Jonathan Branfman

Hailing from glamorous New Jersey, Jon is passionate about building a kinder and safer world for everyone. To this end, Jon uses his PhD expertise on antisemitism, race, and gender to help both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences decipher these issues. He brings over a decade of experience teaching about these topics at universities such as Stanford and Cornell. Along the way, Jon has lived in and come to love many parts of the country, from Columbus, OH to Ithaca, NY to San Francisco, CA. 

Jon’s specialties also include LGBTQ+ inclusion, and he has previously worked with Keshet and the Human Rights Campaign. He is author of the award-winning LGBTQ+ youth guide, You Be You! The Kid’s Guide to Gender, Sexuality, and Family, whose 25 translated editions include Yiddish and Hebrew. 

Now back in San Francisco, Jon can often be found teaching Hebrew school, coordinating with friends for their next ice cream expedition, or hanging out with the Bay’s queer Jewish social group, the Nice Jewish Boys. He loves travel, languages, and gardening, and is excited to report that his fuchsia plant is thriving!