Ari Kristan, Chair
Ari is an attorney whose practice focuses on employment and higher education law. In this role, Ari advises organizations on how to avoid employee conflict and minimize the risk of litigation. Ari also represents businesses and non-profits in state and federal court. In addition, Ari serves as an investigator of…
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Someone from my shul recently asked me where I felt like I truly belonged, and I realized I had never felt that way at our shul. The first time I ever truly felt like I truly belonged was at the Keshet Shabbaton for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I get teary-eyed just remembering Friday night. After we lit the candles, someone started spontaneously singing shalom aleichem, and we all joined in together as a group. I got chills. It’s sometimes hard to reconcile the parts of myself that I see as conflicting, but at the Shabbaton, I was just mind-blown. We were all existing together in that space without having to explain our existence or presence. It was pure, unfiltered joy.
Emet Marwell, Keshet Neshamot/Rainbow Souls Shabbaton Participant, Massachusetts