual orientation.…
Transgender and Gender Identity
Download
 
Educational Tool
What to Do When a Teen Comes Out to You
Some concrete suggestions to consider when a teenager comes out to you.…
Coming Out | Policies and Best Practices | Youth
Download
 
Lesson Plan/Activities
5773 Hits
September 3, 2013 | Kendra Lubalin
This lesson designed for 5th–12th graders will help students explore Jewish identity through social media and online culture. Students will research different YouTube videos and explore different expressions of Jewish culture.…
Activism & Civil Rights | Coming Out | Interfaith | Jewish Values | Jews by Choice | Jews of Color | Lifecycle Events | Transgender and Gender Identity | Youth
Download
 
Lesson Plan/Activities
613 and More
Kendra Lubalin
This lesson for 4th-12th graders looks at how to apply mitzvot to contemporary life. It examines how Responsa shaped mitzvot and Jewish law so it evolved through time. This is a loosely structured lesson plan that can be tailored to different…
Jewish Law
Download
 
Lesson Plan/Activities
And G-d Chose Zoe Too
September 3, 2013 | Rebecca Weiner
This is a Jewish LGBT children’s story for pre-K — 3rd graders that focuses on the themes of a single parent home, adoption, being chosen by G-d, and chosen family. Through this story, students will learn about a Jewish family that…
Coming Out | Families and Parenting | Jewish Law | Jewish Values
Download
 
Lesson Plan/Activities
Bal Tashchit
September 3, 2013 | Martin Rawlings-Fein
This lesson was designed to help students understand the main ways that we can fulfill the mitzvah of Bal Taschit, “Do not destroy.” The lesson explores this theme through environmental concerns and values that help humans to…
Activism & Civil Rights | Holocaust | Jewish LawHolocaust Remembrance Day
Download
 
Lesson Plan/Activities
Building a Welcoming Tent
September 3, 2013 | Rabbi Steven Greenberg
This lesson plan was developed for Keshet by Rabbi Steve Greenberg, author of Wrestling with God and Men. In this half hour text study designed for K-3rd graders, students will use biblical text explore the fundamental values of welcome and…
Jewish Values
Download
 
Lesson Plan/Activities
Coming Out at Camp
September 9, 2013 | Rachel Ackerman
The goal of this lesson, designed for high school aged Counselors in Training, is to create a space for participants to think critically about how accessible camp is for those who are LGBT. At the end of this lesson, participants will be able…
Ally | Coming OutNational Coming Out Day
Download
 
Lesson Plan/Activities
Engaging with the Other
August 29, 2013 | Rabbi Steven Greenberg
This lesson plan was developed for Keshet by Rabbi Steve Greenberg, author of Wrestling with God and Men. In this hour-long text study designed for 9th-12th graders and adults, students will explore the Jewish value of inclusivity, as well…
Ally | Jewish Values
Download
 
Lesson Plan/Activities
Etz Chayim Glee
Rebecca Weiner
This resource is a script for a post-modern Purim Spiel that can be performed and/or adapted. Use it to engage students in a Purim Shpeil that explores contemporary themes of bullying and inclusion and helps students to relate the Purim story…
Ally | Bullying or Harassment | Jewish ValuesPurim
Download
 
