The document describes a subsidized scholarship program from the LGBT Alliance and Jewish Community Federation to support LGBT Jews in the Bay Area. The program aims to address both universal Jewish issues and unique challenges faced by LGBT Jews. It provides scholarships for individuals and families to attend weekend programs focused on Jewish culture, spirituality, and community. The 2010-2011 recipients include conferences on food, spirituality retreats, a family camp, and a grief program. The goal is to engage LGBT Jews and reduce economic barriers to participation.

1. Subsidized
Scholarship
Program
2010
This subsidized scholarship program supported by the LGBT Alliance 2010-2011
grant with the Jewish Community Federation seeks to address two spheres of
influence on engagement: those in which LGBT Jews are grappling with the same LGBT Alliance
issues as the broader community, but also those that constitute unique and
specific challenges for LGBT identified Jews.

2. OVERVIEW
Out of the principles of tikkun olam, to repair the world, b'tzelem elochem, we are all created in the image of the
divine and tzedek, justice, the LGBT Alliance hopes to inspire engagement amongst LGBT Jewish individuals and
families within the greater Bay Area Jewish community. The LGBT Alliance has worked over the past few years to
understand the needs of the Bay Area individuals and families that dual-identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender (LGBT) and Jewish. We now have a qualitative-based understanding that a lack of engagement with
the organized Jewish community does not mean lack of deep Jewish identity. Bay Area LGBT Jews want to, and
often do, incorporate aspects of their Jewish identities and Jewish culture into their lives, outside and beyond
synagogue life. Additionally, having a strong Jewish identity does not necessarily translate into mainstream Jewish
community engagement. It is through this deeper understanding and complexity of LGBT Jewish identity that we
introduce our LGBT subsidized scholarship program for individuals and families. To learn more of what we have
learned and how we are implementing our learning please visit our website at www.qjew.org
POPULATION SERVED
We understand that the Bay Area is home to the third largest metropolitan Jewish community in the United States
as well as the largest LGBT population. From multiple population findings, the LGBT Alliance estimates that the
Bay Area LGBT Jewish community population, dispersed across the Bay Area Jewish Community Federations'
service areas that includes San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa
Counties, is likely around 36,000 people or an estimated 8% to 11% of the total local Jewish population. Statistics
from the 2004 Bay Area Jewish Community Study indicate that a third of LGBT households are low-income and that
LGBT Jews are the poorest subgroup (or are more likely to experience poverty) than any other Jewish subgroup in
the Bay Area Jewish Community. The current economic recession continues to hit low-income individuals and
families the hardest and as President Barak Obama in his January 27, 2010 State of the Union address said, "For
those that have known poverty, they feel it that much more now.” It is for these LGBT Jewish individuals and
families that we have created this subsidized scholarship program to level any economic barriers between them
and their ability to participate in several of our Bay Area Jewish communities’ weekend Shabbaton(s) for
individuals and families.
BARRIERS TO ENGAGEMENT
In some ways, Bay Area LGBT Jews are a microcosm of the larger Jewish community. Yet in addition to economic
barriers, LGBT Jews experience additional barricades to engagement outside of this microcosm of the larger Jewish
community. Yes, the majority of the Bay Area's Jewish organizations are at least open to the welcoming of LGBT
people but only a minority of the Bay Area's Jewish organizations are characterized as pro-actively and
systematically inclusive in terms of the policies, practices, and programs that signal greater LGBT participation. We
understand that among the estimated 36,000 LGBT Jews residing in the Bay Area our younger generations
participate and affiliate less than our older generations; many of us are in interfaith relationships; we comprise an
economically diverse group; and we have a wide-ranging diversity of opinions about and sense of connection with
Israel. Additionally, some of the universal identity issues that Jews experience amplify in our sub-communities
based on the multiple levels of barriers to break down before we get to questions of involvement or engagement.
2 LGBT Alliance Subsidized Scholarship Program | Jewish Community Federation

