Ilana Kaufman

A queer Jewish woman of color, Ilana Kaufman, 47, has emerged as a national voice for diversity and inclusivity. For years she has pushed for policy changes to make Jews of color and LGBTQ Jews more welcome in Jewish institutions. It’s only fitting that this year she was named director of the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, placing her at the forefront of the movement to address racism and recognize Jews of color as equal members of Jewish spaces.

Ilana Kaufman

What do you have for breakfast? A glass of water. The perfect cup of coffee. The gym and eight minutes of meditation.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

What’s the last thing you listened to on your phone? “Touch the Sky” by Black Pumas

Earliest Jewish memory: I was 7. I remember feeling Jewish my first (amazing) Christmas with my Texas family. It was a new setting, and I was able to see myself in a new way. I was like oh, this is really different than Jewish!

Heroes: My heroes are all of the Women of Color out there holding up the sky!

2019 memory: Far from perfect, but I’ve loved this year. It’s been full of blessings. A favorite: Watching my daughter jump off the cliff-platform at Ka Lae (Southpoint) on the Big Island. Made me pray she always feels that confident and free.

What is your favorite thing about being Jewish? When you stop and really look, everything Jewish has millennia old roots. I love that.

What app can you not live without? The one that makes me feel most free (and like I am not working : ) is AllTrails. It’s where I plan my adventures-on-foot.

Weekend ritual: Very long walks along the Bay Trail with very good friends.

Follow Ilana Kaufman on Twitter @fogtownie

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount