Student Programming

About Nehirim’s Student Programming

Nehirim (“Lights”) builds authentic spiritual and cultural community for Jewish members of sexual and gender minorities. Founded in 2004, we have brought over 1,000 GLBT?Jews, partners, and allies to retreats, shabbatonim and other programs — among them over 200 college and graduate students. Nehirim is is the national leader in GLBT Jewish cultural and spiritual programming. Our faculty includes Rabbis Steve Greenberg, Jill Hammer, Dawn Rose, Joel Alter, and Jacob Staub — representing all the major movements. Whether on a retreat or on campus, Nehirim creates transformative spaces that change lives. Through this work, we welcome GLBT Jews into the Jewish community, and in turn, build a more diverse and inclusive Jewish community by incorporating the gifts of GLBT people. Nehirim is an intergenerational community, with attendees ranging in age from 18 to 70. Student programming has always been a top priority for us. First, at our retreats, we have special student programming, generous financial aid, and a close partnership with NUJLS, the National Union of Jewish LGBTIQQ Students. Second, off retreat, we have an active “Nehirim on Campus” program which brings Nehirim programming and teachers to college campuses.

Students @ Nehirim Retreats

Nehirim retreats are amazing community-building events featuring authentic Jewish spirituality, diverse community, and networking with GLBT Jews across the country. Our students come to Nehirim retreats for different reasons, some for community, others for spirituality, others simply tocelebrate being Jewish and Queer. We offer a safe space for students to explore how they want their spiritual and sexual/gender identity worlds to interact, and what kind of Jewish world they want to live in. Nehirim students span the spectrum of religious denomination and observance, as well as sexual orientation and gender identification. At retreats, students are invited to fully participate in a cross-generational community, and also enjoy a “students-only” meal and workshops that are geared towards issues that Jewish LGBTQ students are facing.Our Queer Shabbaton retreats are specially designed for participants in their 20s and 30s, and our upcoming Queer Shabbaton is officially cosponsored by NUJLS. Last year, we had 30 students attend, out of a total of 140 participants. At our Nehirim West and Nehirim East retreats, we usually have between 15 and 30 students.

Student Testimonials

Here’s how students have described our retreats… “…a weekend where I could connect my Jewish mind and body, where I could find a community of like-minded gay AND spiritual journeyers where I could simply feel an authentic part of a vibrant community For me the Nehirim Shabbaton was only the beginning….I’m already counting the days until the next Nehirim event, hoping for an even more spiritual (and perhaps scenic) landscape.”

“…an excellent chance to meet people genuinely committed to Judaism, who also share a queer orientation with me. At other Jewish LGBT events, the emphasis is on the sexual orientation side, with much matchmaking and socializing going on. Nehirim on the other hand is much more content oriented and focuses on Judaism, which is beautiful and perfect for me because my religious beliefs and spirituality are important to me, and I am so happy that I have found a queer framework where Judaism is important to everyone else as well.”

“…an opportunity to be surrounded by lots of cool queer Jewish types…and have that lovely feeling where everything feels so comfortable that you forget that such a configuration is unusual…..or hard to find. I also really enjoyed all the academic lectures - it was very cool to have an academic/political infusion to a weekend that in the past has been mostly spiritual/social. I appreciated having a mix of all four elements….”

“…a great opportunity to reconnect with friends, create new friendships, explore our journeys as LGBT Jews, and enter into a greater mindfulness through our learning and coming together in community. I appreciated the thoughtfulness that went into planning the weekend, ensuring that the array of activities and sessions reflected the diverse interests of our community.”

Student Scholarships

Thanks to the generous support of the Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Nehirim offers significant financial aid to its participants. Generally, we award ten full scholarships per retreat, and several partial scholarships as well. Recipients of student scholarships are expected to stay for the entire retreat, and donate four hours of work-study time. We strongly encourage students to apply early, as we have to turn away applicants every year, and financial aid is awarded on a rolling basis. For additional information and to apply online now, please click here.

Nehirim on Campus

Nehirim staff and faculty members are experienced educators who are available for campus visits. We offer:
- Traditional and alternative Shabbat services, Pride Night services, innovative ritual, and spiritual practice geared toward issues of sexuality, gender, and inclusivity.
- Workshops, classes and lectures on a range of subjects including Judaism and homosexuality, Lesbianism and halacha, Queer Jewish poetry, Kabbalah and gender, Sexuality in the Talmud, GLBT people in the Bible, and much more.
- Counseling, networking, skills acquisition, and mentoring for GLBT Jewish students.
These on-campus programs are available at a fraction of the cost of a traditional scholar in residence weekend. To learn more, email Engagement Associate Zvi Bellin at zvi[at]nehirim.org.

Contact Us
Our primary student contact is Nehirim’s Engagement Associate, Zvi Bellin, who can be reached at zvi[at]nehirim.org. For the last four years, Zvi has provided counseling, programming, and logistical support for students. Please get in touch!

You can also connect with Nehirim’s student network on Facebook; we hope you’ll join us.

We look forward to seeing you at a Nehirim event soon!