Last month, I excitedly shared with someone that I had landed my dream job as Keshet’s JOC (Jews of Color) Program Manager and gushed about how thrilled I was to be able to offer events, programs, and resources to LGBTQ+ Jews of Color.

In response to my excitement, they asked:

“An entire department dedicated to LGBTQ+ Jews of Color? You mean there’s more than just one of you?”

With a professional background in leading DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) initiatives, seminars, and workshops around the globe, I’m hyper-aware of the fact that I, as a Jewish, queer POC, exist at a rather unique intersection of a handful of identities and cultures.

However, stepping into my new role as Keshet’s JOC Program Manager, I know three things to be true:

1. While I am unique, I am certainly not alone.
2. The need to foster and build community and systems of support for LGBTQ+ JOC is not a new need, but rather a historic one as LGBTQ+ JOC have always existed.

And most importantly:

3. That every Jew deserves to exist in Jewish spaces with an unwavering and unchallenged sense of belonging.

Often in Jewish spaces, the vibrant hues, experiences, and culture of LGBTQ+ JOC are overlooked, underrepresented, and/or underappreciated, leaving LGBTQ+ JOC yearning for that true sense of belonging we rightfully deserve in the Jewish community.

However…

LGBTQ+ JOC deserve to be seen, heard, and celebrated in our entirety within both Jewish spaces and the world at large!

Our quest for authenticity and recognition propels my dedication to fostering belonging, healing, and celebration for LGBTQ+ JOC, and that is why I am not only honored, but thrilled to undertake this meaningful work now as a member of the Keshet family!