Inclusivity/ Diversity

We are committed to fostering a more welcoming community for all Jews. Over the past few years, our interest in a diverse and inclusive community has blossomed into a full-fledged funding focus, as a way to advance Jewish identity and community. These are some of the fronts on which we are currently working:

Grantees Include:

LGBT:

Keshet is a Boston-based non-profit organization working for the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Jews in all parts of the Jewish community: synagogues, advocacy, service organizations, Hebrew schools, day schools, summer camps and youth movements. Through its Safe Schools Initiative, Keshet implements trainings, resource provision and faculty consultations to foster GLBT-safe and -affirming school/organizational cultures for Jewish high school students in communities around the United States.

Nehirim is a national nonprofit and nondenominational organization founded in 2004 by Jay Michaelson to build a home and create community for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) Jews. Over the past four years, Nehirim retreats and programs have brought over 1,000 Jews, partners and allies together for weekends of authentic cultural community and exploring Jewish spirituality together. Nehirim focuses on empowering GLBT Jews to become active voices in their home communities and building a more vibrant Jewish world by including GLBT people within it.

The National Union of Jewish Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Questioning Students (NUJLS) is staffed and maintained entirely by students and volunteers. For 10 years, NUJLS has brought students from around the country together for a weekend conference that provides empowerment through education, support and outreach. NUJLS also produces innovative materials for campuses, such as a Queer Haggadah; a resource guide for Jewish campus groups; and ongoing support and networking for Jewish professionals, students and lay leaders.

Interfaith:

The Jewish Outreach Institute  (JOI) honors Jewish values by promoting a more welcoming and inclusive North American Jewish community that embraces intermarried families, unaffiliated Jews and Jews-by-choice, encouraging their increased participation in Jewish life. JOI provides programs and other direct services to intermarried families, advocates for including interfaith couples in all aspects of Jewish communal life, conducts research on a variety of aspects of Jewish life and trains a core of Jewish communal professionals to serve this population.

Interfaithfamily.com  (IFF) empowers interfaith families to make Jewish choices for themselves and their children, and encourages the Jewish community to welcome interfaith families. The Rabbinic Officiation Initiative helps interfaith couples find rabbis and cantors who would officiate at their weddings and provides resources to rabbis and cantors who work with the intermarrying couples.

CLSFF adopted a diversity statement in 2007 and will be using gender-inclusive language for public documents associated with all future initiatives. Moreover, employees of the various Schusterman philanthropies now have a benefits policy that includes coverage for domestic partners. We hope to be models for our grantee organizations and for the entire Jewish community, empowering each individual and agency in the journey toward inclusiveness.