Sojourn: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity

Sojourn: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity Born & raised at the intersection of LGBTQ+, Jewish, and Southern communities, SOJOURN is the premier resource for education, outreach, and advocacy.

The Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity (SOJOURN) promotes increased understanding, acceptance, and inclusion of individuals across the entire spectrum of gender and sexual orientation in the Southeast through education, outreach, and advocacy, inspired by Jewish and universal ethics and ideals.

Every year, SOJOURN coordinates the Jewish community’s presence in Atlanta Pride. This year’s festivities are scheduled ...
08/31/2026

Every year, SOJOURN coordinates the Jewish community’s presence in Atlanta Pride. This year’s festivities are scheduled for October 9-11, and we’re thrilled to return to a full weekend of Jewish and LGBTQ+ connection and excitement!

Atlanta Pride weekend with SOJOURN will include:
-Atlanta-wide Interfaith Pride Shabbat Friday, October 9, where you can join us for a joyful and supportive Shabbat evening service, alongside interfaith partners, to ground us before a busy Pride weekend.
-Our Jewish community booth at the Atlanta Pride Festival, Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11
-Marching with the Jewish Community in the Atlanta Pride Parade, Sunday, October 11

Visit www.sojourngsd.org/atlanta-pride-2026 for more info on how your Jewish community can participate!

You are invited to join SOJOURN for a virtual candle lighting in support of our Lighting the Way Annual Campaign TONIGHT...
08/30/2026

You are invited to join SOJOURN for a virtual candle lighting in support of our Lighting the Way Annual Campaign TONIGHT, August 30, from 6:00–7:00 p.m. ET. At this brief and meaningful virtual event, we will recognize the challenges that we currently face, highlight the ways that SOJOURN is addressing the needs of the community, share some special announcements, and invite you to get involved!

Together, we'll light candles across our communities as a visible reminder that even small lights become brighter when we shine together.

Register at bit.ly/SOJOURNCandleLighting!

This Shabbat, we say Mourner's Kaddish for two icons whose work was incredibly important to the q***r community and to u...
08/28/2026

This Shabbat, we say Mourner's Kaddish for two icons whose work was incredibly important to the q***r community and to us here at SOJOURN: Dolly Parton and Tim Curry.

Dolly Parton was an incredibly talented Southern star, whose support for the LGBTQ+ community was unwavering and whose monumental generosity improved the lives of millions. Jewish communities today have theorized that Dolly was one of our era's 36 tzaddikim - truly righteous people whose acts of goodness justify the purpose of humanity in the eyes of G-d.

Tim Curry's role as Dr. Frank-n-Furter in Rocky Horror impacted generations of q***r people through humor, unapologetic sexuality, and insistence upon being yourself and following your dreams.

SOJOURN has paid tribute to both Dolly and Tim at Purim Off Ponce, our annual gala and fundraiser, over the years - these photos are from POP 2019 and POP 2021.

We hope that you're inspired by the spirit of these two icons to have a Shabbat full of joyful memories, unabashed self-expression, and generous care for your communities.

Image descriptions: Image 1 is a graphic with a pink background and white text that reads "This Shabbat, we say Mourner's Kaddish for Dolly Parton and Tim Curry," above a photo of Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-n-Furter wearing fishnets, a sparkly corseted top, a large pearl necklace, and a full face of makeup, and a photo of Dolly Parton dressed in a white rhinestoned outfit and holding a matching guitar. Image 2 is a collage with 2 photos of Rebecca (and friends) as Dolly from POP 2019, and 2 photos of the Rocky Horror performance from POP 2021.

Today, August 26, is National Dog Day! It's no secret that SOJOURN has a staff of dog lovers - they provide so much conn...
08/26/2026

Today, August 26, is National Dog Day!

It's no secret that SOJOURN has a staff of dog lovers - they provide so much connection & joy to sustain us through the work we do. Check out some of the SOJOURN staff's beloved dogs, and tell us about the pups in your life in the comments!

You are invited to join SOJOURN for a virtual candle lighting in support of our Lighting the Way Annual Campaign on Sund...
08/26/2026

You are invited to join SOJOURN for a virtual candle lighting in support of our Lighting the Way Annual Campaign on Sunday, August 30, from 6:00–7:00 p.m. ET.

At this brief and meaningful virtual event, we will recognize the challenges that we currently face, highlight the ways that SOJOURN is addressing the needs of the community, share some special announcements, and invite you to get involved! Together, we'll light candles across our communities as a visible reminder that even small lights become brighter when we shine together.

