Since the fall of 2014, LGBTQ yeshiva alumni have begun coming together to discuss and compare their post-high school, gap year experiences in Israel. This dialogue and sharing of information and experiences related to the LGBTQ-friendliness of different programs led to the birth of the Yeshiva Inclusion Project (YIP), which serves as a resource for LGBTQ Orthodox students applying to yeshivas and seminaries overseas.
For many LGBTQ teens, the coming out process involves strong feelings of loss, disappointment, isolation, confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty. Many Orthodox parents of LGBTQ youth go through a process very similar to that of their children, and feel isolated from their communities, shuls, schools, friends, and spiritual leaders. LGBTQ youth have been seeking social and support services from JQY for over a decade, and in the last five years, their parents have been doing the same.
LGBTQ Jewish teens often have nowhere to turn for support, especially if they come from Orthodox or traditional backgrounds. JQY Teen Programming provides comprehensive social and support services for LGBTQ Jewish-identified teens, ages 13–20. Check out some of our programs below!