Joel Kushner
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Joel is the first Director of the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation (IJSO) at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He also heads the Jeff Herman Virtual Resource Center (JHVRC), an online learning environment with over 600 resources on the intersection of Judaism, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Making Your Congregation and Community a Welcoming Place for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Jews
- Sunday 5:30 PM–6:45 PM Laguna Beach 2
Inclusion and access for LGBT Jews is a core value of progressive Jewish denominations' commitment to social justice and creating a welcoming community for all Jews. Programs, tools and resources with an introduction to Kulanu: All of Us, a newly published LGBT inclusion guide will be discussed in this workshop.
Trans 101:
Gender Diversity in Judaism
- Monday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM Laguna Beach 2
Not all language for gender diversity is new. Early rabbinic writings and extensively explore the role of exceptionally gendered individuals in Jewish society. In this session, we will review how, historically and in the present, Judaism recognizes that gender is complex and provides us with the tools to build a community that celebrates gender diversity.
