Keshet President and CEO

About Keshet

Keshet is a national organization dedicated to achieving the full equality of LGBTQ+ Jews and their families in Jewish life. Founded in 1996 as a small, volunteer-run group in Greater Boston, Keshet has grown into a robust $6.4M organization with offices in Boston, the Bay Area, Chicago, New York, Florida, and Texas, along with remote staff nationwide. As the only U.S. organization working for LGBTQ+ equality across all aspects of Jewish life, Keshet supports queer Jewish teens, trains a wide range of Jewish professionals and lay leaders to create LGBTQ+-affirming spaces, and mobilizes Jewish communities to advance LGBTQ+ rights nationwide. True to our roots as a Jewish organization, Keshet sits at the nexus of LGBTQ+ Jews, other Jews, and LGBTQ+ non-Jews and plays a key role in building understanding and bridging differences among the various communities in its orbit.

Guided by a belief that fighting for justice is a profoundly Jewish act, Keshet’s programs include community mobilization campaigns to advance LGBTQ+ equality, youth programs that empower queer Jewish teens through leadership development and identity building, community-building for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color to feel affirmed and celebrated as their full selves, and education and training initiatives that equip Jewish organizations to create spaces of belonging and implement lasting change in policy, programs, and culture. These efforts are grounded in Keshet’s core values of justice, pride, human dignity, partnership, belonging, impact, and joy.

Our Mission

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 spaces, create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued, and advance LGBTQ+ rights nationwide.

Our Culture

At its core, Keshet is more than an organization—it’s a vibrant community where joy and justice go hand in hand. Fighting for LGBTQ+ belonging and equality is challenging, but Keshet thrives on collaboration, camaraderie, and celebration of connections and successes. Relationships are central to Keshet’s work, guided by a belief that change moves at the speed of relationships. With a culture rooted in transparency, active appreciation, and trust, Keshet fosters an environment where every team member feels valued, supported, and empowered to make a difference. This is a place where leadership is accessible, relationships are prioritized, laughter and connection fuel resilience, and joy is not just a value—it’s a cornerstone of the mission.

Our Values

As an organization, we believe in:

• Justice: We are committed to fighting oppression, effecting change, and seeing LGBTQ+ justice as part of a broader movement for equality for all people.
• Pride: We celebrate pride in identity as a source of strength, believing that when LGBTQ+ Jews live authentically, the entire Jewish community grows stronger.
• Human Dignity: We lead with compassion and empathy, honoring the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
• Partnership: We meet our partners where they are, equipping them with the tools and resources to advance LGBTQ+ equality in their communities.
• Belonging: We embrace the diversity within the Jewish community and strive to create spaces where everyone feels they belong.
• Impact: We focus on measurable change that improves the lives of LGBTQ+ Jews and advances full inclusion in Jewish life.
• Joy: We see joy as an act of resistance and a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ Jewish resilience, lifting each other up with laughter, celebration, and connection.

Learn more about Keshet at https://www.keshetonline.org/.

The Opportunity

Keshet seeks a bold, visionary leader to guide the organization through this period of constraining legislation, antagonist executive orders, and an eroding sense of support for LGBTQ+ rights in the broader culture, and into its next chapter of growth and impact. We recognize that this political moment represents an unprecedented threat, particularly to our trans and nonbinary staff, youth, program participants, and other stakeholders. As the leading national organization advocating for LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life, Keshet has become a transformative force through education, advocacy, and community-building. With a strong board, powerful programmatic foundation, a robust funding base, a stellar team of 35 staff, and an unwavering commitment to justice, the next CEO will have a rare opportunity to lead a highly respected organization in shaping both the future of American Jewish life and its impact on American society and cultural values.

This search follows the announcement that Founding CEO Idit Klein will step down in July 2025 after over 20 years of transformative leadership. Under her guidance, Keshet grew from a small, volunteer-run group into a national leader in LGBTQ+ equality. The next CEO will inherit a thriving organization with a culture rooted in collaboration, trust, and joy—where relationships drive progress and connection fuels resilience.

This is more than a CEO role—it’s an opportunity to lead a vibrant, mission-driven organization and inspire the Jewish community to live its values.

Highlighted responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Organizational Strategy

• Articulate a clear and compelling vision, develop a strategic plan, and lead its implementation to achieve measurable impact.
• Assess organizational needs and make thoughtful, informed decisions to drive the mission forward, even in the face of growing political complexity.
• Strengthen staff development pathways, creating career opportunities and fostering retention within a growing team.
• Model shared leadership and decision-making practices that reflect Keshet’s values of collaboration and belonging. Delegate generously and effectively.
• Promote a culture of learning and growth, ensuring staff feel supported in their professional development.

Community Engagement

• Build and foster meaningful relationships across diverse communities, ensuring Keshet remains deeply connected to those it serves as well as key partners.
• Be a powerful and visionary spokesperson, representative, and connector who builds links to other organizations in the Jewish, inter-faith, and LGBTQ+ spaces. The current social and political moment demands unusual skill in standing up for Jewish perspectives in the queer world, and queer perspectives in the Jewish world, acknowledging the broad diversity in each world.
• Effectively balance in-person and remote engagement, with significant travel expected (average of 5-10 nights away per month).

Fundraising and Strategic Communications

• Secure multi-year funding from foundations, corporate partners, and major donors to ensure financial sustainability.
• As Keshet’s key ambassador, communicator, and storyteller, powerfully articulate Keshet’s mission and work to engage constituents and supporters. Inspire partners with authenticity, political savvy, and creative vision.
• Lead efforts with communications, development, finance, and program teams to effectively steward donors, ensuring continuous alignment between donor expectations and Keshet’s mission, vision, and values.

