Building Bridges with the LGBTQ+ Community

Harmony Board President Kade Kimber

On June 22nd, Executive Director Phil Brodsky was thrilled to represent the Jewish Federation of Raleigh-Cary at the Annual State of the Chamber Dinner for Harmony: NC LGBT+ Allied Chamber of Commerce. The mission of Harmony is “to foster opportunities for LGBTQ+ businesses, professionals & allies.”

Our organizations got to know each other when Harmony participated in the JCRC Community Seder in April. Phil was honored to represent the Jewish community at an event that included representatives from the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, the Wake County Board of Commissioners, and other local business leaders.

“I was so excited to be there, and honored to be invited.  I enjoyed meeting everybody, and I appreciate how Harmony works so hard to have LGBTQ+- owned businesses grow in Raleigh so that they feel safe and successful.”

In the wake of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, many Jewish organizations are working together to combat hate, bigotry, and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. Recently, our national partners at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) signed on as a founding member of Thrive, The Jewish Coalition to Defend Trans and LGBQ+ Youth. We hope that these actions will quickly bring us closer to a world where every single person, of every gender and identity, is treated as if they were created b’Tzelem Elohim, in the Divine image.