JQT is 100% volunteer run. Without these folks, we would not be able to do the work of Queering Jewish space and Jewifying queer space!
JQT Board
AVIVA RATHBONE (she/her)
Board Chair
Aviva grew up in Vancouver's Jewish community and is a settler with family roots in Russia and Romania. She has been working for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and is currently employed as Musqueam Indian Band's Senior Archaeologist. In her role she advocates for decolonized heritage management and for Indigenous sovereignty over the management of heritage resources. She's passionate about intersectional activism and advocacy and in her work and volunteerism works to create space and place for marginalized voices to explore and build connection to heritage. Aviva is proud to work with JQT in creating space for queer voices, heritage, and experience in the Jewish community.
SOPHIE MACDONALD (she/her)
Board Vice-Chair
Sophie is an educator and researcher, currently completing a PhD in Mathematics at UBC Vancouver. Her professional passions include academic writing for STEM students, meaningful engagement with scientific texts for humanities students, and empowerment for everyone in higher ed through practical knowledge about how educational institutions work. Originally from Ontario, she has made a home in the Vancouver Jewish community and can often be found davening, eating, dancing, and learning Torah wherever queer Jews are known to gather.
GILLIAN COFSKY (they/them/she/her)
Board Treasurer
Gillian Cofsky is a former dancer, movement instructor, and entrepreneur who left the dance world for a career in the financial industry. With first-hand experience in how frustrating and bewildering interactions between the creative and financial worlds can be, Gillian was inspired to start Make It Count; their boutique bookkeeping company that works with artists, creatives, and small businesses to understand their finances and feel empowered in their relationship with money. As a person exploring both their Jewish and non-binary identities, the mission and community of JQT are dear to Gillian's heart and they're honored to be on the board of directors. www.letsmakeitcount.ca
TAMIR KLARSFELD (he/they)
Secretary
Tamir Klarsfeld (he/they) is a Kinesiology student. Growing up in Israel, Tamir never really found a place where he felt like he belonged and had to face a lot of toxic masculinity at every corner. Upon moving to Canada during the pandemic, he discovered that they were queer and had a very easy time meeting like-minded people at JQT's The Shabbos Queen event. That's when it clicked and now they feel called to contribute as much as he can to build the JQT community. They look forward to offering cooking demonstrations, health wellness and self-defense knowledge at future JQT events!
CYNTHIA RAMSAY (she/her)
Board Member
Cynthia Ramsay is the owner and publisher of the Jewish Independent newspaper, which is based in Vancouver. www.jewishindependent.ca
HANNAH B. (they/them)
Board Member
Hannah is a non-binary Jewish writer, podcaster, advocate and social media's inspirational best friend known by their collective audience of over 100K people as @healthbyhannahb. Hannah’s content focuses on inspiring and teaching women and queer people to courageously be their most confident selves. They are the founder of the Chronically Confident Community, an online community that aims to help people confidently approach their relationship with their bodies, minds, and identities while helping others. They have worked with multiple global brands such as UNIQLO, Vega, the BBC, and Neutrogena. Hannah thrives on communicating complex topics in a way that is easily understandable by anyone. With an MSc. in Public Policy majoring in Social Change and Sustainability, Hannah combines an equity-based lens with an entertaining one to provide viewers with practical techniques they can use to be confident in themselves, and better the world around them.
JQT Staff
CARMEL TANAKA (she/her)
JQT Founder & Executive Director
Carmel Tanaka is a queer neurodivergent Jewpanese woman of colour from Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. She is a community engagement professional and her leadership initiatives include: JQT Vancouver, Genocide Prevention BC, Cross Cultural Walking Tours, and the JEWPANESE Oral History Project. She was named one of Be'chol Lashon's 7 LGBTQ+ Jews of Color you should know. www.carmeltanaka.ca www.jqtvancouver.ca www.genocidepreventionbc.com www.crossculturaltours.ca Instagram:@JewpaneseProject
JQT Dream Team
MAYTAL KOWALSKI (she/her)
Dream Team Member
Maytal Kowalski is a digital marketing and fundraising strategist, with over 10 years experience working with non-profits and charities within Canada and the US. Maytal is also a staunch advocate for social justice and equity causes. She started the D&I committee at her work, and has successfully pushed for inclusive holiday time and social events, and an investment in anti-racism training. In addition to her full time job and volunteer work, Maytal is a classically trained dancer, circus performer, dog foster-parent, and pet mom to Sydney the cat and Pezmo the dog.