Showing 1 to 25 of 46 entriesFirstPrevious12NextLastResources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
Store
Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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Are you a:YouthParent & FamilyEducatorRabbi or CantorJewish ProfessionalLGBTQ JewFriend & AllyVisit our store  Donate Now KeshetWorking for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life
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Home > Resources > The Purim Superhero
Share on facebookLikeShare on twitterTweetShare on printPrintShare on emailEmailMore Sharing ServicesShareThe Purim Superhero
Cover of The Purim SuperheroThe first LGBT-inclusive Jewish Children’s Book in English
and
Winner of Keshet’s National Book-writing contest!
About the Book
Nate has a Purim dilemma. He loves aliens and really wants to wear an alien costume for Purim, but his friends are all dressing as superheroes and he wants to fit in. What will he do? With the help of his two dads he makes a surprising decision.
Published by Kar-Ben Publishing, an award-winning publisher of Jewish children's books,the manuscript is the winner of Keshet's national book-writing contest. We're so proud to have played such a key role in the publication of  this book. Watch the book trailer»
Buy the book or donate a copy»
Celebrate the Release!
Be part of history and host a party to celebrate this milestone or join an existing party! We've created a bunch of materials to help you throw a fabulous party.
Host your own party!
The Purim Superhero parties are happening across the country
(Parties will be added as they are scheduled. Details to come for events not in bold. ):
2/2: Miami at Next@19th
2/2: San Francisco at Sha'ar Zahav (with author Elisabeth Kushner!)
2/3: Berkeley, CA at Afikomen Judaica (with author Elisabeth Kushner!)
2/3: Philadelphia, PA at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore
2/9: Seattle, WA at Congregation Beth Shalom
2/10: Seattle, WA at Temple Beth Am
2/17: Beacon, NY at Beacon Hebrew Alliance
2/17: Denver, CO at the Mizel Museum
2/17: Vancouver, Canada (with author Elisabeth Kushner!)
2/21: NYC, Bronx (private party)
2/23: Portland, OR (private party)
2/24: Atlanta, GA at the Marcus Jewish Community Center
2/24: Boston, MA at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC
2/24: Hartford, CT at the Mandel JCC
2/24: San Diego, CA at Temple Solel
3/22: Elmira, NY at Congregation Kol Ami
4/2: Long Island, NY with the Aleph Project of the LI GLBT Center

Story Overview
Nate loves everything about aliens. He loves to draw aliens, he loves to read about aliens, and loves to think about aliens. So when it comes time to choose a costume for Purim, Nate naturally knew what he was going to be; that is until his friends at Hebrew school told him that all the boys would be dressing up as superheroes.
Worried about being different from his classmates, Nate seeks advice from his two dads, who suggest that being different can sometimes be a good thing. The reader might expect Nate's dads to use their own family as an example. Instead, they point Nate to the lesson of Purim which celebrates Queen Esther, a girl whose courage to be true to herself ends up saving her people.
Young readers may be surprised what Nate learns from this lesson and what costume he finally chooses.
For ages 4-9, Grades: Pre K-3, 32 pages
About the Author and Illustrator
Elisabeth Kushner, author
I’m very excited that this is a picture book about a kid with same-sex parents where his family structure is not the problem, but is still an important part of the story. I think that kids like my daughter and her friends, and like many of the kids I knew at the Jewish Day School, who’ve been lucky enough to grow up in inclusive and accepting communities, will recognize children like themselves and their friends in this story. And I hope that kids with any kind of family and any religious background who feel weird and self-conscious because they like different things than their friends or classmates—and I think that’s all kids, at some point—will find inspiration and sustenance in Nate’s story.
Elisabeth Kushner
Elisabeth lives in Vancouver, Canada, with her family and a jumble of books and musical instruments. She spent nine years as the librarian at the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle so she knows a thing or two about children’s books! If she were a superhero, she'd be Orange Ukulele Girl. Her favorite kind of hamentaschen is poppyseed. This is her first children’s book.
Read an interview with the author on Keshet’s blog
Read an interview with the author on Kar-Ben Publishing’s blog
See what the press is saying about this groundbreaking book
Mike Byrne
Mike grew up near Liverpool in the United Kingdom, moving to London to work as an illustrator by day and a crayon wielding crime fighter by night. He lives in the English countryside with his wife and two cats, where he spends his days doodling and creating children's books.
This project was made possible by the generous support of:
Jane Fantel and Laura Galinson
John and Beth Gamel
Harold Grinspoon and Diane Troderman
Jeff Grinspoon and Jon Foley
National Co-sponsors:
Resources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
Host a Book Party
TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
Store
Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutubeDesigned by: Free Range StudiosClose Box Keshet    Remember Me
  
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Are you a:YouthParent & FamilyEducatorRabbi or CantorJewish ProfessionalLGBTQ JewFriend & AllyVisit our store  Donate Now KeshetWorking for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life
Learn More +About UsOur WorkEquality GuideEventsTraining & ConsultationResourcesBlog
Home > Resources > The Purim Superhero > Host a Book Party
Share on facebookLikeShare on twitterTweetShare on printPrintShare on emailEmailMore Sharing ServicesShareHost a Book Party

Celebrate the release of the first LGBT-inclusive Jewish children’s book!
1.Download the Do It Yourself Party Guide.
2.Pick a date and location and register your party.
3.Advertise your party with these Flyers (pdf) and this Poster (18 x 24). Flyers also available as Word Docs so you can customize. Download a white flyer  or yellow flyer.
4.Download the Study Guide for ideas for discussion topics for your party.
5.Download a Book Order Form to give to guests at your party.
Buy the book »
Learn more about the book »
(Parties will be added as they are scheduled. Details to be announced for events not in bold.)

2/2: Miami at Next@19th
2/2: San Francisco at Sha'ar Zahav (with author Elisabeth Kushner!)
2/3: Berkeley, CA at Afikomen Judaica (with author Elisabeth Kushner!)
2/3: Philadelphia, PA at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore
2/9: Seattle, WA at Congregation Beth Shalom
2/10: Seattle, WA at Temple Beth Am
2/17: Beacon, NY at Beacon Hebrew Alliance
2/17: Denver, CO at the Mizel Museum
2/17: Vancouver, Canada (with author Elisabeth Kushner!)
2/21: NYC, Bronx (private party)
2/23: Portland, OR (private party)
2/24: Atlanta, GA at the Marcus Jewish Community Center
2/24: Boston, MA at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC
2/24: Hartford, CT at the Mandel JCC
2/24: San Diego, CA at Temple Solel
3/22: Elmira, NY at Congregation Kol Ami
4/2: Long Island, NY with the Aleph Project of the LI GLBT Center
This project was made possible by the generous support of:
Jane Fantel and Laura Galinson
John and Beth Gamel
Harold Grinspoon and Diane Troderman
Jeff Grinspoon and Jon Foley
National Co-Sponsors:
Resources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
Host a Book Party
TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
Store
Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutubeDesigned by: Free Range StudiosClose Box Keshet    Remember Me
  
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address.
You will receive a link to reset the password via email.
  
Sign in
Sign in | Lost your password?



