First, a bit of housekeeping (can you tell I’m in conference mode?) As promised we’re blogging on Forward.com. The first post is Queer Jews Convene in Berkeley.

Also, participants here are tweeting, and it’s been great. Head over to twitter.com/gaygevalt to follow our new twitter account, and also set your twitter to search for the hashtag #jqm to follow and join the conversation. Many people that are important to the LGBTQ Jewish movement aren’t here so, please join in the conversation in the comments here, on twitter, and at the Forward.

I sat down to write this post simply to record this: there is actual work happening here and that is a unique and great thing. The discussions are serious, the mood convivial, and the collaboration real. The idea of creating or defining a movement is lofty to say the least, and may even strike some as a bit arrogant. But there has been an LGBTQ Jewish movement for some time now, and these meetings are helpful and productive.

We’re in the middle of a SWOT exercise. We’re identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

What would be on your list of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats? Put em in the comments.

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I’m at the Jewish LGBT movement buiding retreat, a program put together for representatives of most of the LGBT Jewish organizations and programs out there (in the US) to explore the movement that is, and that could be.

I’m here representing GayGevalt.com of course, but also Congregation Beth Simchat Torah (cbst.org) and the LGBT Religious Archives Network (lgbtran.org).

And for the first time, I’ll be blogging about the retreat at The Jewish Daily Forward! (blogs.forward.com/the-shmooze) As well as tweeting at our brand spanking new (we don’t even have any followers yet) twitter account (twitter.com/gaygevalt). Go follow us there!

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This was just made public. Read the press release for details:

Media Contacts:
Gregg Drinkwater, Executive Director, Jewish Mosaic, 303-691-3562
Idit Klein, Executive Director, Keshet, 617-524-9227

New organization will advance movement for GLBT inclusive Jewish community

(Boston, MA; Denver, CO) In a move that will create America’s largest organization working for a more open, accessible, and inclusive Jewish community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) Jews and their family, friends, and allies, Keshet and Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity have agreed to merge.

Keshet, headquartered in Boston, is a leader in education, training, and grassroots organizing for GLBT inclusion in the Jewish community. Keshet is also well known for its groundbreaking documentary film, Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School, called a “terrific teaching tool” by Variety Magazine. Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, a managed project of Jewish Funds for Justice, is a leader in Jewish institutional change, community-based research, and resources on GLBT Jews. The Denver- and San Francisco-based Jewish Mosaic recently released Torah Queeries:Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible (NYU Press, 2009), an innovative examination of Biblical texts described as a “must for the Jewish bookshelf” in the Jerusalem Post.

Both organizations have repeatedly been recognized as among the “most creative and effective Jewish organizations” in North America by Slingshot: A Resource for Jewish Innovation. The two organizations have worked closely together and are currently partnering with Nehirim, another GLBT Jewish nonprofit, on a major national convening of Jewish GLBT leaders.

Over the past year, Keshet and Jewish Mosaic had been in discussions about how they could be more effective and have the greatest impact in the Jewish community. “Our organizations share a vision of a Jewish community that lives up to its highest values, and with our complementary skills and methodologies, together we can get there,” noted Idit Klein, Executive Director of Keshet. “By joining forces, we become a stronger voice for inclusive communities than we could ever be working alone,” said Gregg Drinkwater, Executive Director of Jewish Mosaic.

The combined organization will retain the name Keshet pending a comprehensive strategic review to enhance the impact of its integrated research, education,organizing, and advocacy efforts. Klein will be the Executive Director; Drinkwater will become Deputy Director and oversee the new Research and Publications Department. The headquarters of the organization will be in Boston, with an additional office in Denver and a staff presence in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The combined organization also will retain Keshet’s corporate identity and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The Chair of the Board of Directors will be current Keshet board chair Stuart S. Kurlander. Dr. David Shneer, who co-founded Jewish Mosaic with Dr. Caryn Aviv in 2003, will be Vice Chair of the Board. Over the next few months, the organizations will further integrate their lay leadership and elect additional Board members. “Bringing these two important and strong organizations together will significantly advance the movement for GLBT inclusion in the Jewish community,” said Kurlander.

The new Keshet will put Jewish values and learning in service of the transformation of the entire Jewish community. “To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr., the destiny and freedom of all Jews is bound up in the destiny and freedom of GLBT Jews; the dignity of one is the dignity of all,” said Jewish Mosaic Advisory Board Chair Shawn Landres, who will also be joining the Keshet Board.

“We are proud to support the merger of Keshet and Jewish Mosaic,” said Lisa Eisen, National Director of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. “By joining forces, these two leading Jewish LGBT organizations will create a more effective and efficient structure, enabling them to continue expanding their reach and impact. We see in the new Keshet a force capable of sparking a unified Jewish LGBT movement and fostering a more welcoming, diverse and inclusive Jewish community.”

Support for the merger has been provided through grants from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and The Natan Fund. Dr. Michela M. Perrone of MMP Associates provided strategic consulting.

