Project Kesher Israel Hosts Pride-Themed Kabbalat Shabbat

Project Kesher Israel partnered with the Russian-speaking Reform congregation Shirat HaGan and the Ramat Gan Municipality to host what was likely Israel's first Pride-themed Kabbalat Shabbat, bringing together Russian-speaking LGBTQ+ immigrants, refugees, and members of a liberal Jewish congregation for an evening of prayer, learning, and community.

The program featured a discussion on Judaism and LGBTQ+ inclusion led by Rabbi Olya Weinstein, Anna Talisman, MSW, and rabbinical student Michal Kireeva, followed by a traditional Kabbalat Shabbat service that incorporated themes of Pride and belonging. For many participants—some entering a synagogue for the first time after growing up in environments where religion was associated with rejection—the evening offered a transformative experience of Jewish inclusion.

One of the most moving moments came when Rabbi Olya invited those who had found, or were still seeking, the courage to live authentically to gather beneath a shared tallit for a special Mi Sheberach blessing. So many people stepped forward that there was not enough room beneath the tallit to hold everyone. As one participant reflected, “This Kabbalat Shabbat meant more to me than Pride itself, because here I truly felt accepted.”