Enriching our Jewish community through LGBTQ inclusion

As of January 1, 2018, Mosaic of Westchester is a committee of the Westchester Jewish Council. There are four roundtables held throughout the year. For more about the roundtables or general information, contact Pam Goldstein. Please see below for upcoming events and a link to relevant LGBTQ documents.

To learn about Pride Passover resources, please click HERE.

Resources

For more information, click here to find documents covering a variety of topics.

Let’s get into some Trans Pride Shabbat Q&A! From Jewish Education Project

Q: When is Trans Pride Shabbat?

A: Trans Pride Shabbat is Friday, June 27, to align with the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion. However, we know that many Jewish communities already have Pride Shabbats scheduled, and they might not be on that particular weekend in June. Therefore, we encourage folks to incorporate Trans Pride Shabbat in whatever way works for you!

Q: Do I have to host Trans Pride Shabbat through my synagogue?

A: No! We’re partnering with OneTable to provide an option for individuals to host Shabbat dinners, as well as for synagogues to incorporate trans-focused liturgy and action items into their existing Shabbat services. You can sign up for a reimbursable Trans Pride Shabbat dinner here. 

Q: What makes a Trans Pride Shabbat a Trans Pride Shabbat?

A: Trans Pride Shabbat can include:

• Incorporating prayer and liturgy into the Shabbat service that honors trans folks

• Focusing a D’var Torah on trans identity and rights

• Decorating with affirming signage and art

• Incorporating an action for trans rights into your gathering, or use it as a jumping-off point to connect with folks who would want to take action in the future

For examples and links for all of these things, check out the Trans Pride Shabbat landing page! 

Q: How do I spread the word about Trans Pride Shabbat?

A: Use this graphic to share this event with your community! Use our template to add your organization’s logo.

Q: Do I have to plan this by myself?

A: No! Lanie and Rose want as many folks to host a Trans Pride Shabbat as possible as smoothly as possible. We’re always here for planning help or additional resources.

Click  LGBT+ Terms presentation 2024 for a presentation by Merritt Snider, Mosaic Committee member.

Also, please check out the links below from Moving Traditions and Keshet.

• Moving Traditions Tzelem Group.  To learn more and sign up –

1. https://www.movingtraditions.org/tzelem-new-york/
2. Open to all 6th graders in Westchester who identify as gender expansive or questioning, nonbinary or trans.Moving Traditions and Temple Beth Abraham are excited to bring Tzelem B-Mitzvah to trans, nonbinary, or gender expansive preteens and their families in the Westchester area!     The Moving Traditions Tzelem B-Mitzvah Program helps parents and preteens explore what it means to celebrate this milestone as part of their adolescent and gender journeys, navigate expectations from friends and family, find Jewish meaning in the ceremony, and navigate other social-emotional challenges of coming of age. The program offers support for trans, nonbinary, or gender expansive 6th grade preteens and their families seeking to build authentic rituals and ways of being on the day of their b-mitzvahs and every day.   Please note that this program is not preparation for a b-mitzvah ceremony nor do you need to be affiliated with TBA or another synagogue.

   For more information   https://www.movingtraditions.org/…/tzelem-b-mitzvah/

• Keshet Links to Resources and Events –

1. https://www.keshetonline.org/resources-and-events/
2. https://www.keshetonline.org/youth/

• • Reform Action Center (RAC) of the Union for Reform Judaism – rac.org/lgbt-rights with links to many other organizations’ resources on the Web and the RAC Pride Shabbat resource page

LGBTQ+ COLLEGE STUDENT GUIDE

Intelligent.com is a student-focused publication dedicated to delivering data-driven research and insights to aid students and educational institutions nationwide. Our commitment is to foster informed decision-making and elevate educational standards by translating complex data into understandable and actionable information.

https://www.intelligent.com/lgbtq-online-college-student-guide/

Mosaic Storytelling Project

For more info about the Mosaic Storytelling Project, please contact Storytelling Consultant, Gerry Gartenberg at gerrygartenberg@gmail.com.