Militant Islam Monitor > Weblog > Jewish Federation Sponsors 'Youth Gender Transition Workshop' By 'Hebrew Priestess' 'Con'vert Harriette Wimms
Jewish Federation Sponsors 'Youth Gender Transition Workshop' By 'Hebrew Priestess' 'Con'vert Harriette Wimms
June 4, 2023
The 'Uber Woke' Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is partnering with the Kaiserman JCC,Keshet, Mazzoni Center and Moving Traditions to hold a workshop to promote youth gender transition entitled:"Building A Home In Our Minds:Embracing The Entire Family Through Gender Transition". The speaker is 'Kohenet' and' 'con'vert 'Harriette E. Wimms "a proud Black, Disabled, Queer, Fat, Jew by Choice," who was 'ordained' by the 'Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute'. "Kohenet is a training program, a sacred community, and a movement changing the paradigm of Jewish spiritual leadership." https://kohenet.org/
'Wimms also heads the 'Jews of Color Mispacha Project' which held a Shabbaton and 'yahrzeit' to commemorate George Floyd's death . "It was important to lift up the racial justice work that's being done across the country and to also lift up George Floyd's memory," said Wimms, who goes by "Harriette Mevakeshet" in Jewish spaces."https://www.jta.org/2021/05/12/united-states/first-national-shabbaton-conference-for-jews-of-color-to-mark-yahrzeit-for-george-floyd
In a 2020 letter to the editor in the Baltimore Jewish Times, Wimms (who deludes herself that she is Jewish) cries victimhood and is upset that the Jewish community, which BLM and attacks and targets for being Jewish and Zionist, has been 'doubly hurtful' to her (!).
"The response to the Black Lives Matter movement by some in the Jewish community – the claim that Black Lives Matter is anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist – is doubly hurtful to those Jews of Color who see themselves as written out of the Jewish community by those who fail to understand the reality of their lives."
https://www.jewishtimes.com/letters-to-the-editor-oct-30/
Keshet, a co sponsor of the 'gender transition event' encourages minors to adopt homosexual lifestyles and "holds retreats for LGBT and ally Jewish teens ages 13-18 to learn grow and celebrate who you are in a warm and vibrant community." https://www.keshetonline.org/shabbaton-retreats/
The Philadelphia based Mazzoni Center, which purports "To provide quality comprehensive health and wellness services in an LGBTQ-focused environment, while preserving the dignity and improving the quality of life of the individuals we serve." is another cosponsor of this event. https://www.mazzonicenter.org/about-us
The "Moving Traditions" organiziation, which like Keshet, uses the buzzword "Jewish Values" to promote their Woke agenda, is oblivious to the irony of making the delusional claim that there are "powerful forces" which blame "Jews or People of Color for eroding "traditional" family values." (!)
"Today's teens know all too well that there are powerful forces that seek to roll back the advances that have been made for women and LGBTQ folks. Those same forces often perpetuate antisemitism and racism, blaming Jews or People of Color for eroding "traditional" family values. Our programs support our teens in pushing back on these forces. As a result, our teens develop a proudly Jewish and feminist vision for justice and begin to explore the roles that they can play in advancing social change." https://www.movingtraditions.org/about/our-mission-and-strategy/
In a 2023 screed in the Jewish Exponent entitled "Stand With Transgender Jewish Teens" Kerrick Goodman - Lucker "a curriculum manager for Keshet and "transgender man" wrote:
"...I believe that a sacred vision sees and loves our trans teens in all their infinite potential.
Thankfully, scores of Jewish organizations — Federations, Jewish Community Relations Councils and individual synagogues — are working to support transgender teens in the face of these difficulties, participating in the Thrive Coalition, led by Keshet and Sojourn..."
https://www.jewishexponent.com/stand-with-transgender-teens/
Besides being delusional about her self proclaimed Jewishness and Hebrew Priestess status Wimms suffers from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.' As one of 8 blacks asked by the (formerly Jewish) Forward to comment on Kanye West's vocal hatred of Jews she declared that the defining sign of his mental illness was his 'alignment' with Trump:
"As a psychologist who is also a Black Jew, when I hear about Kanye West (which I often do from my teenager), I become acutely aware of his mental illness. As the Black feminist psychologist, scholar, and educator Janet E. Helms says, racism, antisemitism, sexism, etc., are salient mental illnesses.
