Jqy Inc

JQY SUPPORTS AND EMPOWERS LGBTQ YOUTH IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON THOSE FROM ORTHODOX, CHASSIDIC, AND SEPHARDI/MIZRAHI HOMES. JQY PROMOTES THE MENTAL HEALTH, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AND PHYSICAL SAFETY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. JQY ENVISIONS A WORLD IN WHICH NO YOUNG PERSON, REGARDLESS OF JEWISH DENOMINATION OR COMMUNITY, FEELS ALONE, OSTRACIZED, OR SHAMED BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. WE PROVIDE CRISIS INTERVENTION, SUPPORT SERVICES, AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, GUIDED BY THE CONVICTION THAT ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SHOULD NOT BE CONTINGENT UPON RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL BELIEFS. JQY HONORS THE JEWISH CONCEPT AND PHILOSOPHY OF EILU V'EILU (BOTH THESE AND THESE), ALLOWING US TO CREATE SAFE SPACES WHERE MULTIPLE TRUTHS ARE HELD AND VALUED; AT JQY, YOUTH DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN CONFLICTING IDENTITIES: THEIR WHOLE SELF BELONGS.

JQY'S IN-PERSON DROP-IN CENTERS ARE OUR HALLMARK PROGRAMS PROVIDING WEEKLY SAFE SPACES FOR LGBTQ YOUTH AGES 13-23. THE DROP-IN CENTER IS A PLACE WHERE QUEER TEENS FROM ORTHODOX HOMES CAN ACCESS SPECIALLY TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS, GROUP SUPPORT, HEALTH AND SAFETY RESOURCES, FRIENDSHIP AND COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES, AND FREE HOT KOSHER MEALS. THEY ARE LOCAL, COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS THAT SERVE TEENS WHO ARE MOSTLY NOT OUT TO THEIR PARENTS AND CONSEQUENTLY, CAN NOT TRAVEL FAR. PRIOR TO MARCH 2020, JQY RAN DROP-IN CENTERS IN MANHATTAN, LONG ISLAND, AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING A NEW BRANCH IN NEW JERSEY. WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, ALL IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING CAME TO A HALT AND WE WERE TASKED WITH TRANSFORMING THE DROP-IN CENTER FROM IN-PERSON TO VIRTUAL PLATFORMS. NOW, WE RUN ONE WEEKLY DROP-IN CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY AND ONE WEEKLY DROP-IN CENTER VIRTUALLY WHICH IS ATTENDED BY PARTICIPANTS AROUND THE WORLD. WHILE THIS POPULATION OF JEWISH YOUTH REMAINS HIGHLY VULNERABLE, WE ARE SEEING ADVANCES IN RESILIENCE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SELF-CARE. "WELL-BEING" LEVELS OF EACH DROP-IN PARTICIPANT ARE SELF-REPORTED AT SIGN-IN, AND WE HAVE FOUND A CONSISTENT INCREASE IN SCORES AMONG MEMBERS WHO ATTEND JQY PROGRAMMING CONTINUALLY. TRENDS INCLUDE AN UPSWING OF TEENS WHO HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM A SELF-REPORTED STATE OF "CRISIS" TO ONE OF "THRIVING." THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 500 INDIVIDUAL DROP-IN CLIENTS AND OVER 1,000 INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ACCESSED OUR HOPE LINE, CRISIS COUNSELING, AND VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUPS.

THE ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS PROGRAM INCLUDES OUR EDUCATIONAL TRAININGS, ADVOCACY WORK, AND INITIATIVES THAT AIM TO RAISE AWARENESS. MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WORKING IN ORTHODOX ENVIRONMENTS OFTEN FEEL THAT THE PRACTICES TAUGHT IN LGBTQ SAFE-SPACE TRAININGS CANNOT BE EASILY INCORPORATED INTO THEIR ORTHODOX INSTITUTIONS. AT JQY, WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN THE ORTHODOX COMMUNITY TO TAKE PART IN TRAININGS THAT ARE TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO ORTHODOX COMMUNITIES. TO THIS END, JQY PROVIDES ORTHODOX CULTURALLY COMPETENT LGBTQ SENSITIVITY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES DESIGNED IN COLLABORATION WITH ORTHODOX RABBIS, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND COUNSELORS WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH LGBTQ YOUTH IN THE ORTHODOX COMMUNITY.

JQYU (JQY UNIVERSITY) IS A CROSS-CAMPUS NETWORK FOR LGBTQ JEWISH COLLEGE STUDENTS. JQYU SERVES AS AN UMBRELLA COMMUNITY FOR QUEER JEWISH CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS QUEER JEWISH INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS. JQYU HAS DEVELOPED FORMAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH HILLEL'S AT COLUMBIA-BARNARD, QUEENS COLLEGE, AND NYU. IN 2019-202O WE ORGANIZED IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING ON ALL 3 CAMPUSES. ADDITIONALLY, JQYU HAS FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YESHIVA UNIVERSITY PRIDE ALLIANCE AND HAS BEEN COLLABORATING WITH THEM ON EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THROUGH JQYU, QUEER JEWISH COLLEGE STUDENTS CAN ALSO RECEIVE FUNDING FOR QUEER/JEWISH EVENTS THEY ARE SPEARHEADING, SHARE UPCOMING QUEER/JEWISH COLLEGE EVENTS SO OTHER JQY COLLEGE STUDENTS CAN ATTEND, AND APPLY FOR THE JQYU GESHER FELLOWSHIP - A FELLOWSHIP IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS ARE INTRODUCED TO ALL THAT NEW YORK HAS TO OFFER AND ARE EMPOWERED TO USE THESE EXPERIENCES TO BUILD 'BRIDGES' BETWEEN THEIR QUEER JEWISH CAMPUS COMMUNITIES.

OTHER PROGRAMS INLCUDE A CRISIS LINE, COMMUNITY CULTIVATION PROGRAMMING, AND AFFINITY GROUP PROGRAMS.