Twice Blessed 2.0: The Jewish LGBTQ2SIA+ Initiative

Twice Blessed 2.0: The Jewish LGBTQ2SIA+ Initiative is a partnership between JQT Vancouver and JFS Vancouver (Jewish Family Services) that began with conversations between the two organizations in 2020 regarding diversity education and ensuring JFS supports the social, physical and emotional wellness of all people and is a welcoming and inclusive organization for the Jewish LGBTQ2SIA+ community.

The first step in this initiative was our 2022 Community Needs Assessment (based on JFSA’s 2004 Community Needs Assessment), which revealed 13 Calls to Action by Jewish community organisations. From 2024 to 2026, the second step in this initiative, JQT Mental Health Support Series, was launched and made possible with the support of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Vancouver and private donations. This series was developed in partnership with JFS Vancouver, following the above community needs assessment which identified a critical service gap for the Jewish LGBTQ2SIA+ population: Call to Action #6 - Develop and provide funding for LGBTQ2SIA+ friendly Jewish mental health support. In 2026, the final step in this initiative was our 2026 Community Needs Assessment to understand what progress has been made on our 13 Calls to Action by local BC Jewish community organisations, what still requires improvement, and what may be completely new needs for our community in 2026. We also collected recommendations for local BC LGBTQ2SIA+ community organisations in 2026.