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This week’s parashah/portion is Korakh (Numbers/Be’midbar 16:1-18:32). The parashah contains within it the revolt against Moses’s leadership led by his cousin Korakh, along with Datan and Abiram.   These three, and their followers, challenge Moses and Aaron claiming that everyone is holy.  Unfortunately, their revolt was led by ego and hubris rather than by any belief in egalitarianism, and so the earth swallowed as a punishment.

On the following day, Moses is told to take a staff from the leaders of all the tribes, with Aaron representing the tribe of Levi, and to place them in the ground inside the Mishkan/Tabernacle.  On the next day they return and Aaron’s staff that has sprouted blossoms and almonds to symbolize his and his descendants chosen stature as High Priest.

These images form the basis of this poetic commentary on the parashah.

blossoming from darkness to light

I am here

in darkness

why

what have I done

I hear voices

screaming

pleading

seeing only darkness

impenetrable

I am in the ground

swallowed whole

I am not dead

or perhaps I am

why did I do it

why didn’t I run

why was I afraid of them

they were so persuasive

all are holy

we are holy

who is Aaron

who is Moses

we are all priests

all can serve God

Yes

we are all holy

yet all have different tasks

all can see God

each in their own way

I didn’t want to be high priest

above others

over the community

I don’t know

what I wanted

and so

I heard

their voices

becoming my voice

proclaiming

we are holy

you have too much

we have not enough

you shall see

they said

now I can see only darkness

I saw firepans

smelled incense

seared

burning

I knew

what was happening

what might happen

I had seen

God’s power before

moments of glory

moments of terror

deliverance at the sea

plague and death in the desert

I knew

the possibilities

yet

I ignored my heart

I did not pay attention

to its words

my words

I heard only his words

their words

Korakh Dathan Abiram

I became them

they were in me

they became

my unconscious conscience

voice of unreason

smoldering

incense

transformed

becoming

burning earth

opening up

swallowing us

filling my

mouth ears nose soul

with dark smoke

oblivion

now I am here

forever beneath the surface

while above

I do not know

what exists

what is real

remaining still

listening     waiting

an eternity

I try

reaching out    up

my hand moves

slightly

suddenly

breaking through the earth

shattering the shell encasing me

freeing me

from living death

I feel

air      on my hand

body remaining    underground

submerged

my soul      my heart

remaining shrouded  in darkness

uncertainty

again I reach     out

I grasp something

it pulls me up from the earth

the darkness pulls me down

wanting me to remain caught

torn        in between

eternal liminality

where do I belong

under here

up there

with them

with others

I simply do not know

suddenly I feel

the force pulling

upward

powerful

unstoppable

leading me to my unknown destiny

I emerge

dirt falling  off my clothing

the light

the sun

the shimmering

fire and cloud

Divinity

blinding me still

unable to see

I hear a voice calling out a name

Aaron

is that me   I am bewildered

then I remember

that is he

the one pulling me up from the ground

telling me that I have been saved

I have a mission

dazed and puzzled

I look around me

I see the people     my people

surrounding staring frightened wondering

why did I survive

in that moment I know

I must show them

we are all one

the people

I am not

alone

special

holy

chosen

we all are

special

holy

chosen

then I notice I feel

what saved me

what I had grasped before

my destiny

still in my hands

shielding my eyes

from burning light

I begin to feel

the warmth of the Divine

in my heart and soul

I look in my hand

I see a staff blossoming

I smell sweetness of almond blossoms

awakening     telling me

who I am

what I must do

how I must show

those remaining

the truth

we are One

we are holy

I have been saved to help them

to help me

to see  to know    the truth

the others could not

that is why

they are underground

devoured by their gods

that had blinded them to the truth

ego  hubris pride greed jealousy

I am here

where I belong

not knowing why I was chosen

to do my part

open my heart

to God

to holiness

for all to see

we shall all join together

opening our hearts

as One

creating

moment by moment

soul by soul

holy community

holy life

blossoming for God

exquisitely delicate

divine humanity

human divinity

so all will see

all will know

the truth

the beauty

of the One

of all

–

Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to Mindful Torah

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This just in from our friends at Nehirim:

As we promised in our June newsletter, we have some exciting news to share with you:  Nehirim and NUJLS, the National Union of Jewish LGBT Students, are merging!  NUJLS will become a project of Nehirim beginning today, and Sasha T. Goldberg will be getting a promotion to Nehirim’s “Associate Director and Director of Student Programs.”  This merger is a reflection of our longtime collaboration with NUJLS (Sasha is currently its board president, and NUJLS has been a cosponsor of the Queer Shabbaton New York since its inception), Nehirim’s longtime student programming, and our commitment to providing programming and community to LGBT Jews (plus partners and allies) throughout the country.

This is exciting news, and a sign of more collaboration and coordination to come in the LGBT Jewish world.  Below is the official press release announcing the merger, and a copy of the letter Sasha is sending today to the NUJLS mailing list.  I look forward to seeing many of you at Nehirim East this weekend, and to working with the NUJLS student programming advisory board and NUJLS student leadership.  Mazal tov to all of us!

