Atlanta Hosts Training Institute to make Jewish Schools
Safe and Supportive for Gay Lesbian Bisexual, and Transgender Students

ATLANTA, GA  -- The Rainbow Center of Jewish Family & Career Services has been selected to host the inaugural Hineini Education Project  National Training Institute, May 18-20.  More than 35 Jewish professionals from around the U.S. are expected to attend.

Organized by Keshet (Hebrew for “rainbow”), a Boston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to creating an inclusive Jewish community, the three day Institute will engage Jewish educators and Youth Professionals in initiatives to create stronger outreach and implementation plans for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Jews in their communities.

Sessions will address the specific needs of formal and informal educators, youth group and camp professionals, and those working in Conservative movement affiliated institutions.  A centerpiece of the Institute will be the acclaimed documentary, Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School. This inspiring story shows one student's courageous fight to establish a gay-straight alliance at a Jewish high school in the Boston area and the transformative impact it has on her entire community.

Rabbi Steven Greenberg, a Senior Teaching Fellow at CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, will lead a text study session. Rabbi Greenberg was featured in the groundbreaking 2001 film Trembling Before G-d, about Orthodox gay Jews, and is the author of the groundbreaking book Wrestling with God & Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition. 

Conference attendees will tour The Breman Jewish Heritage Museum where an exhibit on the historic lynching of Leo Frank is now on display. 

The Rainbow Center is managed by Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) and sponsored by Congregation Bet Haverim. It is an Atlanta based resource and support center for people of all ages and all religions.  The Rainbow Center provides educational resources and sensitivity to foster understanding, inclusion, and respect of GLBT and questioning people.   For more information visit The Rainbow Center website, www.TheRainbowCenter.org. For more information on Keshet, visit www.keshetonline.org.

The Rainbow Center Workshops

 Many local groups and organizations are hosting The Rainbow Center workshops for their members in the upcoming months. These groups include Georgia State University’s Communications Department, CrossRoads Hospice, Temple Sinai, the Tennessee Department of Juvenile Justice, the Atlanta Teachers’ Kallah, Ahavath Achim, and Galloway School.

The Rainbow Center offers workshops to address homophobia, heterosexism and many other important issues. Different workshops are available for all age groups and settings. If you are interested in have a workshop for your organization, please contact Rebecca Stapel-Wax at rwax@jfcs-atlanta.org.

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Major funding by Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta under the auspices of Jewish Family and Career Services and sponsored by Congregation Bet Haverim.