Are you a:YouthParent & FamilyEducatorRabbi or CantorJewish ProfessionalLGBTQ JewFriend & AllyVisit our store  Donate Now KeshetWorking for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life
Learn More +About UsOur WorkEquality GuideEventsTraining & ConsultationResourcesBlog
Home > Resources > TransTexts
Share on facebookLikeShare on twitterTweetShare on printPrintShare on emailEmailMore Sharing ServicesShareTransTexts
Exploring Gender in Jewish Sacred Texts
Created by Rabbis Reuben Zellman and Elliot Kukla, TransTexts explores what traditional Jewish texts have to say about transgender and gender nonconforming experiences and gender in general.
Over several years, we have heard the stories of hundreds of people—people from many different backgrounds, Jews and non-Jews, across the sex and gender spectrum. Many of us are in search of answers to some critical questions:
How can Jewish texts continue to shed light on contemporary lives and spiritual struggles?
As our understandings about sex and gender continue to develop and change in today’s world, how might ancient teachings guide us in our response?
If I want to explore Jewish understandings of gender and sexual identity where do I begin?
Learn more about the project
Queerly Created
God created the adam in God's image;
in the image of God [God] created him—
male and female [God] created them.
—Genesis 1:27…
View Queerly Created »
Cross-Dressing and Drag
A woman should not put on the apparel of a man; nor should a man wear the clothing of a woman—for whoever does these things—it is a to’evah [completely off-limits behavior] to the Eternal your God.
Deuteronomy 22:5…
View Cross-Dressing and Drag »
Resources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
TransTexts
Learn about TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
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Home > Resources > TransTexts > Learn about TransTexts
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Exploring Gender in Jewish Sacred Texts
Created by Rabbis Reuben Zellman and Elliot Kukla, TransTexts explores what traditional Jewish texts have to say about transgender and gender nonconforming experiences and gender in general.
Explore TransTexts»
Our Goal
Our goal for this project is to create a portal to Jewish traditions. It is not our intention to provide a complete or “authoritative” interpretation of these multi-faceted texts. Rather, we want to offer a variety of ways of looking at these remarkable texts — which have been, and still are, largely inaccessible to the general public. Some of the content of this site may be familiar to you; some of it might be very surprising. We invite you to read on and engage with all of it, in the great Jewish tradition of study and discussion.
Inside this guide you will find translations of a number of Jewish texts dealing with sex and gender. You will also find commentaries on these texts, representing the work of Jewish scholars from ancient times to the present day. Jewish texts have their own particular logic and language. This means that a straightforward translation is often challenging. However, every primary source text in this site includes a translation — you do not need to know any Hebrew, or have any background in Judaism, to use this site! Every primary text also has a “Further Explanation” section that will provide more context of each passage.
Who Might Want to Use TransTexts?
Educators of all varieties could use these texts as the basis of a class or discussion group.
Community leaders may use this information as background for social justice initiatives.
Rabbis and other spiritual leaders may want to consult these texts to begin to answer some of the questions being raised in many congregations about Jewish attitudes towards gender.
Transgender, intersex and gender nonconforming people, as well as family members, allies and friends,might use this site in order to better understand the depth of history and the many meanings of gender diversity in Judaism.
We thank the fantastic, hardworking TransTexts Advisory Board:
Dr. Rachel Adler
Micah Bazant
Rabbi Lisa Edwards
Devra Felder Noily
Dr. Charlotte Fonrobert
Ari Lev Fornari
Rabbi Steven Greenberg
Dr. Gwynne Kessler
Rabbi Benay Lappe
Rabbi Joshua Lesser
Dr. Sarra Lev
Dr. Judith Plaskow
Or Rose
Maggid Jhos Singer
Max Strassfeld
Michael Waldman
Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig
TransTexts also extends our thanks to Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, San Francisco, for use of facilities, in-kind assistance, and unflagging support of this work.
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HomeAbout UsOur Work
© 2012 KeshetPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemapContact UsLog in
National Office
284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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Home > Resources > Torah Queeries
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Keshet's Torah Queeries archive offers more than 150 creative and incisive “queer” takes on the weekly Torah portions and major Jewish holidays, written by some of the Jewish world’s most dynamic scholars, rabbis, activists, and lay leaders.
For a collection of Torah Queeries essays, check out the Torah Queeries book.
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Keyword: TopicsActivism & Civil RightsBullying or HarassmentComing OutDating and RelationshipsFamilies and ParentingJewish LawLesbianLifecycle EventsMarriage and WeddingsOrthodox MovementReform MovementRitual/Liturgy/PrayerTransgender and Gender Identity
HolidaysFast DaysHanukkahPassoverPridePurimRosh Hashanah and Yom KippurShavuotSimchat TorahSukkotTransgender Day of Remembrance
AuthorAbi WeissmanAlex CarterAmichai Lau-LavieAmos LassenAmy SouleAndrew RamerAri Lev FornariCantor David E. ReinwaldCaryn AvivChaim Moshe haLevi (Marc Howard Landas)Cynthia HoffmanDarren LipmanDavid KatzenelsonDavid LevyDavid ShneerDebora A. Larry KearneyDr. Sarah PessinGregg DrinkwaterHoward SteiermannIgael Gurin-MalousJ. Simone PosnerJase SchwartzJay MichaelsonJay StantonJeremy SchwartzJo HirschmannJohn E. HirschJoseph A. ShapiroJoy LadinJulia Watts BelserKaren Lee ErlichmanKaren PerolmanKerrick LuckerLev RaphaelMaggid Jhos SingerMarisa Elana JamesMeir HobermanMichael SaridMijael VeraMiryam KabakovMoshe Ben ChaconNoach DzmuraRabbi Adina LewittesRabbi Amber PowersRabbi Andrew SacksRabbi Carl M. PerkinsRabbi David GreensteinRabbi David LazarRabbi Elliot KuklaRabbi Jacob J. StaubRabbi James GreeneRabbi Jane Rachel LitmanRabbi Jill HammerRabbi Joshua LesserRabbi Laurence EdwardsRabbi Lisa EdwardsRabbi Melissa B. SimonRabbi Rachel GurevitzRabbi Reuben ZellmanRabbi Rick BrodyRabbi Robin NafshiRabbi Seth GorenRabbi Steven GreenbergRachel BarenblatRachel BialeRachel BrodieRebbetzin Hadassah GrossRebecca WeinerRi J. TurnerSasha T. GoldbergStephanie SilbersteinTucker LiebermanVanessa "Vinny" PrellY. Gavriel A. Levi AnsaraZvi Bellin
Media TypeArticle or DocumentBooksEducational ToolTorah CommentaryWebsite
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Reset SearchShow 102550100 entriesShowing 1 to 25 of 175 entriesFirstPrevious12345NextLastResource Name
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
High Healing: A Purim Message
March 14, 2006 | Amichai Lau-Lavie, Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross
A tongue-in-cheek essay by Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, the drag queen persona of Amichai Lau-Lavie, about the meaning behind Purim. She writes about some of the issues facing the Jewish community and gives some advice for how rabbis might deal…
Purim
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Article or Document, Torah Commentary
On the Thirteenth Day (Parashat Naso)
June 9, 2006 | Jo Hirschmann
The author asks why a census must be taken. To be counted is to be blessed. To count others is to bestow a blessing upon them. She argues that this is what LGBT Jews have been doing since the 1970's: started synagogues and organizations,…

