Nehirim | Braving the Cold for an Amazing Experience

Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending the 2014 Nehirim Student Retreat, a national convention for the LGBTQ Jewish community. Due to the fact that I had little to no knowledge about the queer community, and that I had never been to Boston, I was exhilarated for this weekend.

Once we arrived at the Boston University Hillel on Friday night, I was awestruck. The building, along with the campus, was gorgeous, the students were enthusiastic, and the atmosphere was electric. Accustomed to our homey 2-story building with a familial ambiance and reform Friday night services, I was amazed by the elaborate 4-story structure, complete with reform, conservative, and orthodox service options, and a huge dining hall complete with a kosher meal plan for students at B.U.

At dinner, I sat with a table full of students from the east coast, and we shared stories about our campus clime, climate, and overall experience with retreats such as these. Some of the students were extremely surprised to hear that I was straight; how did I find myself here, at such a convention? I myself didn’t entirely know the answer yet; however, I had high hopes that I would take invaluable knowledge and experiences from the weekend to come.

After dinner, we immediately transitioned into our Mishpacha Groups – groups of 9 students that were able to reflect on the programs and shared experiences of the day. Throughout the course of the weekend, I came to know and love all of these students, and appreciate their willingness to share such emotional, motivational, and intimate information with the rest of the group.

Throughout the weekend, I was able to participate in various presentations and discussions, given by amazing leaders in both the Jewish and LGBTQ communities. My eyes were opened the values of morality in the Jewish world in respect to acceptance and inclusion of queer Jews, and how these students have been affected by not only their sexuality and gender identity, but the implications of their religion and spirituality in accordance with their individuality. I was amazed by the perseverance of these students, and all that they have been through to simply be at this conference alongside people just like themselves, being able to feel supported by their religion that sometimes does not accept them.

Among other amazing moments that I had at the convention, I loved hearing the stories of my new friends; what sect of Judaism they were raised in, whether or not they went to Jewish summer camp, how their identity helped them feel more connected or negative with their Jewish background, and how they incorporated Judaism currently. In addition, these individuals taught me strength, compassion, acceptance, and the ability to listen to a story before making assumptions or judgments. Everyone in this world is fighting their own battle, and you never truly know how remarkable a person is until you take the time to listen to their story.

Alongside the conference, I was able to see the beautiful city of Boston – perhaps it was the spectacle of the snow, or perhaps the colonial architecture, or even the fact that I was simply on the east coast, but I was smitten. I was able to see amazing sights such as Copley Square, the Boston Harbor, the North End (home to Mike’s Pastry – the best Cannoli I’ve ever had!), and most importantly, the people of Boston. And I even got to ride the T, the underground transportation system. Talk about feeling like a local!

I feel so happy and honored to have been able to have attended this conference, which would not have been possible with the hard work of Jeremy Ginsberg, the Vice President of Communications on our Hillel student board, as well as the President of Keshet (the queer Jewish student group on campus) and American Students for Israel (ASI). It was his dedication and perseverance that helped our group of 12 UCSB students make it to Boston in one piece, and get to have the weekend of a lifetime. I would not have traded this experience for the world, and I cannot wait to incorporate what I have learned into future programs at discussions at our home, Santa Barbara Hillel.