Queer Jewish Students are invited to Washington D.C. for Leadership Conference

Participating student leaders from Universities across North America began calling this annual gathering a conference of the National Union of Jewish LGBTQQI Students. Naturally, an abbreviation written as NUJLS followed this long-winded title, giving us the name of the conference that we still use today, NUJLS (pronounced "NuJoules" (nüjau(-ə)ls)).

In the fall of 1998 the Office of Student Life at the University of Oregon received a notice in the mail about a student leadership conference aimed at empowering GLBT Jewish leaders. The Dean who received the memo called our local Jewish Student Union, LGBT Alliance and Hillel House to recruit someone to represent the University of Oregon at this conference called NUJLS. I was nominated, grant dollars were dispersed, I flew to Texas, met a dozen new friends and learned about Jewish community leadership. Just like that my career, as I write about in this blog, discovered its roots.

From my perspective one of the many barriers that people experience into the organized Jewish community was eliminated for me. Representing the University of Oregon as a Gay Jewish leader, gave me the opportunity as a young person to easily navigate into the depths of what our Jewish community has to offer.

Each Spring since 1997, Queer Jewish University-level students, as well as our steadfast LGBT allies, have joined together on a selected University campus to learn from each other for a weekend Shabbaton affectionately called NUJLS. Each year NUJLS features speakers, text study, and workshops on topics such as Judaism and queerness, activism, relationships, ethics, coming out, and time to talk about our differing views on how students think about Israel. NUJLS provides an opportunity for student leaders from Universities across North America to build community, network and become more familiar with Jewish life.

This February at American University in Washington D.C. students will be able to hear from galvanizing speakers, share shabbat meals and participate in leadership workshops all the while fostering in the next generation of connected and inspired LGBT Jewish leaders.

As an alumni of NUJLS and now a proud board member I am asking my networks to help me spread the word on campuses and in your greater communities about NUJLS. Learn more!

Related Links

• Visit the NUJLS Website!
• Top 10 LGBT Websites and Blogs
• This is a gender neutral restroom.
• Dr. Frank Kameny, Jewish Gay Rights Pioneer, Dies At 86
• finding the community that works for you
• breaking barriers
• shout out today: tomorrow is a day of silence
• The DCJCC GLOE Blog at 16th and Q
• Bet Mishpachah – Mishpachah Matters
• Gayim DC, a yahoo group for Jewish Gay, Bisexual and Trans identified men
• Nice Jewish Girls of DC, a yahoo group for Jewbians
• Out Gay Hillel Students at American University in DC: Oy J!
• Annual DC Metro Area GLBT Studies Symposium: Scholarship to Activism
• Spectrum Advisor Project
• A 2011 Guide to GLBTA Life at American University
• Jason Benkendorf named ED of American University Hillel
• countering the untrue (qjew.wordpress.com)

 

shout out today: tomorrow is a day of silence.

A few weeks ago Rabbi Jason Klein volunteered his time to lead an interesting conversation with young people participating in the 15th Annual National LGBTQQI Jewish Student Conference (NUJLS) at Brandeis University. He asked the students to talk about a powerful moment in their lives via the voice of someone else. Maybe by default or maybe by the specific interest of the topics covered at the conference each of the students volunteered to talk about their Coming Out stories as LGBTQI.

These two to three-minute stories presented themselves powerfully. One of the students spoke about their experience of participating in The Day of Silence at their Jewish High School. On the Day of Silence students take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. This student mentioned how important support around the Day of Silence was in trying to understand how to navigate their next steps in coming out to themselves.

Tomorrow is this Annual Day of Silence. Tomorrow hundreds of thousands of students at thousands of middle schools, high schools and colleges will be participating in this day of direct LGBTQ action. You can help young people learn about themselves, their friends and their community by being an advocate for this day of action. Here are a few details to share with young people in your life:

• Hey! What is a GSA? Where is my GSA?
• Day of Silence is over. Now what?
• Registered for the Day of Silence? Be Counted.
• Get organized! Get ready! Day of Silence is near!
• Day of Silence: Resources for Educators & Families
• GLSEN’s 2011 Day of Silence on Facebook

 

Gay as the Springtime

How about lunch on us?

The Jewish Community Federations Centennial FedFest, is a free one-day event on April 10. A great day-long celebration has been planned featuring simultaneous sessions with leaders in all fields of Jewish life: philanthropy, music, literature, film, family rituals, history, foreign affairs. Plus you can join the discussion featuring LGBT Alliance and Be’chol Lashon leaders on shaping our Jewish future.  Register for you and a guest before April 4 to receive a free catered lunch. Just use the code LUNCH with your free registration.

We have an incredible scholarship opportunity!

Calling all Bay Area local undergraduate or graduate students at accredited institutions of higher learning and/or the arts, who are children of gay or lesbian parent(s). The Ronald P. Wilmot Scholarship Fund provides 4 to 6 academic and/or artistic excellence and financial need scholarships for $3,000 to $5,000 annually. The undergraduate student’s parents/guardians as well as the graduate student must be permanent residents of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, the Peninsula (Sunnyvale and north), San Francisco, Solano, or Sonoma Counties.

Not going to make it home for passover?

Come spend it with a few local faygelehs! Passover is just around the corner and Fun for Faygelehs is hosting a casual yet foodie-friendly seder. Open to all community members though space is very limited. Please email Maxwell Kopeikin, to learn about the evening details for April 19 in San Francisco.

See you OUT for Spring!

Arthur Slepian, Chair and Maxwell Kopeikin, Fun for Faygelehs Coordinator

	Day of Silence Apr 15 This is the largest annual day of direct LGBTQ action in the world with thousands of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) participating on their campus! What are you going to do to end the silence? The LGBT Alliance supports the participation of the Day of Silence at Jewish Day Schools as well as after school Jewish programs. Here are a few resources to encourage participation everywhere.
	Hazon California Bike Ride May 06 3:00pm – May 09 3:00pm Join Hazon for a 2-day relaxing Shabbat retreat in the Redwoods, followed by a scenic 2-day bike ride from Sonoma County to San Francisco. LGBT local leaders are joining up to be part of the Jewish Rainbow Riders team. Please learn more!
	Bay Area Jewish Healing Center’s (BAJHC) Grief and Growing Weekend August 26 – 28 This annual weekend is designed to help bereaved individuals and families attend to their losses and identify tools to help them in their mourning. Led by LGBT Alliance leaders and BAJHC’s own Rabbi Eric Weiss and Rabbi Elliot Kukla. We fully encourage all LGBT Jews to consider advocating for a friend, themselves or a loved one to learn more about this weekend of spiritual care and healing.
	JCF Centennial: Shaping our Jewish Future Apr 10 10:00am – Apr 10 5:00pm Celebrate 100 years of giving at Fed Fest 100, a day-long event to thank you for supporting the Jewish Community Federation and its Endowment Fund.