HISTORICAL TIMELINE

November 2002 - Queer as Jews (QAJ) founded
Jeff Lieberman & Franceil Masi founded Queer as Jews (QAJ) in November 2002. Although Los Angeles boasted two LGBT Synagogues, the co-founders noted the lack of young people in either organization. Jared Friedland and other young committed Jewish Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ) activists in the Los Angeles area agreed with Lieberman and Masi: In a city the size of Los Angeles, home to large populations of Jews and LGBTQQ people, an organization should exist to serve the underrepresented younger population.

Previously, Lieberman had been the Programming Director for The National Union of Jewish LGBTIQQ Students (NUJLS). At the time of QAJ's founding, Jeff's main responsibility was to aid local NUJLS members in the creation of local campus groups, so creating groups like QAJ in L.A. was a familiar task. Lieberman also participated with Franceil and Friedland in the steering committee of NUJLS' annual conference that year. QAJ was a collaborative extension of their work together at NUJLS.

November 24, 2002: QAJ's First Event: Wine and Cheese
In conjunction with the Workmen's Circle, QAJ leaders planned the first event, a Wine and Cheese Evening. Organizers sent e-mails to friends and to friends of friends. They placed ads in The Jewish Journal and in The LA Weekly, and they posted flyers around UCLA, USC and throughout West Hollywood. The event hosted 27, and its attendees officially formed the new community and popularized QAJ.

December 2002: QAJ's first Hanukkah Party
Just one month after its first event, QAJ held its second event and the first of what would become an annual Hanukkah Party. Resources doubled, and attendance tripled. The community has been growing ever since. QAJ held several events over the next year, each helped the organization grow in membership and vibrancy, and all demonstrated the success of and the demand for an organization like QAJ.

May 2003: QAJ gains new leadership and new members
Asher Gellis, then the Regional Director of Hadassah's Young Judaea, joined forces with Jeff Lieberman, and the two co-chaired QAJ. Over the following year the membership grew from 50 to 200 as the diversity of programs increased. The introduction of dynamic programming and simple marketing tools facilitated the growth of the organic movement.

June 2004: QAJ's new name: JQ
As the organization began to thrive, Lieberman and Gellis held a new name competition to solicit buy-in from the existing members and to launch a more comprehensive feel to the organization. Wylie Tene won the renaming competition with his suggestion of JQ. Gellis devised a strategic plan for the newly named JQ to usher in a new wave of sophisticated programs and collaborative events.

August-September 2004: JQ's Board of Directors Assembled
A Board of Directors application was distributed to JQ's 250 members and a Board was assembled. The first board convened with Aaron Jacob Abrahamy, Jeremy Lane, Leor Mendel, Todd Rosenthal, Eric Rosoff, Wylie Tene and Elad Yifrach. The Board drafted Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

November 24, 2004: JQ International, Incorporated
California's Secretary of State approved JQ International's incorporation

June 22, 2005: JQ verified by the IRS to be 501(c)(3)Tax Exempt
After a vigorous screening and application the IRS verified JQ International as a tax exempt organization under the IRS tax code 501(c)(3).

October 14, 2005: JQ verified by the California Franchise Tax Board to be Franchise and Income Tax Exempt
California Franchise Tax Board verified JQ International as a franchise and income tax exempt organization under California tax code 23701d.

November 1, 2006: JQ launches an Advisory Committee
Developed for the purpose of mentoring the young organization and leadership by experienced and established leaders in the non profit, GLBT and Jewish communities. Lead by Mark Meltzer, Executive Director/CEO of the Jewish Free Loan Association of Los Angeles, the initial Advisory Committee formed included Dean Hansell, Jeffrey Janis, David Levy and Bruce Maxwell.

August 17, 2007: JQ International is awarded Cutting Edge Grant.
The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (JCFLA) recognizes the success of JQ International’s communal strengthening and awards JQ one hundred and twenty thousand dollar Cutting Edge Grant, allowing the organization the opportunity to further professionalize and further develop membership diversity and programming resources.

April 11, 2008: JQ International launches first ever fully integrated GLBT Haggadah.
A two year collaborative project between JQ International and the Institute for Judaism & Sexual Orientation created the first ever fully integrated GLBT Passover Haggadah. Researching and assembling GLBT Passover traditions that have grown over the years and new and innovative symbolism drawing parallels between the maggid and the GLBT struggle for equal rights and equal recognition.

June 11, 2008: JQ Launches Inclusion Consulting
As the Jewish community-at-large seeks to become more inclusive of GLBT Jewish community members, Jewish institutions have turned to JQ International, Los Angeles's GLBT trans-denominational Jewish organization, for guidance in serving and including GLBT Jews in all Jewish communities.

October 3, 2008: JQ Launches Leadership Development Shabbot Dinner Series
Naomi Goldberg develops leadership development modules for JQ's Leadership Shabbot Dinner Series. Each 30-60 minute module builds upon the last and fosters a space for new or prospective leaders to find roles to contribute to organizational, mission and community building success.

January 24, 2009: JQ's New Website with added features and functions is launched
Ben Bregman and Eric Rosoff redesign JQ's website with added features including: A calendar of upcoming events, a "Thinking JQish" column on GLBT Jewish life and "Torah Tidbits" a Gay D'Var Torah by Justin Spiro, JQ's GLBT Integrated Traditions Passover Haggadah, JQ's Leadership Development Modules developed by Naomi Goldberg and much much more...