Board Engagement

• Inspire and collaborate with Keshet’s Board of Directors to effectively and transparently ensure alignment around Keshet’s strategic priorities and goals.
• Embody and cultivate a dynamic and inclusive board culture that champions Keshet’s mission, values, and long-term vision.
• Partner with and inspire the board to be effective fundraisers for Keshet.
• With the Board Chair, ensure that Board members are being engaged actively and productively given their time and interest.

Commitment to Equality, Justice, and Social Action

• Facilitate a culture or collaboration and innovation to develop and enhance programs that authentically reflect and address the needs, aspirations, and identities of the diverse communities that Keshet serves.
• Uphold and advance Keshet’s unwavering commitment to our organizational values.
• Champion an organizational culture that creates inclusive physical and virtual spaces where staff, community partners, supporters, and allies feel safe, supported, and empowered to learn, grow, and feel supported in being powerful agents of change.
• Model the use of tools to address and work toward the elimination of antisemitism in the communities and coalitions where we work.
• Model and uphold Keshet’s commitment to racial justice and equity, actively working to resist white supremacy within the organization, the broader Jewish community, and as a model for society at large.
• Lead with an intersectional approach, recognizing and celebrating the multiracial, multiethnic identity of the Jewish community while fostering allyship and systemic change.

Candidate Profile

Keshet is a proud equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from People of Color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

Commitment to the Keshet Mission

As a leader, you demonstrate a deep and enduring commitment to the mission of LGBTQ+ equality within the Jewish community, combining a passion for social justice with a strong understanding of the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Jewish spaces and beyond. With warmth, humility, and resilience, you create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels seen and valued, while positioning your organization and team as a vital force for change. You bring a profound love for the Jewish people, grounded in a deep understanding of the history, culture, values, traditions, and debates that shape the American Jewish experience in the 21st century. You are deeply committed to ensuring that Keshet’s programs remain impactful and relevant in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing LGBTQ+ Jews and their communities today.

Strategic Vision

As a visionary leader and strategist, you possess the ability to imagine and articulate a bold future for Keshet and excite others about joining you in advancing Keshet’s growth and impact. You combine strategic thinking with a deep understanding of the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities, identify opportunities for expansion, and address challenges with creativity and resilience. Your ability to craft and implement comprehensive strategic plans ensure long-term sustainability while centering equality and belonging at the core of your organization’s work. Through exceptional communication skills, you inspire diverse audiences, serve as a compelling ambassador, embody organizational values, and bring a track record of building your organization’s visibility, reputation, and influence.

Strategic Communications and Relationship Skills

With empathy and emotional intelligence, you skillfully navigate complex and sensitive issues, honoring the diverse identities and perspectives within the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities. You approach your work with humility, fostering environments where every voice is heard, valued, and respected. As a bridge-builder, you strengthen relationships across advocacy coalitions, faith-based entities, and justice organizations, ensuring that our organization is recognized as a unifying voice for equality and belonging. You have the confidence in your own perspective and the courage to engage in conversations across differences. Your ability to engage with nuanced and polarized issues reflects your commitment to honoring multiple truths, building trust, and cultivating connections. A demonstrated ability to appreciate, respect, and engage with the full spectrum of identities, perspectives, and allegiances within both the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities, regardless of personal identity or political views, is nonnegotiable. You engage with nuanced and polarized issues, such as those that arise around discussions of Israel, Palestine, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in ways that reflect your commitment to honoring multiple truths, building trust, and cultivating connections that amplify impact and advocacy while advancing an authentic sense of equity and belonging.

Fundraising and Donor Engagement

As a spirited and resourceful fundraiser, you bring a proven ability to cultivate relationships and inspire investment in your organization and its mission. You lead with an authentic and compelling storytelling approach, communicate the transformative power of its work, and effectively engage institutional funders, major donors, and grassroots supporters alike. You understand the complexities of fundraising within both the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities and leverage your expertise to secure funding that sustains and expands programs. With an eye for innovation, you identify new opportunities for engagement and are excited by opportunities to build upon a robust foundation for Keshet’s financial future, ensuring its ability to serve LGBTQ+ Jews and their families for years to come.

Collaborative and Inclusive Leadership

Keshet is powered by a team of passionate and activist-oriented staff who reflect the organization’s deep commitment to a caring, inclusive organizational culture and to achieving equality and belonging in Jewish life. As a leader, you embody these values in your own leadership and are committed to fostering a supportive and empowering workplace culture where all team members feel seen, valued, and encouraged to grow. You bring a balanced, collaborative approach to decision-making; align staff, Board members, and partners around shared goals and a unified vision; and make informed decisions that serve in the best interest of organizational mission, values, and priorities. Your leadership is marked by transparency, inclusion, and a balance of humility and decisiveness, and you are drawn to the opportunity to ensure that Keshet’s internal culture is as strong as its external impact.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary for the role is anticipated to range from $240,000-$285,000, commensurate with experience. Keshet offers a competitive benefits package, including generous paid time off (up to 20 vacation days, sick and personal days, and a three-month sabbatical every seven years), employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) with employer match, commuter benefits, and a comprehensive suite of EAP programs. These programs include gynecological and family-building care, online mental health therapy, virtual healthcare, health advocacy, and more.

Note that the final salary will reflect internal equity and the selected candidate’s individual experiences, skills, and qualifications.

Contact

Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Molly Brennan and Andy Tarsy. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Frequently cited statistics show that women, trans, and non-binary people as well as other structurally marginalized groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Keshet encourages you to break that statistic and to apply. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. We look forward to your application.

Keshet Equal Employment Opportunity:

Keshet is dedicated to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic staff. Keshet provides equal opportunity to all people regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, veteran status, disability, citizenship status, or any other proscribed category set forth in federal or state regulations. This policy applies to all employees and candidates for employment.