“On November 5, 2018, Keshet Germany was founded in Berlin to represent queer-Jewish interests in Germany. Monty Ott, Dalia Grinfeld and Leo Schapiro were elected as directors.
Keshet Germany is the only queer-Jewish institution in Germany. German Jewish communities so far did not provide any activities for queer Jews. Neither did the umbrella Organisation of all German Communities (Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland) ever explicitly welcome queer Jewish life. Among the members of the communities (who are mostly of Russian decent) queer Jewish life is treated as huge tabu or is being discriminated. Therefore, many queer Jews in Germany have left the communities or hide their sexual identity.
Keshet Germany aims to change this situation! Our goal is to connect queer Jews all over Germany, to empower them and to make queer Jewish life visible within the established communities. We will provide religious events such as Queer & Ally Shabbatot, Seder etc. in the institutions of the communities and aim to make queer topics an important aspect on youth activities which are organised by the communities. Also, we will organise seminars and panels for queer and non-queer Jews to provide information about queer Jewish life.
After our foundation, we received amazing acclaim by many queer but also non-queer people. Our events so far were packed with more than 50 people. Also, Jewish and non-Jewish media reported about us several times.
We will pursue our mission to make queer Jewish life natural in Germany. No German Jew should ever again have to decide between his/her Jewish and queer identity.”