Insider Report JUNE
2024
Grantee Spotlight jkidpride is a program of the Jewish Learning Venture (JLV), which is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Run by JLV’s jkidphilly program, jkidpride creates safe spaces for Jewish children and their parents to interact with queer culture and express their identities without fear of being persecuted. The initiative hosts informal gatherings, educational programming and holiday celebrations, where LGBTQ+ Jews have the space to build relationships with one another. Programs run the gamut from simple playground meetups to family paint afternoons with guest artists, LGBTQ+ Tween Game Nights, and their annual Lag B’Omer Drag Queen Storytime and S’mores. In FY23, the Jewish Federation granted $758,201 to JLV’s various programs focused on inclusion. A portion of this funding supported jkidpride’s operations and its ability to hire Robin Matthews as the director, who has led the initiative since its inception. Through supporting initiatives like jkidphilly, the Jewish Federation works to solidify creating diverse and welcoming Jewish spaces.
The funding from the Jewish Federation dedicated specifically to reach underserved populations has been vital. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to grow our community so significantly and offer as many programming opportunities.” jkidpride Director Robin Matthews
INSIDER REPORT
JUNE
2024