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Rabbi Elliot Kukla (he/they) is a rabbi, author, artist, and activist. Elliot has been tending to grief, dying, and becoming (more) ill or disabled since 2007, and has been engaged in justice work since 1996. In 2006, Elliot was the first openly trans person to be ordained by a major Jewish denomination (Hebrew Union College). The following year, they co-founded transtorah.org, which “helps people of all genders to fully access and transform Jewish tradition.”

Rabbi Deborah Newbrun (she/her) creates transformational spaces for Jewish communities rooted in the wisdom of our tradition. As the first openly lesbian Jewish summer camp director, she led Camp Tawonga for 25 years. A catalyzing force in the Jewish Outdoor Food and Environmental Education (JOFEE) movement, Deborah co-authored Spirit In Nature: Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail, founded Get Set Go Community Adventures, and received the prestigious Covenant Award in 2018 for innovative Jewish education.

Deborah has created and led countless Jewish outdoor education programs for Jewish leaders throughout the United States and is known for being an engaging and creative leader, infusing deep spirit into her teachings. As the Co-Founder and Director of SVARA’s Queer Talmud Camps, Deborah is a longtime SVARA champion.

Dr. Koach Baruch Frazier (he/they) is many things: an audiologist, a musician, a dismantler of racism, a sonic and spiritual healer, a rabbinical student at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and more. Koach brings to SVARA a deep love for tradition and his people, and their learning is guided by a vision of our collective freedom. Koach is a co-founder of Tzedek Lab, and he was honored as an LGBTQ Jewish Hero by Keshet in 2020.

In the early days of the pandemic, Koach put out the call to Black Trans Jews who might be looking for a virtual space to gather and study. In doing so, Black Trans Torah Club was born. Three years later, individuals from around the world are joining in weekly to study Talmud, create community that celebrates the joy of being Black, Trans, and Jewish, and provide space and support for individual and communal grief. Just as SVARA was the first place where Koach felt supported as a queer, trans, Jew, Black Trans Torah Club continues in the tradition of expanding who is invited in and given the tools to shape the future of our tradition.

As a SVARA Fellow, and the founder of Black Trans Torah Club, we are thrilled to honor Koach for the many ways they support individuals within and beyond the SVARA community in realizing a just and healed world.