Hillel Helped Me Find My Niche — And Now I Help Others Find Theirs

When I was getting involved in Jewish life at a high school level, it took my mom’s coercion to get me to go to my first event. By the time I was touring colleges, I was visiting the Hillel (the Jewish org on campus) at every school -- I knew I’d want to be a...

What Everyone Should Know About My Experience at the National Museum of American Jewish History

For me, there were plenty of things to love about working at the National Museum of American Jewish History -- or NMAJH, as we called it. That is, besides the fact that the other interns and I had a groupchat called “Micki NMAJH,” (say it out loud and you’ll get it). Well, that and the...

Reading Torah Queerly: Does Judaism Allow it?

The spaces that queer people have carved for themselves in the Jewish community have become more and more developed in recent years. LGBTQ+ people have reread the Torah queerly, in ways that affirm their right to live as they choose. I’ve always thought this was admirable and necessary. But is it what the Torah calls...

How Being Jewish Helped Me Accept My Sexuality

I knew I was Jewish before I knew I was queer. However, I only really began to care about being Jewish around the time I realized I was queer. I accepted myself as a spiritual, Teva-wearing Jewish woman. And I also embraced the fact that I am a radical, rainbow-flag-waving queer woman. Both communities helped...

6 Queer Jewish Characters You Should Know

Whenever I see a queer, Jewish TV or movie character, I get unreasonably excited. And, luckily, that happens more often than it ever has before. According to GLAAD’s annual study of LGBTQ representation on television, as of 2017, 6.4% of characters on broadcast prime-time TV identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer. This may not...