In the Jewish community and in the community discourse inclusion, integration, and the especially the topic of LGBTQ inclusion is hardly ever discussed. However, it would be important to discuss the issue as many LGBTQ Jews experience prejudice, the lack of acceptance, in certain cases even discrimination within the Jewish community.  

If we look around in the Jewish community, we can see a lot of people, who do not feel comfortable in synagogues, schools, as employees of a nonprofit organization or an institution only because their sexual orientation and/or their gender identity are different from those of the majority. Many of them – including the initiators of the forum – hope to change this.

We would like the Jewish community to be welcoming and open to all LGBTQ people who would like to join the community but are experiencing obstacles today. For this change we need the institutions, the religious communities, and the organizations. However, changes are always implemented by people. Therefore, we also need the formal and informal leaders of the community. And first and foremost, we need You and all the active influencers of the community, because this change could only take place if we individually take our share of responsibility.