I hear what Kanye says. His politics frighten me. I respond through the lens of, "this person is very ill." Many people have seen him say and do extremist things. The fact that he can align with Trump really elucidates his lack of personal and social awareness. It's just so incongruent that it has to be suspect. And while I am definitely not ableist, and not saying that people who struggle with mental illness are not valid, just the fact that he can align with Donald Trump shows me that he is very unwell.
The things we pay attention to are the things that grow, and I personally am not going to allow Kanye West to have space and a place in my spirit. And so, I pray for him and move on."
https://forward.com/culture/523097/black-jewish-reaction-kanye-west-antisemitism/
#############################################
Judaism and Identity Politics
How will Wokeism affect the Synagogue nearest you?
May 23, 2023 by Thom Nickels
The cult of wokeism that has claimed much of Christianity, from left-of-center Quakerism to "swinging with the times" Unitarianism, and to the multiple branches of Anglicanism – including Anglo Catholicism, which used to hold to traditional standards – is now encroaching into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox territory.In most American Eastern Orthodox churches, most notably Greek (the most liberal Orthodox Church), you're unlikely to hear sermons on social issues like abortion through a traditional Christian lens. Priests fear alienating their liberal congregations and when crucial social issues are mentioned they are usually only referred to indirectly so as to not cause too much offense in the pews.
The latest woke scandal in Catholicism has to do with an exhibit in a Manhattan church, St. Paul the Apostle. The exhibit featured a "God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey" display near the main altar. St. Paul the Apostle is under the direction of the Paulist Fathers, an order of priests known for radical liturgical innovation and far-left social justice advocacy.
Social justice advocacy in Christian circles, most notably the Catholic Worker movement, used to be relegated to poverty and "authentic" civil rights issues but has since nuanced into a Marxist web of distortions like CRT.
In the 1990s, I attended a "Mass" at Boston's The Paulist Center, then the "happening" place in that city when it came to "cool Catholicism." In its desperation to attract young people and the cynically inclined, the Paulist priests at the Center erected multiplex slide show presentations showing images of paintings from MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) during the Consecration.
While the Paulist Fathers may not be as well known as the Jesuits when it comes to radical attacks on the sacred, you can nevertheless count on liturgical mayhem and surprises whenever a Paulist priest is involved.
As for the St. Paul the Apostle exhibit, it was only after media reports about the "God is Trans" exhibit that got the Archdiocese of New York to announce that they were planning an investigation. The Archdiocese claimed that it knew nothing about the exhibit prior to media attention.
The "God is Trans" exhibit is yet further proof that the ultimate goal of the cult of woke is the erosion of the boundaries between the secular and sacred, so that the values of the latter always reflect the former, the net result being the birth of a new religion that stands with the culture every step of the way.
The cult, of course, has also infected Judaism, Christianity's ancient mother.
In Judaism, the secular strain has been alive and well for decades, snaking its way through the consciousness of American Jews in order to distance them from the synagogues of their ancestors, in effect dismissing these ancestral blessings as un-cool curses to be discarded.
The war between the secular and the sacred in Judaism became very evident to me personally when a local researcher, Beila Rabinowitz, Director of a website called Militant Islam Monitor, alerted me to a talk at the Kaiserman Jewish Community Center in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
The event is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia together with three other groups, Keshet, The Mazzoni Center and Moving Traditions which promote LGBTQ and'gender neutral' lifestyles for young people.
The Federation's mission statement proclaims:
"We are committed to creating a bright future for the Jewish People everywhere…and energize Jewish life and learning."
Wynnewood, a Philadelphia suburb on the Main Line with a high Jewish population, is home to Congregation Beth Hamedrosh, a thriving Orthodox community. Historically, Wynnewood has been home to Conservative Jews, but the last three decades have seen a tremendous growth towards Orthodoxy.
The Kaiserman JCC was founded in 1971 as an educational and recreational center for Jews and non-Jews.
"Our mission is to create fulfilling connections, enhance lives and foster Jewish peoplehood through inspirational, educational, cultural and recreational programs," the Kaiserman's mission statement reads. "Our values are rooted in Tradition."
The mission statement cites traditions like Sakranut (Curiosity) and Hod (amiability; embracing change.)
