Comings and Goings:
JQY (Jewish Queer Youth)

JQY (Jewish Queer Youth), a nonprofit organization supporting and empowering LGBTQ youth in the Orthodox, Chasidic, and Sephardic/Mizrachi communities, has appointed Rachael Fried as Executive Director, effective June 19. Rachael will present her vision for JQY at JQY’s World Pride kickoff event on Thursday, June 27 at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.

Fried succeeds Mordechai Levovitz, who created JQY in 2001 with a small group of gay yeshiva students looking to connect, support one another, and advocate for change in the Orthodox world. Levovitz will transition to a direct service-focused role as JQY’s Clinical Director.

Fried received her MSW in Community Organizing from Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, an MFA from Parsons School of Design in Systems Design for Social Change, and a B.A. in Studio Art from Yeshiva University, where she served as president of the Stern student body and a Presidential Fellow. A lifelong Jewish camper, Fried was Program Director and Director of Operations at Camp Nesher. She is a Ruskay Institute Fellow, a Schusterman ROI Community Member and Eighteen:22 Fellow (a global network of Jewish LGBTQ leaders), and in 2017 one of The Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36.” Fried is also a visual artist whose MonsterHearts series addresses taboos and reduces stigma and biases.