Houston Hillel expands inclusion, launches QJews
 |
At the beginning of the year, Houston Hillel launched QJews, to provide a celebratory space for Houston’s queer Jews in their 20s and 30s.
As a new program area for Houston Hillel, QJews brings together Houston’s LGBTQ+ community for initiatives centered around community, collaboration and celebration. QJews programming includes Jewish initiatives such as Shabbat dinners and Havdalah gatherings, along with Jewish learning and social events through a queer lens.
QJews came about after a number of Jewston participants expressed disappointment to Alyssa Silva, Houston Hillel’s assistant executive director who oversees Jewston, that Houston does not have a dedicated space, program or organization that engages or enriches the lives of queer Jews in their 20s and 30s.
Jewston is Houston Hillel’s community for Jewish 20somethings.
Rabbi Kenny Weiss, Houston Hillel’s executive director, agreed with the need for QJews.
“According to the 2016 Greater Houston Jewish Community Study, 10% of Jewish households in Greater Houston contain at least one LGBTQ+ member – 2 points higher than 2020 U.S. Census data. The Pew Research Center reports Jewish Americans in 2020 found only 75% of Jews under 30 years old identify as straight. Put another way, one in four Jews under 30 – or 25% – identify as LGBTQ+.”
Rabbi Weiss also noted that more than half of Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012 and are too young to remember 9/11, suffer from anxiety and depression. This degree of psychological pain is more than is experienced by previous generations and is even more common among LGBTQ+ Gen Zers. QJews will provide community and support in these areas of need.
“Houston Hillel is uniquely situated to create and sustain QJews,” said Silva. “For many years, Houston Hillel and Jewston have used gender-affirming language and highlighted pronoun usage. Our social media, marketing and materials clearly express our organization’s welcoming and celebratory nature toward queer folk. Through Jewston, Houston Hillel also has a decades-long record of success engaging 20somethings.”
Houston Hillel also has earned a reputation as the most inclusive and affirming campus ministry at the University of Houston and Rice University, and Houston Hillel is the only Jewish organization in Houston with rabbinical and professional staff specifically trained to work with the QJews cohort.
Members of the queer community often come to terms with their sexuality after completing college. By welcoming people in their 20s and 30s, QJews will be open to those people who do not consider themselves part of this community during college, but will in the coming years.
In addition, some people need time before becoming comfortable publicly sharing their newly embraced sexuality. Welcoming people through their 30s reduces the fear they will “age out” of QJews before they’re ready to become connected.
Rabbi Weiss emphasized mentoring as another important aspect of QJews. “Embracing one’s queerness can be challenging and, unfortunately, is often lonely. Welcoming people in their 20s and 30s increases the possibility those people who have newly connected with their LGBTQ+ selves will find others within QJews who can serve as mentors to facilitate this unique and uncertain journey.”
Rabbi Weiss envisioned QJews when he applied for Houston Hillel’s inclusion in the Keshet Leadership Project.
Keshet is a national organization that, during its 10-year history, has focused on supporting LGBTQ+ Jewish teens. This year, Keshet expanded its reach and solicited applications from nonprofit organizations interested in increasing their excellence in LGBTQ+ inclusivity and programming.
Houston Hillel’s application is centered around the specific goal of creating QJews. This yearlong collaboration between Keshet and Houston Hillel will lead to organizational LGBTQ+ equality at Houston Hillel and also will engage Houston Hillel’s lay and professional leadership in filling a clearly identified void in the Houston Jewish community.
For more information about QJews and to receive email updates about future programs, visit qjews.org or email [email protected].
As a new program area for Houston Hillel, QJews brings together Houston’s LGBTQ+ community for initiatives centered around community, collaboration and celebration. QJews programming includes Jewish initiatives such as Shabbat dinners and Havdalah gatherings, along with Jewish learning and social events through a queer lens.
QJews came about after a number of Jewston participants expressed disappointment to Alyssa Silva, Houston Hillel’s assistant executive director who oversees Jewston, that Houston does not have a dedicated space, program or organization that engages or enriches the lives of queer Jews in their 20s and 30s.
Jewston is Houston Hillel’s community for Jewish 20somethings.
Rabbi Kenny Weiss, Houston Hillel’s executive director, agreed with the need for QJews.
“According to the 2016 Greater Houston Jewish Community Study, 10% of Jewish households in Greater Houston contain at least one LGBTQ+ member – 2 points higher than 2020 U.S. Census data. The Pew Research Center reports Jewish Americans in 2020 found only 75% of Jews under 30 years old identify as straight. Put another way, one in four Jews under 30 – or 25% – identify as LGBTQ+.”
Rabbi Weiss also noted that more than half of Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012 and are too young to remember 9/11, suffer from anxiety and depression. This degree of psychological pain is more than is experienced by previous generations and is even more common among LGBTQ+ Gen Zers. QJews will provide community and support in these areas of need.
“Houston Hillel is uniquely situated to create and sustain QJews,” said Silva. “For many years, Houston Hillel and Jewston have used gender-affirming language and highlighted pronoun usage. Our social media, marketing and materials clearly express our organization’s welcoming and celebratory nature toward queer folk. Through Jewston, Houston Hillel also has a decades-long record of success engaging 20somethings.”
Houston Hillel also has earned a reputation as the most inclusive and affirming campus ministry at the University of Houston and Rice University, and Houston Hillel is the only Jewish organization in Houston with rabbinical and professional staff specifically trained to work with the QJews cohort.
Members of the queer community often come to terms with their sexuality after completing college. By welcoming people in their 20s and 30s, QJews will be open to those people who do not consider themselves part of this community during college, but will in the coming years.
In addition, some people need time before becoming comfortable publicly sharing their newly embraced sexuality. Welcoming people through their 30s reduces the fear they will “age out” of QJews before they’re ready to become connected.
Rabbi Weiss emphasized mentoring as another important aspect of QJews. “Embracing one’s queerness can be challenging and, unfortunately, is often lonely. Welcoming people in their 20s and 30s increases the possibility those people who have newly connected with their LGBTQ+ selves will find others within QJews who can serve as mentors to facilitate this unique and uncertain journey.”
Rabbi Weiss envisioned QJews when he applied for Houston Hillel’s inclusion in the Keshet Leadership Project.
Keshet is a national organization that, during its 10-year history, has focused on supporting LGBTQ+ Jewish teens. This year, Keshet expanded its reach and solicited applications from nonprofit organizations interested in increasing their excellence in LGBTQ+ inclusivity and programming.
Houston Hillel’s application is centered around the specific goal of creating QJews. This yearlong collaboration between Keshet and Houston Hillel will lead to organizational LGBTQ+ equality at Houston Hillel and also will engage Houston Hillel’s lay and professional leadership in filling a clearly identified void in the Houston Jewish community.
For more information about QJews and to receive email updates about future programs, visit qjews.org or email [email protected].