– Congregation Shaarai Shomayim collaborates with Keshet, the primary organization for the LGBTQ+ Jewish community and allies.
– We have done an annual Pride Shabbat service during Pride month, which celebrates queerness in Jewish tradition.
– We display a pride flag in our sanctuary and outside our building each pride month.
– We strive to listen and learn from the LGBTQ+ members of our congregation as much as possible to create an inclusive place of worship. This is an continuous, open dialogue and we are always learning.
– We celebrate Bar and Bat Mitzvahs as an important lifecycle moment for our youth. When a nonbinary congregant was to take part in this tradition, we collaborated to create a gender-inclusive service – a “”Kabbalat Mitzvah”” (meaning “”Acceptance of the commandments””) and educated congregants on the significance of this.
– Our Women’s Auxiliary, formerly called Sisterhood, was rebranded as Women+ of Shaarai Shomayim, updating to be fully inclusive of trans and nonbinary folks.
– Our facilities have 2 all-gender restrooms with explanatory signage (provided by Keshet).
– We are glad to take part in Lancaster and Lititz Pride each year to bring our faith community together with the greater LGBTQ+ community in Lancaster County.
