Jake Goodman
Brooklyn, New York
How is your Hero working to make the world a better place?
Jake is a champion of human rights, with a particular emphasis on LGTBQ activism and Jewish education. He is an outspoken voice for tolerance and open communication and understanding between people of different ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, political persuasions, and sexual identities. Jake holds an MA in Informal Jewish Education from the Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary and a BFA in Acting from Emerson College. His passion as an activist is increasingly focused on advocating toward full inclusion for LGBT people in everyday and ritual life-Jewish and otherwise. He is a founding member of Queer Rising, a grassroots organization that demands queer rights through direct action, and some of his related writing can be found on The Daily Kos and Alef: The NEXT Generation. He has worked with GET Equal, Marriage Equality New York and Keshet-Boston. Jake is also a proud company member of Storahtelling, previously serving as Associate Director. Jake is also an incredible theater performer, having worked across the country and internationally at The Berkshire Theater Festival, Actors Theater of Louisville, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Alma in Tel-Aviv.
How has your Hero impacted your life and inspired you?
Jake Goodman inspires me to be a better person: to walk through the world with a deeper understanding of how I impact the people around me and what I can do to help lift up others in their efforts toward a better future. He has opened my eyes to new ways of thinking and expressing myself. Jake lives out loud. He inspires me to DO something. He is a man of action, a "spark plug." And he is an amazing thinker, always helping others sift though their ideas to uncover the core gem. Jake has an infectiously positive personality, a biting wit, and an unstoppable passion for helping people. He is truly my hero...and my best friend. You could never meet a truer heart or a more fierce advocate.