Our Story
JQY began in 2001, when a small group of New York LGBTQ Orthodox Yeshiva students found one another online and began meeting to build community. Many were closeted and uncertain what they needed, but they knew they did not want a future defined by isolation, fear, or shame.
Informal gatherings in restaurants and coffee shops offered connection, validation, and hope. Despite differing relationships to LGBTQ and Orthodox identity, sharing space and stories proved deeply affirming.
These early meetings laid the groundwork for JQY’s growth into a resource for LGBTQ youth facing rejection from their Jewish communities. Within three years, the community grew to over 500 members on a confidential email listserv.
As participation expanded, meetings moved to JCC Manhattan and programming broadened to include holiday and Pride events, lectures, advocacy and training efforts, a crisis support Hope-line, and a Mental Health Conference launched in 2015.
With this expansion came greater diversity among both members and programming. JQY developed targeted offerings to meet the needs of different ages and identities, including Yeshiva High School support groups, Women’s* and Trans programming, and, in May 2016, the opening of the JQY Drop-In Center in Midtown Manhattan.
Alongside this growth, JQY’s leadership came to recognize that while building a safe LGBTQ Jewish community helps heal, preventing the pain of communal rejection is equally vital. JQY works closely with Orthodox rabbis and community leaders to foster understanding and connection from within. Ensuring that LGBTQ youth feel belonging and love in their communities is deeply aligned with Jewish values. Through this work, JQY advocacy has helped shape some of the most significant milestones in LGBTQ inclusion and progress within the Jewish community.
Our Timeline
2001
The groundwork for JQY is laid as a small group of New York LGBTQ Orthodox Yeshiva students find one another online and begin meeting informally to build community and connection.
2002
JQY creates its first confidential email support group for LGBTQ Jewish youth in the Orthodox community.
2009
JQY organizes the first-ever Yeshiva University gay panel discussion, successfully advocating for the event to take place on campus and welcoming over 1,000 students and faculty.
2010
JQY incorporates as a non-profit organization.
JQY helps formulate a Statement of Principles on the Place of Jews with a Homosexual Orientation in Our Community , signed by over 200 progressive Orthodox rabbis.
2012
JQY successfully advocates for the Celebrate Israel Parade to change its policy, allowing openly LGBTQ groups to march and becoming the first LGBTQ Jewish group to participate under an LGBTQ banner.
2013
JQY successfully advocates for the Rabbinical Council of America to remove its endorsement of JONAH, a conversion therapy organization.
2015
JQY members successfully sue JONAH for consumer fraud, winning a landmark court case with national impact on conversion “therapy” practices.
2016
JQY launches the first-ever Teen Drop-In Center for at-risk LGBTQ Jewish youth.
2019
JQY transitions from a solely volunteer-run organization into a professional mental health organization with staff, lay leadership, and a dedicated volunteer team.
JQY supports YU students at the “We Too Are YU” march, contributing to the eventual creation of the YU Pride Alliance.
2020
JQY launches virtual services to support and convene Jewish LGBTQ youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
JQY receives $1 million in funding to expand and strengthen its youth mental health services.
2022
JQY doubles its staff and hires its first full-time psychologist.
JQY sponsors YU Pride Alliance activities in response to efforts to undermine LGBTQ students on YU’s campus.
2023
JQY moves to a new space in Times Square, expanding access to the Drop-In Center for LGBTQ youth across the tri-state area.
2024
JQY releases a Chanukah video showcasing an expansive range of Jewish experiences, generating global reach.
JQY hosts its first teen-only queer Purim party.
JQY hires its first staff member specifically dedicated to Trans+ support.
2025
JQY honors Rachel Sussman with the inaugural Jewish Queer Icon Award at Lincoln Center.
Jessica Kirson and friends host “Stand Up for Jewish Queer Youth,” raising thousands of dollars to support LGBTQ youth mental health.