Keshet trains and supports Jewish educators, clergy, program staff, 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 offer both individualized workshops and programs for organizations as well as our signature Keshet Training Institute, a two-and-half-day train-the-trainer program. Our workshops are tailored to meet the specific needs of the community or organization hosting the training.
Upcoming Training Institute:
Keshet’s professional development workshops incorporate a variety of learning modalities and approaches to build the capacity of educators, camp counselors, youth professionals, and other Jewish communal professionals to understand the unique needs of LGBTQ youth, families, and staff. Using a mix of case-study/scenario work, text study, and institutional assessment, participants are given concrete tools for use in their professional roles in the Jewish community. The workshops also present strategies for responding to incidents of homophobic, transphobic, and sexist teasing or bullying.
The Keshet Training Institute is an in-depth experiential training of trainers designed to build the capacity of individual educators and the institutions they represent to create fully inclusive and affirming learning environments for all youth and families. These intensive multi-day professional development workshops prepare formal and informal educators, program staff, lay leaders, and clergy to lead programs and initiatives addressing diversity broadly and LGBTQ inclusion specifically. Learn more about Training Institutes.
I CAME OUT
“Thank you so much for coming to talk with us. I came out of the closet two months ago. Listening to your story of raising a family gave me so much hope for the future. I'm glad you came to talk to us.”
— 10th grader at a Conservative synagogue in Colorado
We lead programs for teens that explore issues of diversity and the intersection of identity, Jewish values, and LGBTQ inclusion. Using a combination of interactive activities, film screenings, and text study, we engage teens on issues related to gender identity, sexual orientation, and what it means to create a fully inclusive Jewish teen culture.
Whether it's a Shabbaton program with a leading queer rabbi/scholar, a workshop for administration and lay leaders, or a community screening and discussion of the documentary Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School, Keshet facilitators will create a program that helps communities engage with issues of LGBTQ inclusion.
What does a Keshet workshop looks like?
Check out this sample agenda for our professional development workshops.
What kinds of activities will I learn in a training?
Download an activity to share with your own staff. Try Creating Inclusive Curricula or Gender Boxes.
What activities do you do with teens?
Here is an activity about being an ally that we use in our teen programs. Why not try it with your own community?
