Jewish Welcome Network:
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area

The Jewish Welcome Network provides outreach consultation and resources to synagogues, Jewish schools and agencies of all denominations and affiliations in the Bay Area. Our mission is to help organizations increase their welcome and engagement of interfaith families, the LGBT community, Jews of Color, and all those who are interested in exploring Judaism and Jewish culture.

The Jewish Welcome Network opened its doors in August 2003 as Project Welcome with the financial support of the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, with the Union for Reform Judaism as our first fiscal sponsor. From the beginning we have become known for our consultations and trainings for Jewish professionals and lay leaders and for the downloadable Welcoming Booklets and Guideline Booklets on our website. Our name is new, while our outreach mission continues to expand.

Welcoming Booklets serve multiple purposes. For individuals, they provide concise information about Jewish rituals, holidays and tradition. For synagogues, schools and agencies these same booklets can be displayed in lobbies where regulars and guests can pick them up or they can be handed out as part of a program or class.

To encourage and simplify the creation of plans and policies that welcome interfaith couples and new members, the Jewish Welcome Network has created Guideline Booklets that serve as samples for organizations eager to ensure that their policies communicate a warm welcome to interfaith families.

Karen Kushner, MSW
Executive Director
415.773.7716
Karenk@jewishwelcomenetwork.org