Keshet | Tzelem | Mosaic of Westchester

Keshet

Our friends at Keshet work for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life.

LGBTQ & Ally Teen Shabbaton Retreats

Join our one of a kind Shabbat retreats for LGBTQ and ally Jewish teens to learn, grow, and celebrate who you are in a warm and vibrant community. Being a teenager is hard. For queer Jewish teens, the social pressures to fit in or the anxieties of standing out may feel even harder — especially in a world where homophobia, transphobia, and anti-Semitism are on the rise.

At Keshet’s Shabbat retreats, LGBTQ and ally Jewish teens are able to exhale; to find their place and their voice as emerging Jewish leaders. Together, they build meaningful friendships, engage in deep Jewish learning, and return home to build a world we can all be proud of.

Youth

Keshet offers a variety of initiatives to support, empower, and celebrate queer youth ages 13-18 and 18-24. Questions? Email youth@keshetonline.org.

Tzelem powered by Moving Traditions

In addition to Rosh Hodesh and Shevet, Moving Tradtions offers  Tzelem, online groups for Jewish teens who identify as transgender, nonbinary, gender fluid, or gender questioning. The groups, led by a trans or non-binary group leader, bring together teens from all over the country or a specific region once a month for two hours via video conference.

Each month the group will focus on topics like courage, friendship, stress, body image, spirituality. Teens play games based on the topics, talk about them, explore some Jewish perspectives on them.

Tzelem seeks to enrich teens’ lives with the same core outcomes as all Moving Traditions Teen Groups:

  1. Develop a strong self-concept and the social emotional skills to navigate through life.
  2. Recognize and resist sexism personally and in their communities.
  3. Experience Judaism and Jewish community as personally relevant and meaningful.

Moving Tradtions also recognizes transgender oppression is related to – but not synonymous with – sexism and therefore address that as well in Tzelem.

For questions about Tzelem or Moving Traditions, please call Rabbi Tamara Cohen, 215-887-4511 x104, or email tcohen@movingtraditions.org.

Mosaic of Westchester

Mosaic of Westchester is a committee of the Westchester Jewish Council.

Learn More.

SAVE THE DATE for an in-person Mosaic Pride Passover experiential program next year on March 27, 2022 in the late afternoon.

These programs are organized by members of the Mosaic Advisory Council:

  • Abby Reiken, Education Director at Bet Am Shalom Synagogue
  • Jill Schreibman, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience serving LGBTQ adolescents and Program Coordinator at Westchester Jewish Community Services

For general information, contact Pam Goldstein.