What are Jewish values? The word 'peoplehood' in the Kaiserman JCC statement is a red flag suggesting "embracing change," as in being a little less Jewish in the traditional sense.
A Christian comparison might be what would occur if you put the Paulists and the Jesuits together and then created a community center that would end up not espousing traditional Catholic values.
Together with the Jewish Federation, Kaiserman JCC is hosting a June 4 lecture, "Building a New Home in Our Minds: Embracing the Entire Family Through Gender Transition." The event will be led by Kohenet Dr. Harriette E, Wimms, a clinical psychologist and contract trainer for Keshet, an organization that works for LGTBQIA+ equality in Jewish life.
Wimms describes herself this way:
"A community connector, Dr. Wimms is a proud Black, Disabled, Queer, Fat, Jew by Choice, and is most proud of being mother to her 17-year-old son."
"Fat, Jew by Choice, Queer." This is woke psychobabble, the current rhetoric of the Left. Language like this is common enough on random flyers distributed on street corners, yet to strictly Orthodox Jewish eyes, the concept is absurd.
"It's ridiculous. The Jewish Federation and Kaiserman JCC are supposed to be promoting Jewish values," Rabinowitz says.
What's even more absurd is the fact that Wimms calls herself a 'Kohenet.'
"'Kohen' means priest in Hebrew" Rabinowitz informs me.
"Wimms, as a 'con'vert to Judaism, could never be a 'Kohenet,' or priestess. Women cannot be a 'Kohenet.' This stuff is being made up. It's a desecration. By promoting these things, both the Jewish Federation and the Kaiserman JCC are making a mockery of Judaism."
Then there's the age-old argument about what makes a Jewish convert. Regarding Wimms' conversion, Rabinowitz says that she's not Jewish.
"If you had a Reform 'con'version or one done by a woman so-called 'rabbi,' you are not Jewish according to Halacha (Jewish law)," she says.
Yet while Rabinowitz is fighting wokeism, the (mostly secular) Jewish establishment is celebrating it.
Publications like 'The Jewish Exponent,' Philadelphia's Jewish newspaper of record, will occasionally publish charming features about traditional Jewish communities but overall the newspaper is as woke as The AP Style book.
"The movement to eliminate transgenderism – that is, to eliminate trans people from public life – is intertwined with other hate movements," an article in 'The Exponent' explained in March 2023.
"Some of the same groups advocating for these legislative attacks connect their hatred of trans people with their hatred of Jews. We see that when, as ADL Center Extremism reported, transphobic attacks on medical programs that help transgender youth are accompanied by antisemitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories."
So when social commentators like Ben Shapiro, a religious Jew, comments on transgenderism, he is being anti-Semitic?
Likewise, in a major Jewish publication in Baltimore ('JMORE-Baltimore Jewish Living'), Wimms' home city, urban Jews are told they must get behind Black Lives Matter:
"We are aware that this message may come with some controversy. We acknowledge that the Black Lives Matter movement has had members who have made antisemitic or anti-Israel statements. However, as other major Jewish leaders and organizations have stated, we cannot allow this unrepresentative litmus test be an excuse not to do the right thing, to prevent us from supporting what is clearly today's civil rights movement."
Where is Rabinowitz – who calls the ADL the Anti-Defecation League "because they are anally retentive Jews obsessed with anti-Semitism and ignorant of Judaism" and says she is a political conservative and Orthodox Jew – supposed to go in a Jewish world that is increasingly being swallowed up by the cult of woke?
If you need proof of this, just google Wimms' name and you'll find numerous Jewish publications praising Wimms as an example of "multiple identities coming together" in a beautiful way.
"Multiple identities coming together in a beautiful way" sounds like clumps of centipedes trapped in a bathtub drain.
Why is identity politics being raised to the level of The Torah?
When I showed the advertisement for Wimms' lecture to a Jewish, agnostic friend of mine, he laughed and agreed that the description of the talk bordered on the ludicrous.
Meanwhile, Rabinowitz tells me she's doing all she can to get the Federation's contributors to threaten to cut off funding if they don't cancel her talk.
"Instead of adhering to their stated mission of 'energizing Jewish life' the Jewish Federation (and JCC) are promoting perversity under the guise of diversity. The Federation has become so 'woke' that they should more aptly be called 'The Jewish Aberration'."