Download
 
Article or Document, Torah Commentary
Singing for Our Lives (Parashat Be’Ha’alotekha)
June 16, 2008 | Gregg Drinkwater
The author explores the story of Miriam and Aaron challenging Moses’ authority as a prophet and speak “against Moses regarding the Cushite woman he had married.” For this, God punishes Miriam by afflicting her with tzaaras, a skin condition…

Download
 
Article or Document
The Wreathed Chanukah Wand: Sukkot in December
December 17, 2008 | Chaim Moshe haLevi (Marc Howard Landas)
Compares the holidays of Hannukah and Christmas and discusses the issue of when Jesus was actually born, which was probably around Sukkot.…
Hanukkah | Sukkot
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Books, Educational Tool, Torah Commentary, Website
Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible
September 1, 2009 | David Shneer, Gregg Drinkwater, Rabbi Joshua Lesser
Buy the Torah Queeries book »
See Torah Queeries essays online »
This book brings together some of the world’s leading rabbis, scholars, and writers to interpret the Torah through a queer lens. Use these essays in your weekly parsha text…

Torah Commentary
"A Simple Matter of Justice" Achare Mot-Kedoshim
April 29, 1993 | Rabbi Lisa Edwards
The author writes about the verses in Leviticus that forbid gay sex and the dangers in heeding them too closely, highlighting other verses instead that call for love and respect.…
Reform Movement
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Torah Commentary
"And God Called": The Process is the Message (Parashat VaYikra)
April 1, 2006 | Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman
The author discusses our human urge to connect with God and its relationship to struggling with verses of Torah that do not speak to us as LGBT Jews. We know that some of the Torah’s words seem homophobic, sexist, insensitive to disabled people,…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
"Hey Yaacov, Someone’s Calling your Name!" "If it isn’t Yisrael, I’m not Home." (Parashat Vayishlach)
December 12, 2008 | Zvi Bellin
The author explores why Jacob was renamed twice in this Torah portion, and argues that each one of us has an ideal vision of who we want to be and how we wish to be perceived in our communities.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
"Queer" Tribes: Finding a Place for Alternative Families (Parashat B’midbar)
May 25, 2006 | Gregg Drinkwater
The author reviews the notion of family and family lineage in the parasha, comparing it with his own non-traditional family.…
Families and Parenting
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Torah Commentary
A Generation’s Judge (Parashat Devarim)
July 24, 2009 | Cynthia Hoffman
The author discusses the position the Torah portion appears to take on the issue of rendering judgment, and the ways in which distance from certain events permits clearer judgment of the events themselves. She asks what it means for the next…
Marriage and Weddings
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Torah Commentary
A Less Innocent Love (Parashat Vaetchanan)
August 5, 2006 | Jay Michaelson
The author explores the characteristics of love in different religious and secular writing and argues that queer religious love, when it is realized, is necessarily self-aware, because it has been tested, as Abraham’s love was tested.…
Dating and Relationships
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Torah Commentary
A Little Bit of Soap (Parashat Chukat)
July 4, 2008 | Noach Dzmura
Short commentary on the use of a red cow’s ashes to ritually purify a person, and the preparation of Miriam’s body for burial.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Mandatory Donation (Parashat Terumah)
February 19, 2010 | David Katzenelson
The author explores the notion of terumah, translated as gift, portion, offering, or donation. He asks how this can be considered a donation if, in the context of this Torah portion, God commands the Israelites to give a terumah. Further, why…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A New Vision of the Scapegoat (Parashat Pinchas)
July 18, 2008 | Ri J. Turner
Commentary on the scapegoat. Whether killed by the knife or abandoned in the woods, the sin-offering goat is a potent symbol. What does it mean to release our sins—or relieve our worries about being held accountable—not by repairing the…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Parade of Welcome (Parashat Beha’alotecha)
May 28, 2010 | Rabbi James Greene
The author discusses the imagery of the Israelites wandering through the wilderness, focusing on a midrash that says that each tribe moved in its own unique way. He sees the LGBTQ community as its own tribe within the congregation of Israel.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A Revolution With Boundaries (Parashat Korach)
June 30, 2006 | Rebecca Weiner
The author relates her own experience of struggling with her relationship to halakha (Jewish law) to Korach doing something similar in this parsha. She names two lessons she learns from this parsha, that you have to pick your battles, and that…
Jewish Law
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Torah Commentary
A Well in the Desert (Parashat Vayera)
November 14, 2008 | David Katzenelson
The author compares the experience of Hagar in the desert, after having been cast out by Sarah, to the experience of LGBT Jews.…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
A “Great Moral Issue” of Our Time (Parashat Vayera)
October 23, 2010 | Rabbi Carl M. Perkins
In this sermon. Rabbi Carl Perkins discusses discrimination and bigotry against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the Jewish community and in mainstream American society, specifically in the context of the rise in LGBT…
Bullying or Harassment
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Torah Commentary
Affirming the Sanctity of Same-Sex Love (Parashat B'reshit)
October 20, 2006 | Gregg Drinkwater
In this commentary, the author argues that LGBT Jews spend a lot of time defending ourselves against misunderstood Torah verses that supposedly forbid same-sex relationships. Rarely do we have the opportunity to pro-actively affirm, rather…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Amalek and The Good Soldier (Parashat Ki Teitze)
September 12, 2008 | Noach Dzmura
This commentary discusses the literary themes and narrative structure of the Torah portion. The author argues that there is an overarching meta-narrative to the portion which suggests that the ethical behavior of soldiers will lead to ultimate…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Apres le Deluge: Moi (Parashat Noach)
October 28, 2006 | Michael Sarid
The author explores the question of how Noah’s enormous personal losses affect his life after the flood. He cultivates the world’s first vineyard, drinks the world’s first wine, and, upon drinking himself into oblivion, becomes the…

