Boston, MA — February 12, 2025 — Keshet, the leading national nonprofit advancing LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life, has released a groundbreaking report, “Threads of Identity: LGBTQ+ Jews of Color in the Fabric of Jewish Life.” It is the first to comprehensively explore the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, addressing a significant research gap within the Jewish community. Designed by and for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, as well as Jewish leaders and community members, the report serves as a bridge to a deeper understanding of the experiences of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color and details how to create inviting Jewish communities of belonging that affirm LGBTQ+ community members of Color.

In centering the voices of over 90 LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, the report highlights the complex intersections of race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. It celebrates the pride inherent in these multifaceted identities while shedding light on the barriers and challenges LGBTQ+ Jews of Color encounter in Jewish spaces and among other Jews who do not share their intersecting identities or lived experiences.

Keshet Jews of Color Program Manager and “Threads of Identity” co-author Sage Cassell Rosenberg said: “I hope this work contributes to and inspires the emerging field committed to understanding, improving, and representing the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, highlighting the diversity found within the Jewish community. May our findings catalyze change and invite our community to more fully embrace, understand, and engage with our experiences and challenges.”

“Threads of Identity” key findings include: 

• 83% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their sense of belonging in the Jewish community has been negatively impacted by situations related to their sexual orientation, gender expression, race, or ethnicity.
• 89% of respondents have encountered microaggressions or stigmatizing perceptions in Jewish spaces.
• 88% of respondents reported a lack of representation and understanding of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color in the Jewish community.
• 77% of respondents feel burdened by the need to explain aspects of their sexual orientation, gender expression, race, or ethnicity.

Building off of the Jews of Color Initiative’s landmark study “Beyond the Count” from 2021, “Threads of Identity” aims to inspire understanding and action by offering fresh insights and new narratives as well as practical recommendations for creating Jewish spaces where everyone belongs.

The Jews of Color Initiative’s CEO Ilana Kaufman said: “Beyond the Count told us that 80% of Jews of Color have experienced discrimination in Jewish settings, helping to frame perspectives and experiences of Jews of Color in the US. “Threads of Identity,” Keshet’s survey exploring experiences of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color is an important community resource offering insights into how some LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, specifically, navigate, persevere and thrive in Jewish spaces. Learnings from “Threads of Identity” provide valuable tools to deepen understandings of the diversity among Jews of Color, and how to strengthen the many connected facets of the Jewish community.”

RECOMMENDATIONS
Respondents wrote of both immense pride as well as the challenges faced while maneuvering Jewish spaces at the intersection of these identities, often having to perform a delicate balancing act in the face of racism, homophobia, and transphobia. One respondent described their experiences in Jewish spaces as “exhausting but also an opportunity to build bridges,” adding that LGBTQ+ Jews of Color need “support and affirming spaces” as well as allyship from “our straight/cisgender Jews of Color.”

The report outlines actionable recommendations to foster understanding, support, and allyship for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color. It emphasizes deepening self-awareness and challenging biases, managing curiosity to respect dignity, and taking initiative in self-education to reduce the burden on LGBTQ+ Jews of Color. Allyship is framed as an ongoing process that involves decentering oneself, actively listening, and tailoring support to individual needs rather than assumed needs. The report underscores the importance of taking proactive measures to foster inclusivity, such as supporting diversity initiatives, addressing harm when it arises, and taking meaningful actions to ensure every member of the Jewish community feels seen, valued, and supported.

Researcher and report collaborator Dr. Gage Gorsky said:  “Threads of Identity” is a critical work that opens doors for community conversations about the dynamic interplay of belonging, identity, privilege, and oppression that Queer Jews of Color experience every single day as we live and love and labor. While the findings do bring into focus the complex challenges we face because of our racial, spiritual, gendered, and sexual identities, they also illuminate the vastness of our queer joy, cultural and racial nourishment, and the still-familiar ways we live Jewishly.”

ABOUT THE REPORT 
More than 90 LGBTQ+ Jews of Color responded to Keshet’s survey on the experience of LGBTQ+ Jews of Color in Jewish spaces:

• Respondents represented 20 states; Washington, DC; and 4 international locations.
• More than half are between the ages of 25 to 44.
• More than a third (36%) identified as “mixed race or multi-racial.” Latinx/Hispanic is the most represented (non-exclusive) racial identity (31%), followed by Black (28%), African American (27%), and Asian (17%).

Many respondents emphasized how crucial it is to be seen and recognized in their entirety. As one said:  “I think that visibility is the most important factor in improving Jewish environments for Queer Jews of Color. Being proud and open about our identities helps to normalize it and show despite our differences, we are all Jewish and committed to Hashem and our communities.”

Keshet is partnering with other Jewish organizations to reach LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, Jewish community leaders and educators, and Jewish community members at large. This research and Keshet’s programming for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color are funded by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Jewish United Fund, JPride, and Keshet’s many supporters.

PRAISE FOR “THREADS OF IDENTITY”
Conscious Builders Founder and Principal Gamal Palmer said: “This report is something I never could have imagined in my lifetime. Growing up as a Black, bi-racial, gay (and out), male Jew, we lacked the language and the organized community to foster support, solidarity, and growth among LGBTQ Jews. “Threads of Identity” lays the groundwork to ensure that our broader LGBTQ and ally Jewish community has a clear roadmap for accountability, care, understanding, and an unwavering commitment to building a truly inclusive and vibrant community.”

Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies and Jewish Studies at University of Colorado Boulder Dr. Samira Mehta said: “It is so important to document the experiences of queer Jews of Color. So often, we are asked to lead with one piece of our identity — race, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation. It is rare to be asked and allowed to show up as a full person. This first study focusing on queer Jews of Color is starting to create spaces where queer Jews of Color can do just that, and where those of us who study contemporary American Jewish life can learn about all aspects of their intersectional experiences. Much research needs to be done on the particular experience of QJOC, but this study is a vital first step.”

Associate Professor of Jewish Studies at Tulane University Golan Moskowitz said: “This crucial report illuminates a pressing blindspot in Jewish American institutional and community life. Embodying more than one minority identity is too often an isolating experience of being treated as ‘other’ even within one’s own affinity spaces; regularly racialized in white contexts and stigmatized in queerphobic and antisemitic contexts, many LGBTQ+ Jews of Color have been conditioned to continuously compartmentalize and monitor themselves. More than ever, today’s Jewish leaders and allies must consider what is actually needed for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color to feel comfortable — not coerced into — participating meaningfully as their full selves. Thanks to this groundbreaking project, which interweaves firsthand accounts, survey data, and accessible applications of cultural theory, we now have a tool to begin launching this necessary work.”

Executive Director of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Abby Levine said: “This excellent, rigorous report addresses a key gap in the ecosystem by describing the needs of LGBTQ+ Jews and provides clear, compelling guidance that both aligns with existing research and points to new illuminating insights. It provides new helpful recommendations for those of us working with this community every day. Thank you!”

ABOUT KESHET
Keshet envisions a world in which all LGBTQ+ Jews and our families can live with full equality, justice, and dignity. By strengthening Jewish communities and equipping Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge they need to make all LGBTQ+ Jews feel welcome, we work to ensure the full equality of all LGBTQ+ Jews and our families in Jewish life. We also create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued and advance LGBTQ+ rights nationwide. Visit keshetonline.org to join us.