We recently sat down with our colleague, Sage, Keshet Jews of Color Program Manager, to discuss all of the amazing, groundbreaking work they have been up to. 

___

You do such important and uplifting work in the world! In a moment of deep challenge, what about your work gives you strength? 

Sage: My community. Plain and simple. The connections I have built, especially with LGBTQ+ Jews of Color through my work at Keshet, not only motivate me but also replenish me as I pour so much of myself into this work.

It is one thing to build spaces, but what truly makes them special is what people bring to them. Time and time again, I am blown away by the depth of love, joy, and authenticity that radiates from the people who show up. Often, I feel as if I have somehow handpicked the participants who come to my programming, but what I have come to realize is that my community of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color is already here, already building, already showing up for one another. I am simply creating the spaces where we can gather, grow, and thrive together. That realization gives me endless strength.

It was just Black History Month – can you share about an elder/elders from whom you’ve learned belonging/how to create spaces of belonging? 

Sage: All the love, admiration, and shkoyachs I can muster go directly to Kohenet Dr. Harriette Wimms, founder of the Jews of Color Mishpacha Project (JOCMP) and a powerhouse LGBTQ+ Jewish Black woman whose work in Jewish spaces has paved the way for so much of what I do with LGBTQ+ Jews of Color.

In fact, her We Are Family Shabbaton, a gathering for Jews of Color, our families, and our allies, directly inspired what is now the Keshet Neshamot/Rainbow Souls Shabbaton, an annual retreat for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color co-hosted by Keshet and JOCMP. 

Dr. Harriette is not just someone I deeply admire but someone I am incredibly grateful to learn from. As a Jewish, queer, and BIPOC leader, her approach to creating spaces is nothing short of magic. The love she embodies and shares is transformative, and her leadership continues to inspire my own commitment to building spaces rooted in community, care, and belonging.

The 2nd QJOC Shabbaton happened! What were some particularly meaningful moments? How was the second one different from the first? 

Sage: Last year, we gathered only a few months after October 7th. This year, we met less than a month after the inauguration… Like so many, LGBTQ+ Jews of Color arrived looking for support, connection, the warmth of a loving community, and, truthfully, a break from it all. Thankfully, that is exactly what the weekend became. A space of care, renewal, and Jewish joy.

One participant captured it best, saying, “This retreat is crucial to my well being and emotional health. The gathering of QJOC, especially in this political climate, is more miraculous than Moses parting the Sea of Reeds. We exist, we matter, and we will survive and outlive the tyranny of the government.” Another participant reflected on the Shabbaton’s impact, sharing, “During services, we were chanting ‘there will be better days,’ and for the first time in a while, I believe it because of this weekend.”

This Shabbaton was more than a retreat. It was a testament to resilience, to the strength found in togetherness, and to the enduring power of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color standing side by side in community.

You also just released the first-ever report on the experiences of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, Threads of Identity. Can you share how the Shabbaton and the report relate to one another/help make sense of one another? 

Sage: The Threads of Identity report and the Shabbaton are deeply connected, both advocating for the same fundamental need — Jewish spaces that fully embrace, support, and celebrate the full diversity of the Jewish community.

The report documents the realities LGBTQ+ Jews of Color experience in Jewish spaces, highlighting the struggles of belonging, the emotional toll of being both marginalized and expected to educate others, and the deep desire for connection. The Shabbaton is the embodiment of what is possible when these needs are recognized and met.

At the Shabbaton, we saw what it looks like when LGBTQ+ Jews of Color have a space that is truly ours, where we do not have to justify our existence or navigate the burdens of being the only one. The warmth, joy, and affirmation felt throughout the weekend directly counter the isolation and exclusion so many described in the report.

In many ways, the Shabbaton is both a response to the report’s findings and proof of what belonging can look like when Jewish spaces are intentionally created with LGBTQ+ Jews of Color in mind. The report is the call to action, and the Shabbaton is a glimpse into what is possible when that call is answered.