Register at bit.ly/SOJOURNCandleLighting!

For today's tidbit of Q***r Judaism, we wanted to share a segment of "A Blessing Before a D**e March" by Anastasia bat L...
08/25/2026

For today's tidbit of Q***r Judaism, we wanted to share a segment of "A Blessing Before a D**e March" by Anastasia bat Lilith, accessed via Open Siddur Project.

This poem / blessing was written for the 2026 Pittsburgh D**e March, and ends with a Hebrew blessing for Le***an Pride written by Rabbi Robin Podolsky and published in "Mishkan Ga’avah Where Pride Dwells."

"We march for solidarity, to pray with our feet, and put commitments to action.
We march for our ancestors, finding joy in the world they bled for.
We march not merely as friends, but lovers.
Where do we belong, love?
WE BELONG TO THE FUTURE!
בְּרוּכָה אַתְ יָהּ
אוֹהֶבֶת הָעוֹלָם
הַלֵב הַפּוֹעֵם שֶׁל כֹּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת
בּוֹרֵאת צְחוֹקָן שֶׁל כַּלּוֹת
וּשְׂשׂוֹנָן שֶׁל שֻׁתָפוֹת לְמַאֲבָק
Blessed are You, Yah,
Lover of the universe,
Heartbeat of the worlds,
who has made the laughter of brides
and the joy of comrades.

You can read the full text of the prayer here: https://opensiddur.org/prayers/collective-welfare/shalom/blessing-before-a-dyke-march-by-anastasia-bat-lilith/

Image description: A graphic with a photo background of people marching in the street; the two people closest to the camera have a rainbow Pride flag and a le***an Pride flag draped across their shoulders. The prayer in the caption is typed over the photo in black text with alternating orange and pink highlights.

Shabbat Shalom, SOJOURN community! Let your light shine bright! (Photo of The Read Twinz from our Lighting the Way fundr...
08/21/2026

Shabbat Shalom, SOJOURN community! Let your light shine bright!

(Photo of The Read Twinz from our Lighting the Way fundraising event this past weekend! You can donate to the campaign at https://givebutter.com/c/LTWAC26.)

It's , a series where we explore the intersections of Jewish and LGBTQ+ history - and it's also Transgender History Mon...
08/21/2026

It's , a series where we explore the intersections of Jewish and LGBTQ+ history - and it's also Transgender History Month! Started in 2023 in San Francisco, Transgender History Month uses the month of August to honor the rich history and contributions of transgender historymakers, pioneers, trailblazers and affirms the ongoing presence of transgender people.

Today, we're highlighting iconic trans Jewish activist, writer, playwright, actor, performance artist, and visual artist Kate Bornstein, who started identifying as gender non-conforming in 1986.

She self-identifies as a "gender outlaw", which is also the title of their first book, published in 1994.

In 2019, Kate wrote, "I’m proud to be a loving auntie and granny to thousands of nonbinary people around the world. That’s a whole lot of nothing going on, and it makes me positively giddy to think what that might mean for the future."

Today, August 20, is Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. was founded by Southern AIDS Coalition in 2019 to bring attentio...
08/20/2026

Today, August 20, is Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. was founded by Southern AIDS Coalition in 2019 to bring attention to the disproportionate impact of HIV on Southern states. Ending the criminalization of HIV and advocating for adequate healthcare infrastructure in the South is an issue of racial justice, LGBTQ+ justice, and is in line with our Jewish values of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and b'tzelem elohim (each individual is made in the image of the Divine).

Image descriptions: Image 1 is a graphic that reads "Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day" in navy blue and red text, underneath a map of the Southern states with a swooping red ribbon over them. Images 2 and 3 have a photo of a red ribbon as the background, and contain black text. The text on image 2 reads, "'The historical context of healthcare systems and redlining in Black communities drive the HIV epidemic in the South....We need better jobs, better access, and more funding in communities that are disproportionately impacted – not just in the large cities, but also in rural towns.' -Mardrequs Harris, Southern AIDS Coalition." The text on image 3 reads, "'Together, students and parents learned about the Jewish values of saving a life (and sometimes you have to save your own life); of all Jews being responsible for each other, often known as “I am my brother’s keeper”; of visiting the sick without concern for the cause of their sickness; and the idea that all human beings are created in the image of the Holy One and are therefore equally sacred, combatting stigma head-on.' -Gail Broder, “Connecting My Faith and HIV/AIDS."

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1530 Dekalb Avenue, Suite A
Atlanta, GA
30307

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+14042754637

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