Rena Branson is the founder of A Queer Nigun Project, which hosts healing gatherings for marginalized Jews to learn and sing nigunim (wordless Jewish melodies, often from the Chassidish tradition). She organizes monthly singing circles alongside chaplains in jails, as well as events for LGBTQIA+ folks in New York and Philadelphia. She spent the past two years studying Torah at Pardes and Hadar, and now practices Jewish music and prayer leadership full-time in the Rising Song Residency. You can hear her recordings of old and new nigunim on Soundcloud. Rena’s time in the Avodah Service Corps played a big role in her Jewish journey, and she is grateful to return to Avodah for her second year as an AJA!