While free speech advocates might urge the lecture to take place – although under a title like, 'Purim insanity in June' – one cannot help but admire Rabinowitz's fight to safeguard traditional Judaism.
https://www.frontpagemag.com/judaism-and-identity-politics/r
#################
The Jewish Federation is providing thousands of dollars to fund groups and events which 'celebrate' and promote homosexuality and encourage young children to explore and undertake 'gender transition' by hosting Jewish themed activities promoting life styles which are antithetical to Judaism and their purported mission statement leading to the development of ' deep,long- lasting connections to Judaism and the Jewish community'.
2023 FISCAL YEAR ALLOCATION SUMMARY
Jewish Community Fund (JCF) Grants totaled more than $3.7 million during Fiscal Year 2023, as part of more than $4.75 million being invested to build a vibrant Jewish community.
The Jewish Federation invested in programs focused on developing deep, long-lasting connections to Judaism, the Jewish community and inspiring the next generation of leaders.
Impact in the priority area of Building a Vibrant Jewish Community is also made through Jewish Federation grant processes (including the Bernard and Etta Weinberg Family Fund, Chair's Venture Fund, Jewish Federation Real Estate Fund, Justin P. Allman President's Fund, and Women of Vision Endowment Fund) and special funds.
By collaborating with partner agencies, our financial resources helped achieve the following goals in Fiscal Year 2022:
- Connecting young families, children and teenagers with resources, educational and engagement opportunities in Philadelphia and Israel
- Increasing engagement of young adults (18-39) to strengthen Jewish identity, Jewish wisdom, communal leadership and Jewish practice
- Celebrating the diversity of our Jewish community by connecting all Jewish persons to Jewish life and promoting programs that are welcoming
- Ensuring that Jewish Philadelphia has the infrastructure to foster connections between religious and cultural institutions and support diverse religious/cultural expressions of Judaism
https://jewishphilly.org/our-impact-building-a-vibrant-jewish-community/
########
MIM: Moving Traditions is one of the grooming efforts funded by the Jewish Federation, They have many programs for teens run by adults who encourage them to adopt homosexual, trans, gender expansive and non binary identity by providing "a brave,sacred space".
"In Moving Traditions' Tzelem groups, nonbinary, trans, gender expansive, and LGBTQ+ teens gather monthly with a trained adult mentor using a dynamic curriculum. Together in a circle of support, participants experience a brave, sacred space for them to articulate their deepest concerns, consider the impact of gender norms on their daily lives, celebrate and support together through joys and challenges, be their authentic selves with their peers, and explore topics that matter most to them.
All of our teen groups are safe and inclusive spaces for youth to join as they self-identify.
We proudly partner with Keshet to offer our Tzelem groups nationally. "
https://www.movingtraditions.org/programs/teen-groups/tzelem/
#######
MIM: The Jewish Federation's funding of the left's culture war on children is epitomized by what Moving Traditions calls their 'Strategic Plan' to 'reach twice as many teens nationwide by 2025'. It must be noted that MT targets children who are 12 and even younger with their Bnai Mitzvah programs and recently postponed "The Big,Queer B'nai Mitzvah Party' which MT cosponsored with 'jkidpride' and 'J.Proud'.
"Our Next Generation" strategic plan outlines how the organization will reach twice as many teens nationwide by 2025
"Moving Forward: Our Next Generation," a new strategic plan and accompanying video released today by the organization describe how.
https://www.movingtraditions.org/moving-traditions-to-double-its-impact-on-jewish-teens/
#########
MIM: The Federation funded group 'Jkidpride' targets 'kids and tweens' "for fun and educational Jewish experiences while also being intentional about re-centering Jewish representation away from heteronormative cisgendered representation".
Vision:
To build a community where families that include LGBTQ+ Jews experience a sense of belonging, membership, equity, and affirmation.
Mission:
jkidpride both creates community for Jewish LGBTQ+ parents as well as Jewish LGBTQ+ kids and tweens. Through informal gatherings, educational programming, and holiday celebrations, jkidpride seeks to offer the opportunity for LGBTQ+ Jews to build relationships with others who similarly identify.
