Virtual Resource Center - Hebrew Union College

The Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation is driven by Jewish religious values and the spiritual quest for holiness. With this foundation, and the knowledge that we are b'tzelem elohim, created in the image of God, we believe that these values call us to achieve complete inclusion, integration and equal standing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in our congregations and communities.

IJSO projects include:
	Consulting on inclusion to Jewish Communal organizations
	Sponsoring internships in LGBT synagogues
	Producing a quarterly interfaith discussion series, Out and Faithful: LGBT People, Faith and Religion with the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
	Co-editing with the Department of Family Concerns (URJ) the revision of a book called *Kulanu*: An LGBT Inclusion Guide for Congregations (for information, visit http://press.securesites.net/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi)
	Conducting research about welcoming practices in synagogues across the country with Jewish Mosaic and Synagogue 3000, with the support of Dr. Steven Cohen.

Feedback/Survey

Please let us know what you think! Click here to take our short online survey. You can also use the “Feedback” button at the top of the page, anytime you want, to send us an e-mail with your questions or suggestions.

Featured Resources

Click on an image below to open that resource

Welcoming Synagogues Research Project Preliminary Findings
The IJSO, in collaboration with Jewish Mosaic, recently conducted a survey of LGBT welcoming and inclusion practices in synagogues across the country in all denominations. 3200 synagogues were surveyed. Find out what synagogues think about their own welcoming practices.


	Created by the CCAR’s Working Group on Same Gender Officiation, these are the first official Same Gender Ceremonies for Reform Rabbis, with two models – a “Wedding” (Kiddushin) and “Affirmation” (Non-Kiddushin) union.

Welcome to the Jeff Herman Virtual Resource Center! The JHVRC was originally designed as a resource for our graduate students, faculty and alumni at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. We are pleased to announce that the JHVRC is now available to the public as well. Please register here or by clicking the “register” link at the top right corner of the page.