In conversations about diversity within the LGBT community in general, and within Gaylesta in particular, the unique needs and concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jews is often ignored, overlooked or forgotten.

LGBT Jews often face a dilemma, as do people of color, where they might feel they have to choose between a queer agency that doesn't directly address their cultural/spiritual needs as Jews, or a Jewish agency which doesn't offer specific queer-sensitive services. Although there may be Jewish therapists on staff at an agency, this does not mean that staff members are familiar with the unique mental health, spiritual, ethnic and cultural issues which affect the lives of LGBT Jews. Moreover, for LGBT Jews of color (Sephardic, Mizrachi, and multiracial or biracial Jews) the isolation can feel even greater.

Fortunately, here in the Bay area there is a new program available through Jewish Family and Children's Services of San Francisco (JFCS) that offers a wide variety of services and programs for the LGBT community, as well as educational programming and training for Bay Area community groups and organizations.

The LGBT Family Services at JFCS offers individual and couples therapy, and a number of groups and workshops, such as a coming out group for adults who have questions about their sexual orientation. JFCS is also starting a new group entitled "Making Relationships Work," which offers same-gender and queer-identified couples a space to discuss issues such as dealing with challenging families, living together, commitment ceremonies and monogamy. This group, although open to couples of all faiths, will be facilitated by a therapist who is particularly sensitive to the unique needs of LGBT Jews as well as interfaith queer couples. There is a support group for parents and family members of LGBT Jews, and an interfaith program which provides psychotherapy and support to mixed faith couples, including LGBT couples and interracial couples. Jewish parents and family members may have particular feelings, concerns and reactions to their children's coming out or exploring queer identity that conflict with their religious or cultural beliefs.

Support for LGBT families and their children is provided by JFCS' Parents Place Family Resource Center, where workshops are offered on topics such as talking to your kids about sexual orientation. There is also JFCS' Adoption Connection that helps LGBT couples and individuals adopt babies in a bias-free environment. The Adoption Connection staff has been trained on LGBT adoption issues and has successfully facilitated countless LGBT adoptions. Through JFCS' Seniors At Home division, LGBT seniors have access to a wide range of services, provided by a staff that is trained and sensitive to LGBT issues. Finally, in JFCS's Emigré program, bilingual services are available for GLBT Jews from the former Soviet Union and their families.

For more information, please call Margaret Rothman, Coordinator of the LGBT Family Services at JFCS @ (415) 449-1228, or email her at MargaretR@jfcs.org. You can also visit their website at: www.jfcs.org.

Even among the mainstream mental health organizations, the only Jewish-specific caucus with which I'm familiar is the Jewish Women's Caucus of the Association of Women in Psychology. Gaylesta member Susie Kisber, PhD, is the Caucus Coordinator for 2001-2002. The Jewish Women's Caucus (JWC) was formed in 1989 at an annual AWP Conference, where a group of Jewish AWP members met informally to discuss the fact that the issues affecting Jewish women were not being addressed at AWP or at other professional mental health gatherings. Since then, the Caucus has sponsored a Pre-conference Gathering for Jewish Feminists, a Friday Evening Celebration and workshops at each AWP Conference; and, in 1992, the First International Conference on Judaism, Feminism and Psychology: Creating a Shelter in the Wilderness.

The AWP Jewish Women's Caucus addresses issues within AWP, as well as larger community issues such as how Jewish women, including lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jewish women, claim their identities, grapple with visibility and invisibility, with anti-Semitism and homophobia, and with the range of differences among Jewish women. The AWP Jewish Women's Caucus also strives to encourage and support members to integrate their identities as Jews, feminists, and mental health professionals; to educate and raise awareness of Jewish women's issues among mental health practitioners, counselors, academics and community workers. The Caucus is also committed to examining with feminist consciousness the realities of Jewish women in a predominately male-centered, homophobic and non-Jewish world, to celebrating the strengths and diversity of all Jewish women, build bridges of understanding and raise awareness of Jewish women's issues within the Jewish community, and to building alliances with other oppressed groups. You can view their website at http://www.awpsych.org/content/jwc.html, or call Susie Kisber, PhD., JWC coordinator at 415.789.8337. Susie has a private practice in San Francisco and in Berkeley.

Perhaps in the future Gaylesta will offer a continuing education workshop for members about LGBT Jews, which would hopefully provide an opportunity for greater awareness, understanding, and clinical sensitivity among clinicians. If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to call me at (415) 566-2183.

Thanks to Margaret Rothman of JFCS and Susie Kisber of AWP for help with this article.