Attend to your grief.
Acknowledge your fear and anger.
We cannot be of service unless we also tend to our broken hearts.
— Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann
Keshet President & CEO Idit Klein issued the following statement:
I woke up this morning stunned, devastated, and profoundly concerned about the future of our nation. It is gutting to know that xenophobia, misogyny, transphobia, racism, and antisemitism animated the President-elect’s base and fueled his return to power. But we know that our base is animated by a wholly different vision of this country, a society where all can live in safety and dignity. We know that we can do the work to make this vision possible.
In this frightening moment, first, we mourn and hold our loved ones close. Then we will do what we have done for generations, as both Jews and LGBTQ+ people: care for one another, build coalitions, and stay focused on making possible the just and equitable world we all deserve.
We know what the future Administration is planning: a country where only some people are entitled to rights, and everyone else is vulnerable — including LGBTQ+ people, including Jews.
Keshet has always persevered to meet the moment and make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ Jews and for all of us. Despite the immense obstacles ahead, that will not change. Indeed, we will deepen our fight for justice.
We will fight attacks on our rights and lives by mobilizing the Jewish community and continuing to invest in cross-communal and multi-faith partnerships. We will build spaces where we can all be our full selves, especially for LGBTQ+ Jewish youth and LGBTQ+ Jews of Color. We will continue to train Jewish leaders to protect against hateful rhetoric and policies and to foster places of affirmation and belonging for all Jews.
As LGBTQ+ people and Jews, we have been here before and held onto hope. We will not give up. We will persist. Our people’s long history of survival and resilience has taught us that choosing hope is the only way forward. That is how, together, we can build the world as it should be.
Chazak V’Amatz. Be Strong and Courageous.