LYNNE ALTOW (she/her)
Dream Team Member
Lynne is a full time student at the ASL and Deaf Studies program at VCC, hoping to take this knowledge into a career in medicine! She was born and raised in BC and has enjoyed giving back to the Jewish community since she was little. After helping establish a Jewish 2SLGBTQ+ club at Queen’s University, she is excited to continue her involvement in the Jewish Queer Community through graphic design work for JQT’s socials!
MAXA SAWYER (she/her)
Dream Team Member
Maxa Sawyer is a PhD Candidate who has researched queer Jewish communities in Canada. Born in Toronto and raised in Winnipeg she has always been curious why her own Jewish identity is so important to her sense of self. She is interested in what it means to be Jewish when your practice of Judaism is based on community rather than religious practices. What happens when your intersectional identities made you an outsider in what you perceive to be the normative Jewish community, yet you still want a Jewish community of their own? Why does one call themselves Jewish, but feel the urge to add “But I’m not religious.” While doing her graduate studies, Maxa has taught at various Jewish organizations throughout Toronto. She spent the 17 years living in Toronto and has recently moved back to Winnipeg with her partner and their two kids. Maxa has been involved in the BC Jewish Queer and Trans Oral History Project for over a year. Her goal is to take the interviews and make them into stories that are accessible for audiences.
MARG COOKE (she/her)
Dream Team Member
Marg became involved in the JQT Seniors Initiative through her work on web-based health resources for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and communities. She has been impressed and inspired by the energy and vision of other members of the initiative and is appreciative of all she learns from them. She hopes that her past work experience as an editor, writer, and hospice social worker will help her to be a good ally who can contribute to JQT’s ongoing work.
ARIA DRUKER (she/her)
Dream Team Member
Aria Druker (She/Her) is a queer Jew that recently returned to Vancouver after completing her arts and sciences studies in Squamish, BC. Aria has been involved with various organizations that centre around youth, education, sports, Judaism, and the environment. Aria is proud and excited to be working with JQT Vancouver on community building.
MORGAN STRUG (ze/zim/zirs)
Dream Team Member
Morgan (ze/zim) is a Jewish non-binary writer, photographer and filmmaker born and raised in Halifax, NS. After graduating from Dalhousie with an Honours BA in Anthropology and Gender Studies ze moved to Vancouver to pursue filmmaking. Morgan’s films have been screened at ViewFinders, OutEast and Vancouver’s Queer Film Festival.
TOM EINHORN (he/him)
Dream Team Member
Tom Einhorn (he/him) is a PhD student in Sociology at the University of British Columbia. Originally from Israel, Tom is happy to be on the JQT Dream Team and celebrate being a proud gay Jewish man. He is JQT’s in-house Hebrew aficionado!
HANNAH HIRSCH (she/her)
Dream Team Member
Hannah (She/Her) is currently employed in records management within the Archives at xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam.) She previously worked almost exclusively for Canadian non-profits focused on disability advocacy and accessible services. Passionate about intersectional inclusivity and accessibility for all Canadians, she is currently working to help preserve Indigenous knowledge and promote high quality records-keeping for Band administration and community members. Hannah, who identifies as black and Jewish is grateful to be working with JQT to improve the lives of queer, Jewish-identifying seniors. When not on reserve working, Hannah enjoys reading graphic novels, hanging out with her partner and pets, and sampling all the bubble tea in her path.
JAYE BEER (she/they)
Dream Team Member
Jaye (she/they) is a transplant from Toronto to Vancouver who works in the film industry. She's been on a long journey to connect the queer and Jewish sides of her life, which began on a lgbtq birthright trip and continues today through their volunteering with JQT! The ability to be safely Jewish in queer spaces and safely queer in Jewish spaces is a goal they are passionate about and will continue to work toward!