3. LGBT NORMATIVE GROUPS
While the majority of the Bay Area's Jewish organizations are at least open to the welcoming of LGBT people the
organizations that have been chosen to participate in the LGBT Alliance annually subsidized scholarships have each
demonstrated the knowledge and ability to address, rather than dismiss, a number of issues that are unique to our
LGBT community. The staff and board of each of the organizations chosen have each demonstrated that their Bay
Area's Jewish organizations can be characterized as pro-actively and systematically inclusive in terms of the
policies, practices, and programs that signal greater LGBT participation. These Jewish organizations are what we
colloquially term as LGBT normative because among other things, core concepts of sexual orientation, gender
identity and family that are squarely outside of “the mainstream” are addressed in a way that parallels a similar
experience within a LGBT-mission-based organization.
PARTICIPATION & FEDERATION ATTRIBUTION
To ensure maximum LGBT Jewish participation in these scholarships it is not only the community organizing and
viral marketing responsibility of the LGBT Alliance but the community groups chosen to participate as well. To
ensure diversified outreach strategies are utilized outreach is addressed via conversation during the community
organizations selection process. As the LGBT Alliance is an internal and granted program of the Jewish Community
Federation each of our participating organizations are required to attribute the LGBT Alliance of the Jewish
Community Federation in marketing materials for the specific weekend Shabbaton(s) sponsored. One example of
successful attribution is with the 2009 Hazon Food Conference. In addition to the LGBT Alliance banner hanging in
the main eating area and logo listed as a sponsor on their website- the 6 lay leaders that attended via LGBT
Alliance subsidized scholarship funds were responsible for coming up with the idea and then implementing a first-
night mixer to get to know the other LGBT Jews that attended the conference. It was a marked success with 40
LGBT Jews participating in the mixer.
SELECTION PROCESS
Each of the selected organizations and programs receiving our LGBT Alliance subsidized scholarship funds have
demonstrated a deeper understanding as well as their intentions, implementation and abilities to celebrate, affirm
and welcome the unique distinctions that Bay Area LGBT Jews need to witness and experience outwardly in order
to participate. Through a dynamic conversation and process, each organizational group identifies a unique way
that mutual-attribution can be found that works for their program and the LGBT Alliance. Aimed at confidentially,
efficiency and trust the LGBT Alliance staff is responsible for choosing the organizational recipients of the LGBT
Alliance subsidized scholarship funds but not for the choices of individuals that each of the Bay Area Jewish
organizations chooses to participate in each of these specific weekend Shabbaton(s) programs. Therefore, all
applications for these dollars go directly to the organization and NOT the LGBT Alliance.
3 LGBT Alliance Subsidized Scholarship Program | Jewish Community Federation

4. 2010-2011 SUBSIDIZED SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
1. The Hazon Food Conference is a unique annual gathering held over each Christmas holiday bringing
together 200+ foodies to connect, collaborate, and continue to build the New Jewish Food Movement.
The conference is shifting from a national focus to a regional focus and located at the Walker Creek Ranch
on the edge of Sonoma in Marin County. The LGBT Alliance is set to sponsor 6 attendees (each of these
Hazon-selected grantees will work collaboratively to host a lunch table to share information about the
LGBT Alliance and discuss being involved as an LGBT Jew within the new Jewish food movement.
http://www.hazon.org/go.php?q=/food/conference/2010FLF/theHazonFoodConference.html
Agreed upon contribution $2,000
2. Nehirim West in conjunction with Nehirim Queer San Francisco Shabbaton held each spring is Nehirim
West, a weekend of community building, spirituality, culture, relaxation and fun for GLBT Jews, partners,
and allies located at Walker Creek Ranch. This next year, Nehirim also plans to have an additional Urban
Shabbaton in February.
http://www.nehirim.org/west
The agreed upon contribution dollars dispersed amongst both programs have not yet been set.
3. Camp Tawonga's Keshet LGBT Family Weekend Camp An annual weekend located at Camp Tawonga that
provides a strong community for LGBTQ parents and their children to learn, explore, and play in the
beauty of the Sierra Mountains
http://www.tawonga.org/weekend-programs/keshet.php
Agreed upon contribution is not yet set.
4. Bay Area Jewish Healing Center's Grief and Growing Weekend An annual healing weekend for bereaved
individuals and families located traditionally at Camp Tawonga yet it may for the second year be held at
Camp Newman
http://www.jewishhealingcenter.org/griefandgrowingfaqs.htm
Agreed upon contribution set at $2,000.
STRATEGY ALIGNMENT
This subsidized scholarship program supported by the LGBT Alliance 2010-2011 grant with the Jewish Community
Federation seeks to address two spheres of influence on engagement: those in which LGBT Jews are grappling with
the same issues as the broader community, but also those that constitute unique and specific challenges for LGBT
identified Jews. As 2010 is ending and 2011 is just about to begin, the LGBT Alliance continues to experience an
increase in demand for subsidized programs in the Jewish community. Engaging LGBT Jews with Jewish life via
avenues of spiritual care and leadership development at this increasingly difficult economic time is an essential
piece of our overall LGBT Alliance strategy. This strategy outlined in our LGBT Alliance 2010-2011 grant with the
Jewish Community Federation divides resources in the following five areas: Building Community Partnerships
(15%), Developing Leadership (35%), Fostering Engagement with Israel (15%), Enhancing Online Content and
Access to Resources (20%) and Cultivating Giving (15%).
4 LGBT Alliance Subsidized Scholarship Program | Jewish Community Federation