
From the Synagogue to the Streets
Sharon Kleinbaum, founder and director of Beacon for Democracy at Union Theological Seminary in NYC, former senior rabbi at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah and the author of With All My Heart: Torah for Our Times (CBST Press, 2026), talks about her work and the change from leading the world’s largest LGBTQ+ synagogue to her new organization and the "Shine the Light" weekly protests for democratic values.
Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 22: Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum attends a protest to advocate for Israeli democracy and to protest against Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu as he addresses the UN General Assembly at United Nations on September 22, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for New York Protest Movement)

