Why does KeshetUK exist?
Jewish LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) people often feel uncertain about their role in Jewish communities, and sometimes experience outright rejection. It’s no surprise when this leads to poor mental health for some Jewish LGBT+ people and that some feel they have no choice but to leave.
We believe all UK Jewish communities can do more to become places where LGBT+ Jewish people and their families can feel included.
We believe all UK Jewish communities can do more to become places where LGBT+ Jewish people and their families can feel included.
What does KeshetUK do?
Jewish LGBT+ people exist in all walks of life. KeshetUK aspires to work with all UK Jewish communities, including various Liberal, Masorti, Orthodox and Reform, cross-communal and non-denominational organisations.
We work with Jewish schools, youth and young adult organisations, synagogues, and wider community organisations to become more inclusive of LGBT+ people through education and training.
Jewish communities are diverse and there is no single approach that will work for everyone. KeshetUK works in partnership with communities to identify their goals, then we tailor our support so they can achieve them.
KeshetUK offers a range of activities:
Between 2014 - 2019 KeshetUK has:
To find out more about what we've done each year, please see our Annual Reviews.
We work with Jewish schools, youth and young adult organisations, synagogues, and wider community organisations to become more inclusive of LGBT+ people through education and training.
Jewish communities are diverse and there is no single approach that will work for everyone. KeshetUK works in partnership with communities to identify their goals, then we tailor our support so they can achieve them.
KeshetUK offers a range of activities:
- Delivery of culturally sensitive LGBT+ inclusion training
- Development and delivery of educational content in schools and wider Jewish community settings
- Teacher training and ongoing support
- Youth leadership training
- Support for LGBT+ inclusion organisational audits
- Bespoke advice for organisations with difficult situations
- Meeting with individuals such as rabbi, teachers, staff at Jewish organisations - in confidence where necessary - to increase their understanding of what including Jewish LGBT+ people and their families could look like
Between 2014 - 2019 KeshetUK has:
- Embedded programmes of culturally appropriate LGBT+ inclusion curriculum and workshops in three Jewish secondary schools, trained over 100 teachers and engaged with over 3,000 students annually.
- Partnered with 14 Jewish youth organisations (including Liberal, Masorti, Orthodox, Reform and cross communal) to deliver an annual cycle of LGBT+ inclusion workshops to youth leaders, camp and Tour leaders and staff.
- Delivered LGBT+ inclusion training to Jewish communal organisations such as Jewish Care, CST, Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council.
- Trained over 100 UK community rabbis and university chaplains on the fundamentals of LGBT+ inclusion.
- Engaged the Movement for Reform Judaism, Masorti Judaism, Leo Baeck College student rabbis with workshops including Jewish LGBT+ mental health and trans inclusion.
- In September 2018, published a Guide on the Wellbeing of LGBT+ Pupils in Orthodox Jewish Schools, together with Chief Rabbi Mirvis.
To find out more about what we've done each year, please see our Annual Reviews.
KeshetUK Information Leaflet
| KeshetUK Information Leafet (A5, PDF) |
How we got here
The first UK Jewish gay and lesbian organisation formed in 1972, eventually becoming known as the Jewish Gay and Lesbian Group (JGLG) and most recently known as the Jewish LGBT+ Group. Over the next 40 years, Jewish LGBT+ life continued to develop in the UK with the birth of new LGBT+ religious communities and social groups, ordination of LGBT+ rabbis, and availability of same-gender weddings/commitment ceremonies in some communities.
In spite of this, within the Jewish community there remained significant ignorance about LGBT+ issues, with a large number of LGBT+ people choosing not to engage in Jewish communal life. There was felt to be a lack of explicit recognition of the existence and needs of LGBT+ people within the Jewish community, with consequent lack of provision, for young people, adults and older adults. The community noted a lack of Jewish themed resources and guidance for educators to use to support and advise LGBT+Jewish people, and to create inclusive Jewish community.
To address these challenges and others, in 2010-11, a number of UK-based Jewish LGBT+ organisations and passionate individuals met to discuss the creation of a forum that would share information, news and resources of interest to LGBT+ Jews in the United Kingdom.
In January 2012 a row broke out about the teaching of same-sex attraction in a Jewish secondary school, and KeshetUK proved itself as the vehicle for the response. Over the coming months, KeshetUK positioned itself uniquely. Activities would focus on providing education to, and raising awareness about LGBT+ inclusion within, the UK Jewish community. Since then, KeshetUK has become the sole organisation that works across the Jewish community working to ensure that no one is forced to choose between their LGBT+ and Jewish identity.
KeshetUK was incorporated as a limited company in May 2014 with three founder directors and then in September 2015 received Charitable status in England. After beginning fundraising in 2015, KeshetUK employed its first staff member in June 2016 and as of 2022, has 4 staff members (2 full time and 2 part time/4 days a week).
In spite of this, within the Jewish community there remained significant ignorance about LGBT+ issues, with a large number of LGBT+ people choosing not to engage in Jewish communal life. There was felt to be a lack of explicit recognition of the existence and needs of LGBT+ people within the Jewish community, with consequent lack of provision, for young people, adults and older adults. The community noted a lack of Jewish themed resources and guidance for educators to use to support and advise LGBT+Jewish people, and to create inclusive Jewish community.
To address these challenges and others, in 2010-11, a number of UK-based Jewish LGBT+ organisations and passionate individuals met to discuss the creation of a forum that would share information, news and resources of interest to LGBT+ Jews in the United Kingdom.
In January 2012 a row broke out about the teaching of same-sex attraction in a Jewish secondary school, and KeshetUK proved itself as the vehicle for the response. Over the coming months, KeshetUK positioned itself uniquely. Activities would focus on providing education to, and raising awareness about LGBT+ inclusion within, the UK Jewish community. Since then, KeshetUK has become the sole organisation that works across the Jewish community working to ensure that no one is forced to choose between their LGBT+ and Jewish identity.
KeshetUK was incorporated as a limited company in May 2014 with three founder directors and then in September 2015 received Charitable status in England. After beginning fundraising in 2015, KeshetUK employed its first staff member in June 2016 and as of 2022, has 4 staff members (2 full time and 2 part time/4 days a week).
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