• Jewish Life
  • Diversity is a Strength

Sha’ar Zahav was founded decades ago as an LGBTQ congregation. As more San Francisco synagogues are welcoming of LGBTQ members, and many straight individuals and families have joined Sha’ar Zahav due to its welcoming reputation, the organization finds itself at a crossroads. This grant from the Fund supports the costs associated with undertaking a process of rethinking the congregation’s identity, balancing its LGBTQ persona with its values. Lessons learned from this process should prove useful to other LGBTQ synagogues nationally.