Nehirim | Nehirim Student Programs

The 2012-13 retreat saw 50+ Queer Jewish students & allies from across the country descend upon Boston, Mass for a weekend of learning, socializing, and connecting. To check out a retreat preview, see our info page from this past year’s programming. We are doubling our capacity this year! Check back soon to sign-up, and as always spots are limited!

Bringing Nehirim to Your Campus

1) Workshops, classes, and lectures on Judaism and homosexuality, Lesbianism and halacha, Queer Jewish identity in the modern age, Sexuality in the Talmud, LGBTQ people in the Old Testament, Bisexuality, Torah, and more. We also provide materials to help you conduct educational sessions on your campus.

A sampling of our educators:

1. Rabbi David Dunn Bauer, Nehirim Director of West Coast Programming

2. Chani Getter, Nehirim Director of Women’s Programming

3. Rabbi Debra Kolodny, Nehirim Executive Director, Editor, Blessed Bi Spirit, Bisexual People of Faith

4. Jay Michaelson, Author of God vs. Gay & Nehirim Founder

5. Ethan Sobel, Nehirim Director of Student Programming

2) Consulting, fundraising, and mentoring for LGBTQ Jewish student leaders: Our staff includes rabbis, social workers, nationally recognized fundraisers and educators, and trained counselors who are ready to serve as resources for LGBTQ Jewish students. We can help you identify and apply for funding from philanthropists, Hillel, your institution, and more.

3) Networking, Organizing, PR: We have the ability to help you and your student groups flourish with training in specific PR techniques and skills. We also can help you connect with educators, funders, and other student groups for networking and outreach.

4) Religious and spirituality services: Traditional and alternative Shabbat services and innovative rituals. We can include singing, meditation, drumming, movement, readings in English, interfaith liturgy – you name it. Nehirim acts as a clearing house for prayer texts, rituals, and spirituality guides.

Student Programming

- We offer full and partial student scholarships to all our weekend retreats, and support students financially and organizationally in building LGBTQ community back home.

- We offer a variety of con-campus programs, from lectures to Shabbat Services, film screenings to community organizing.

- We help LGBTQ Jews embrace their Jewish heritage through internship opportunities and professional leadership development programs.

- Our student programming is highlighted by the Nehirim Student Retreat hosted annually at a college campus. Find out when and where this year’s retreat is beign held at nehirim.org/students.

These programs are available at a fraction of the cost of a scholar in residence weekend. To learn more about bringing us to your campus, email esobel@nehirim.org.

Retreats

The best way to get to know Nehirim and its opportunities for students is to come to one of our retreats. This is the queer Jewish community you’ve been waiting for: pluralistic, multi-generational, inclusive, and innovative. Our retreats feature amazing davening at services, cutting-edge workshops, irresistible surroundings, and opportunities to connect with queer Jews from all walks of life.

Our retreat season is highlighted for students at the Nehirim Student Retreat held annually on a college campus. There, students from across the country come together for a weekend to laugh, sing, nosh, schmooze, pray, and connect in all different types of ways. Full and partial student scholarships and travel subsidies are always available, and the application process is easy.

This year’s (2013-14) retreats include:

May 31 – Nehirim East (Falls Village, CT)

June 4 – Nehirim Women’s Circle (NYC)

Aug 21 – Camp Nehirim (East Mountain, NY)

Oct. 25 – Queer Shabbaton NYC

Feb.14 – Nehirim Student Retreat (Boston,MA)

Connections and Testimonials

Nehirim’s student programming track record is thorough and diverse. We have hosted events at:

UPenn, UMass, Boston University, UC-Riverside, Dickinson College, UNC-Asheville, American University, Yale, Union College, Univ. of Colorado Boulder, Pacific Religion School, UC-Berkeley, Oregon State, Portland State, Amherst College, Harvard, Tufts, Colgate, Lehigh, Univ. of Illinois, Vassar, Univ. of Southern California, Univ. of Wisconsin, and Queens College

To bring us to your campus email Director of Student Programming,Ethan Sobel, at esobel@nehirim.org.

Hear what students are saying about being involved with Nehirim:

Over the past year I have struggled to find a way for my Judaism and homosexuality to coexist. . . At Nehirim, I was able to experience a new aspect of both the LGBT community and the Jewish community. Nehirim was, and continues to be, my home.

— M.B. (male, 20)

Amazing! I felt like I was able to integrate my community and feel safe both as a queer jew and as an orthodox Jew, which is a rare mix.

— C.F. (female, 23)

Wonderful people inspired me to get closer to myself and God. I pushed my boundaries and had fun.

— J.S. (FTM, 24)

Nehirim is one of the few spaces I have in which my spiritual work and my political work can join hands—also my spiritual and personal identities. That is very nourishing to me.

— R.T. (Genderqueer/Queer Female, 21)

The Nehirim Shabbaton was an opportunity to be surrounded by lots of cool queer Jewish types . . . and have that lovely feeling where everything feels so comfortable that you forget that such a configuration is unusual. . . or hard to find.

— E.S. (19, male)

Contact Us

Ethan Sobel, Director of Student Programming, esobel@nehirim.org

Ethan Sobel recently joined Nehirim as the Directorof Student Programming. He received his BBA in Finance and Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). He is now pursuing his M.S. in Public Relations at Boston University. While at UMass, Ethan served as the co founder of LGBT Jews & Allies, the university’s first queer Jewish organization, and at BU he is the founder of JewQ, the LGBTQ Jewish group on campus. Ethan is also a speaker and educator for Parents of Families and Friends of Gays and Lesbians (PFLAG) and looks forward to continuing his work with Nehirim. In his spare time, Ethan enjoys playing classical cello, healthy eating and cooking, and playing sports.

Follow us: @NehirimLGBT … Facebook.com/NehirimLGBT … Flickr.com/Nehirim

Past Nehirim Programs On-Campus

April 03, 2013

What's Coming Up On Campus?

Upcoming Retreats

Upcoming Programs

Nehirim in the News

Nehirim Student Programs

Get Ready for the 2013-14 Nehirim Student Retreat, February 14-16, 2014 at Boston University!

Past Nehirim Programs On-Campus

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | UPenn

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | UC-Riverside

Queer Jewish Student Retreat 2013

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Dickinson College

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | UNC—Asheville

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | American University

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Boston U

Through the Door of Life | Yale

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Schenectady, NY

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Boulder

Sacred Snapshots | Pacific School of Religion

Non-Violent Communication | Berkeley

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Oregon State U

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Portland State U

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Amherst

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Boston

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Tufts

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Hamilton, NY

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Lehigh U

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | U of Illinois

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Poughkeepsie

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Vassar

Interfaith LGBT Student Retreat at USC

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality | Yale

Book Discussion at University of Wisconsin Hillel

God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality: Queens College