Investments that work: How our organization avoids professional burnout

In a powerful op-ed last year calling upon the Jewish communal sector to respond to the impending crisis of widespread professional burnout, Barry Finestone wrote: “We ask people to work in a storm that’s battering all of us from every angle. If we don’t start protecting and replenishing them now, there won’t be enough of them left to rebuild whatever comes next.”

I want to tell you a story that is actively unfolding: it is the story of Keshet’s staff, and how what we’ve learned while weathering the present storm can benefit your team.

In 2025 alone, over 1,000 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation were proposed across the U.S. at the state and federal levels. In 2026, that number is at 530 so far. Anti-LGBTQ+ disinformation and hate are on the rise, alongside skyrocketing antisemitism across the globe and the political spectrum.

Our organization is deeply, personally affected by this current climate. Over 40% of Keshet’s staff are trans and nonbinary, and all are LGBTQ+ or have an LGBTQ+ child. We have been called “domestic terrorists,” “anti-American,” “groomers,” combinations of antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ slurs, and worse — not just in speeches and tweets by our most powerful public office holders, but on Keshet’s social media channels, in hate group blogs targeting our organization, in our email inboxes, and on hand-written postcards sent directly to staff.

Several Keshet staff have relocated to different states for their own safety. Some are weighing their options, wondering when they’ll know it’s the right time to pack up and leave. Many have had to create and implement back-up plans for their healthcare due to restrictive laws in their states.

Read the full piece at eJewish Philanthropy