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Torah Commentary
Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?: Pharaoh, the Plagues, and His Mutinous Magicians (Parashat Vaera)
January 23, 2009 | Marisa Elana James
The author writes about power-hungry Pharaoh, who is more interested in upholding his own power than protecting his own people, and the cunning strategy of the Egyptians magicians: to use their powers on the Egyptian people – not on Moses…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Balak and Balaam: Language and Knowledge, Speech and Power (Parashat Balak)
July 11, 2008 | Jeremy Schwartz
The author argues that this Torah portion is a story about speech: who has the power of the tongue, and what impact words can have. As members of the queer community, we can glean something from this portion when we encounter hate speech and as…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Ba’al Ha’Chalomot: Keepers of the Dreams (Parashat Vayeshev)
November 29, 2007 | Karen Lee Erlichman
This Torah portion focuses on the story of Joseph, a dreamer and a visionary who was reviled and exiled by his own siblings. The author argues that this story is profoundly relevant to LGBTQ Jews. Many of us can recall our first feelings of being…

Download
 
Torah Commentary
Bind These Words (Parashat Ekev)
August 11, 2006 | Ari Lev Fornari
The authors writes of his personal experience being transgendered and wearing a chest binder, interwoven with instructions of tying the tzitzit (fringes) of a tallit (prayer shawl).…
Transgender and Gender Identity
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Showing 1 to 25 of 175 entriesFirstPrevious12345NextLastResources
All Resources
Torah Queeries
Marriage Project
LGBT Jewish Education Resources
The Purim Superhero
TransTexts
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Wrestling with God
Multimedia
Store
Zippy Ostroy, Temple Sinai, Brookline Rainbow Committee • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4460206051/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Keshet's 4th National Training Institute • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3599094944/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792960187/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Boston Pride: Steven and Jacob • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/4792964335/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>Prop. 8 Protest and Rally, Boston • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13831765@N07/3039581622/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>
HomeAbout UsOur Work
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Phone 617.524.9227
Fax 617.524.9229Colorado Office
6445 E. Ohio Ave.
Suite 150
Denver, CO 80224
Phone 303.691.3562San Francisco Bay Area Office
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone 415.766.0390info@keshetonline.com
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