New York, NY, June 19, 2007.  Nehirim, a national organization that provides spiritual and cultural community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) Jews, today announced that it has significantly expanded its program staff, and will be increasing its programming over the next year.

First, Nehirim hired Sasha T. Goldberg as its new assistant director.  Goldberg, who lives in San Francisco, has several years of Jewish educational experience, and has worked at GLBT organizations including the Lesbian Health Research Center, the Evergreen Queer Alliance, and the GLBTQ Center of San Francisco.

Jay Michaelson, Executive Director of Nehirim, called Goldberg “the perfect fit” for Nehirim, adding “Sasha brings so much enthusiasm, experience, and life experience to the organization.  I’m delighted to have her aboard.”  Goldberg’s responsibilities will include managing the operations of the organization, development, and the creation of a unique “speakers bureau” of GLBT Jewish teachers and scholars.

Nehirim also hired Shoshana Jedwab, a veteran Jewish educator based in New York, to be its new Program Associate.  Jedwab, who has been a member of the Nehirim faculty since its inception, will coordinate national Nehirim programming and serve as the organization’s primary contact in New York.

“Nehirim is a dynamic and special community,” said Jedwab, who has been a teacher for many years at New York’s Abraham Joshua Heschel School and who attended Yeshiva University’s undergraduate and graduate divisions.  “I’m thrilled to be joining it during this period of growth.”

Finally, Nehirim announced that it will host three retreats during the next twelve months: a “Queer Shabbaton” in New York, October 19-21, 2007; a weekend retreat outside of San Francisco, March 7-9, 2008; and another annual retreat in Connecticut, May 30-June 1, 2008.  The calendar represents an expansion of Nehirim’s programming; formerly, the organization held only one retreat each year.

Noting that the organization’s expansion took place during Pride Month, Michaelson said “this is what GLBT pride is all about: meaningful, diverse experiences and communities, in which members of sexual minorities connect with each other, with God as they understand it, and with their hidden and suppressed history.  And now, a whole lot more of them!”

MORE INFORMATION:  Sasha T. Goldberg, Assistant Director
stg@nehirim.org, 415-871-7113
www.nehirim.org

Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality (www.nehirim.org) creates innovative programs, builds community, and offers authentic, life-affirming spiritual paths for Jewish members of sexual and gender minorities.  Nehirim is supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and is a fiscal sponsoree of the Jewish Funds for Justice.