Program Description:
jkidpride, in its second year, is currently designing and delivering family-oriented, multi-age programming, virtually and in-person as well as developing and delivering professional development to education directors and teachers to help work toward making all Jewish spaces inclusive and welcoming. jkidpride programs are intended to serve the broadest demographic – any family who self-identifies as a Jewish LGBTQ+ family, whether it is the parents and/or children who identify. Programming is currently focused on bringing families together, in-person and/or via Zoom, for fun and educational Jewish experiences while also being intentional about re-centering Jewish representation away from heteronormative cisgendered representation.
https://jkidphilly.org/jkidpride/
##########################
MIM: Keshet is a multi pronged 'initiative' which offers both online and in person events like retreats and Shabbatons.Thety are also promoting and hosting many events for "Pride Month". They also cosponsored the 'family gender transition workshop' with 'Kohenet' aka 'Hebrew Priestess' Harriette Wimms.
https://www.keshetonline.org/pride-2023-5783/
Keshet offers a variety of initiatives to support, empower, and celebrate queer youth ages 13-18 and 18-24. From our LGBTQ and Ally Teen Shabbatonim in the springtime to our online programming to our zine, you have a place in our community!
https://www.keshetonline.org/youth/
Our Work
Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life. We strengthen Jewish communities. We equip Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge to build LGBTQ-affirming communities, create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued, and advance LGBTQ rights nationwide.
https://www.keshetonline.org/our-work/
##########
MIM: The 'Jewish Aberration' is ecstatic that June has been designated as 'Pride Month'.
Tweet June 1, 2023
See new Tweets
Conversation
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
Wishing a joyful Pride Month to all the LGBTQ+ members of our Jewish communities! We celebrate and stand with you, this June and every month. See a list of Jewish Pride events happening this month:
Celebrate Your Pride this June
#############
MIM: In keeping with their 'uber woke' agenda the Jewish Federation's official Mother's Day tweet was ridiculously addressed to "all self identifying women"!
################################
Tweet
See new Tweets
Conversation
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
This Mother's Day, we recognize all of the self-identifying women who have influenced our lives. See families who are part of our Women of Vision group and how they share the value of giving back to support other women for generations to come."
###############################
MIM: The announcement and registration information for the "Building A New Home In Our Mind:Embracing The Entire Family Through Gender Transition" event led by Harriette E. Wimms a self proclaimed "Kohenet" aka Hebrew Priestess who is described as "A community connector, Dr. Wimms is a proud Black, Disabled, Queer, Fat, Jew by Choice, and is most proud of being mother to her 17-year-old son." https://jewishmuseummd.org/events/safety-and-unsafety-in-jewish-life-in-conversation-with-dr-harriette-wimms/
############################
https://jewishphilly.org/get-involved/neighborhood-programming/delaware-county/building-a-new-home-in-our-minds/
Join the Jewish Federation's Delaware County Kehillah and community partners for an interactive, virtual workshop that will give participants a roadmap to support gender diverse and transgender youth.
"Building a New Home in Our Minds: Embracing the Entire Family Through Gender Transition" will be led by Kohenet Dr. Harriette E. Wimms, a clinical psychologist and contract trainer for Keshet, an organization that works for LGTBQIA+ equality in Jewish life. This program is an opportunity to gather information, ask questions, and support each other in a safe and affirming environment.
Date & Time:
Sunday, June 4, 2023 | 5:00 p.m.
Event Location:
Virtual
Additional Information:
- For more information about this event or the Delaware County Kehillah, please contact Shelley Rappaport at delawarecounty at jewishphilly.org
-
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
KOHENET DR. HARRIETTE E. WIMMS
Kohenet Dr. Harriette E. Wimms is a Maryland licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in providing compassion-infused mental health care to children, adolescents, adults, and families across the age span. K'Harriette is a prayer leader in both the Kohenet community and at Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl. Dr. Wimms is also the inaugural Jews of Engagement Fellow at The Associated, Baltimore Jewish Federation (the first position of its type within any Jewish Federation System). A current Schusterman Fellow, Dr. Wimms is a Selah cohort 17 fellow; a contract trainer for Keshet, and the founder and executive director of the Jews of Color Mishpacha Project as well as the organization's signature JOCSM Shabbatonim (JOCMispocha .org). She is a proud Black, disabled, Jew by choice, and is most proud of being mother to her neurodiverse 18-year-old.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Printer-friendly version 
Email this item to a friend