By Jaimie H. Krass in Newton, Massachusetts
As a high school student in Florida, I spent much of my time challenging administrators and founding my school’s Gay Straight Alliance. Safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students and allies were few and far between then, and they are far from guaranteed now. Yet many Jewish institutions across the country have embraced a clear charge: to cultivate communities where young LGBTQ+ people feel seen and safe. The 2005 film Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School played a significant role in creating that reality.
Produced by Idit Klein, founding President & CEO of Keshet, and directed by Irena Fayngold, the film, (here presented as a series of short subjects) sparked hundreds of screenings nationwide, reached thousands of Jewish educators and leaders, and reshaped conversations about LGBTQ+ belonging in Jewish life. Hineini’s ripple effects are innumerable.
Jaimie Krass, Idit Klein, Liana Galper, and Dr. Susie Tanchel at the 20th anniversary event
That impact was palpable at the film’s 20th anniversary celebration at Vilna Shul in Boston last month. Former students in the film, teachers, people who worked on the film, people who learned from it, all came together to rewatch and reflect. The stories and lessons they shared revealed a powerful legacy.
You too can mark this auspicious anniversary by watching the film—a moving story of belonging and persistence, of finding collaborators and strength along the way. It is truly a slice of history, of our history, within the canon of American Jewish life. And it still has so much to teach us in our current moment.
May we continue to heed its charge and build the Jewish community we all—especially young people—need.
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Jaimie H. Krass is President & CEO of Keshet.