– Jay Michaelson, Executive Director, Nehirim

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nehirim and NUJLS, Two of the Largest National LGBT Jewish Organizations, To Merge

Move unites largest provider of national programming for LGBT Jewish community with vibrant student organization

(New York), (NY), (June 1, 2010) —  Two of the largest organizations serving the lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Jewish community have today merged into one.  Nehirim, which runs retreats and other programs for GLBT Jews, and NUJLS, the National Union of Jewish LGBTIQQ Students, will combine operations effective June 1.  Nehirim is the largest national provider of community programming for GLBT Jews, and NUJLS was one of the first national GLBT Jewish organizations, founded in 1997.

“This is a natural combination of two strong organizations,” said Jay Michaelson, the executive director of Nehirim who was recently recognized on the ‘Forward 50’ list of the fifty most influential Jewish leaders in America.  “NUJLS is the leader in programming for GLBT Jewish students, and Nehirim is the leader in programming for GLBT Jews in general.”

As a result of the merger, Sasha T. Goldberg, Nehirim’s Assistant Director since 2007 and the current Board President of NUJLS, will become Nehirim’s Associate Director and Director of Student Programming.  A new “Student Programming Advisory Board” will be created, with representatives from NUJLS’s former board of directors and student activists.  Nehirim will run the popular NUJLS student conference, together with student leaders.

Said Goldberg, “Building on the strength and history of NUJLS and the incredible NUJLS students, I am greatly looking forward to growing the student programming at Nehirim to provide a national, cohesive, and vibrant hub of Jewish life for each Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Jewish student.”

For the first year of the merger, the NUJLS name will be retained, but as “NUJLS, a project of Nehirim.”  The organizations will combine their programmatic, leadership, administrative, and financial operations.

David Levy, a NUJLS board member, said “This merger enables NUJLS to better fulfill its mission, and to develop the next generation of Jewish LGBT student leaders.  We are excited to be part of Nehirim!”

Founded in 2003, Nehirim is a pluralistic, independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and is supported by the Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston, and the Jewish Community Foundation of San Francisco, as well as a network of individual supporters. For more information, please visit our website www.nehirim.org.

For questions or excerpt and interview requests, please contact:

Marlene Rachelle, Communications Manager

(917) 968-4595

marlene@nehirim.org

www.nehirim.org

June 1, 2010

Dear Students, Friends, and Colleagues—

I’m writing to you with some very exciting news.  Nehirim and NUJLS, the National Union of Jewish LGBT Students, are merging! This merger is a reflection of Nehirim’s longtime collaboration with NUJLS, and our shared commitment to providing programming and community to LGBT Jews (plus partners and allies) throughout the country.  I am writing this letter to share my joy and excitement with you, as well as to share a little bit about my vision—and to ask for yours in return.

This month I celebrate my third year of working as the Assistant Director of Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality–and there is a lot to celebrate. I am proud to say that the past three years at Nehirim have been packed with innovation and growth; we have had a 200% expansion on programming and reach since 2007, and today we expand again by merging with NUJLS, the National Organization for LGBTQQI Jewish Students. This also marks an expansion for me, personally: I will step into the position of the Associate Director at Nehirim, and also into the position of Director of Student Programming.

As many of you already know, this merger and my new position at Nehirim arrive after having spent the past eleven months serving as the NUJLS Board President while Vanessa “Vinny” Prell continued her last year as the Executive Director. This has been a privilege and a pleasure both personally and professionally—having come out at fourteen and founded the first GSA at my own high school, LGBT student issues have always been near and dear to my heart—and having the opportunity to provide professional leadership and commitment to an organization for which I care deeply has proved rewarding and inspiring. Both personally and professionally, I am honored to serve as the Director of Student Programming in this new merger.

It is my ultimate vision that the Nehirim-NUJLS merger will continue in this theme of expansion: Building on the strength and history of NUJLS and the incredible NUJLS students, I am greatly looking forward to growing the student programming at Nehirim to provide a national, cohesive, and vibrant hub of Jewish life for each Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Jewish student.

Can I count on your help in this vision? I hope that you will be excited to help foster the opportunity for the next generation of LGBT Jewish students to be engaged leaders with a rich, proud history of Jewish and LGBT lives and identities. Perhaps it’s been a while since you have been involved with Nehirim or NUJLS, perhaps you are hearing about Nehirim or NUJLS for the first time, or perhaps you have been a regular to both organizations—either way, I invite you to re-engage and share your vision with me, as well. In the coming weeks and months, I hope to speak with many of you about your ideas and about how you might like to be involved with LGBT Jewish Students and LGBT Jewish Student programming.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the many inspired and inspiring LGBT Jewish Students who have already been involved with NUJLS, many of whom I have been fortunate enough to meet–and who will continue to provide the centermost heart and vision of Jewish LGBT Student life. To the students, particularly: I look forward to more! Thank you also to Vinny, who is both a colleague and a trusted friend, for her years of hard work and for building a beautiful foundation. Last but not least, thank you also to the Board for all of your thoughtful consideration in these many months of transition.

Happy Pride Month to each you—I look forward to connecting and working together as we usher in a new decade of LGBT Jewish Student life.

All my very best,

Sasha T. Goldberg

Associate Director of Nehirim, Director of Student Programming

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