QNP Organizers
Rena Branson (they/them)
Founder
Rena Branson (they/them) is a Jewish composer, ritual leader, and educator who uplifts personal and collective healing through song. They founded A Queer Nigun Project in 2018. Rena writes new tunes for liturgy and teaches traditional Hasidic melodies, expanding access to their power for all seekers. They serve as the Cantorial Soloist at Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir in unceded Lenapehoking, Philadelphia and also work with private clients as a Reiki practitioner. Rena has previously worked on the Cultural Organizing Team at Linke Fligl, a queer Jewish farm and cultural organizing project, as well as creating programming for Jewish teens as the Assistant Director of Chester County Hebrew High School. Rena's first full-length album, "Love Is the Ground," is out on all streaming platforms. Learn more at renabranson.com!
Rachel Chang (she/her)
Rachel Chang (she/her) is a Jewish musician, songleader, and educator, as well as a music therapist. Drawing from the many communities and identities that have shaped her, Rachel leads with expressive guitar, sensitive listening, and a deep intention to cultivate belonging. Her first experience attending a Queer Nigun Circle in 2019 was pivotal in her evolving relationship to Judaism, to queerness, to community, to herself — she’s excited to continue building upon A Queer Nigun Project’s vision of fostering connection and healing for Jews pushed to the margins, including creating space for queer Jews of Color. Outside of A Queer Nigun Project, Rachel has led music and ritual in a variety of other settings, including at LUNAR: The Asian Jewish Collective. As a queer and multiracial Chinese-American Jew, Rachel has spent years grappling with what it means to belong, to take up space, and to be heard in Jewish community, and she has found music to be an invaluable resource.
Project Director
Ari Pomerantz (he/him)
Volunteer Coordinator
Ari Pomerantz helps organize A Queer Nigun Project’s support for incarcerated people. He has a decade of experience doing prisoner solidarity work with trans people in prison. He's currently in law school, focusing on housing and land liberation work.