Raised in Jerusalem’s religious (Orthodox) society, Zehorit Sorek will share her journey, including her coming out story at the age of 29 as a mother of two young children, the complexity she faces as an Orthodox LGBTQ+ person in the state of Israel, and how she turned her challenges into advantages, establishing new communities through her strong belief that an individual’s desire for Chevrutah (companionship) can change the world we live in. Zehorit Sorek is an Israeli lesbian, educator, and activist working to create an equal, inclusive, and tolerant Israeli society for LGBTQ individuals. Sorek established the Pride Minyan in Tel Aviv in Yom Kippur 2009, after feeling like she had no place in her native Orthodox synagogue. As a born and raised Orthodox Jew, Zehorit has dedicated her activism to the creation of a proud LGBTQ religious community. She’s an active member of the religious lesbian organization Bat Kol, as well as a former director at Hoshen and an active member of Shoval, two educational programs that push for LGBT-tolerant Jewish spaces in Israel. She is a former member of the Tel Aviv LGBT Community Center advisory committee, and in 2012 she received the honor of Distinguished Member of the LGBT Community. Sorek holds degrees in History and Israeli Archeology from Bar Ilan University, and she currently works in public education. She lives in Tel Aviv-Yaffo, with her wife, Limor, and their two children, Tzvi-Bar (22) and Ariel (18). This event will start with Zehorit sharing her story, followed by a Q&A.