Keshet

Keshet works nationwide for the full equality and inclusion of LGBTQ+ Jews and their families in Jewish community life. Founded in Greater Boston in 1996 as a grassroots community initiative, the organization has grown into a leading national civil rights and faith advocacy institution headquartered in Massachusetts, with regional staff and active youth programs across the country.

A central focus of the organization is empowering LGBTQ+ Jewish youth and young adults. Keshet organizes immersive regional and national Shabbaton weekend retreats where teens and young adults build lasting community, explore Jewish tradition through an affirming lens, and develop vital leadership capabilities. These gatherings offer welcoming spaces where young people can celebrate their intersecting religious and queer identities without compromise. In addition to retreats, the organization facilitates youth-led working groups and grassroots campaigns that equip students to organize for safety, respect, and equity in their own high schools, synagogues, and summer camps.

Institutional transformation is another core pillar of the organization's mission. Keshet works directly with Jewish institutions across all denominations, including synagogues, day schools, community centers, and youth movements. Through intensive workshops, curriculum consultation, and leadership coaching, the organization helps communal leaders implement gender-affirming policies, inclusive liturgies, and welcoming organizational practices that ensure queer and transgender community members belong fully in every communal setting.

On the civic stage, the organization mobilizes Jewish communities to defend and advance LGBTQ+ civil rights through grassroots advocacy and coalition partnerships. Keshet engages rabbis, educators, and congregants to speak out against discriminatory legislation, protect transgender youth healthcare, and champion federal and state non-discrimination protections rooted in Jewish values of justice, human dignity, and equality.

The organization also develops and distributes an extensive library of educational resources, holiday guides, and ritual materials designed to enrich LGBTQ+ Jewish cultural life. These materials support educators and families in honoring diverse gender identities and sexual orientations during lifecycle events and religious holidays. By combining grassroots youth empowerment, institutional capacity building, and public advocacy, Keshet creates lasting systemic change across the American Jewish landscape.

Through regional hubs in major metropolitan areas and robust digital outreach nationwide, the organization fosters deeply connected networks of queer Jewish youth, parents, educators, and adult advocates. In addition, Keshet provides specialized resources and peer support networks for families navigating gender transitions or coming out processes within traditional and progressive Jewish communities. The organization works collaboratively with national partner agencies, philanthropic foundations, and grassroots community organizers to build an inclusive Jewish future where every individual is honored, valued, and celebrated. By cultivating inclusive leadership across generations, Keshet ensures that Jewish communities across the United States remain vibrant, diverse, and welcoming. Community members, educators, clergy, and youth can participate in national educational webinars, access downloadable guides, join regional cohorts, or support the organization's mission through charitable gifts, volunteer opportunities, and active community leadership.