About LUNAR
The LUNAR Collective cultivates connection, belonging and visibility for Asian American Jews through intersectional community programming and authentic digital storytelling.
We originally launched in 2021 as LUNAR: The Jewish-Asian Film Project, an award-winning film series featuring 23 Asian American Jewish young adults in nuanced, unscripted conversation. After amassing a rapidly-growing, diverse community of Asian American Jews, we are now re-emerging as The LUNAR Collective, a space for learning, healing, expression, solidarity, and joy.
LUNAR has allowed me to discover a community I didn't know existed. Their events create an environment that my inner child longer for and my present self feels safe in.
-Jules, NYC community member
While our name “LUNAR” initially referenced the lunisolar calendar, common in Jewish and many Asian cultures, it ultimately grew to symbolize something deeper: the fluidity and complexity of a multicultural identity.
Like the phases of the moon, identity fluctuates and presents differently over time. One side of someone’s identity may be fully and openly illuminated, another may be kept private or misunderstood. The LUNAR Collective celebrates wholeness, nuance, and the permission to grow and evolve.
About the Name
70+
Programs hosted
1000+
Program participants
40+
Countries represented
Our History
LUNAR’s origin project was LUNAR: The Jewish-Asian Film Project, an award-winning documentary series bringing together 23 Asian American Jewish young adults for nuanced, unscripted conversations. The project was created by two Asian Jewish college students, filmed on Zoom at the height of the pandemic, and released in 2021. Across eleven episodes, the series dove deep into themes of belonging, traditions, cultural trauma, discrimination, the model minority myth, Jewish intersectionality, and more.
Rapidly amassing a diverse community of Asian American Jews in support of the film series, LUNAR began to pilot programs - both virtually, and locally in Los Angeles, New York City, and the Bay Area. To meet this growing demand, in 2022 we officially re-launched as the LUNAR Collective: a national organization cultivating connection, belonging, and visibility for Asian American Jews. Today, we offer ongoing virtual and in-person community programming, free pastoral counseling with our Rabbi in Residence, and arts & culture initiatives amplifying Asian Jewish storytelling.
Our Values
1
By us for us
We strive for our leadership to reflect the identities of our community. Our offerings are rooted in our community’s most pressing needs.
2
Embodying Authenticity
We showcase the honest and nuanced textures of being an Asian American Jew. We want our work to feel organic and accessible to our audience.
3
Practicing Inclusivity
We recognize the broad range of cultures in the Asian and Jewish communities. We respect and welcome Asian American Jews of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, religious/secular backgrounds, and gender expressions/identities. Inclusivity is something we continuously practice, refine, and ingrain into our work.
4
Honoring Nuance
We are committed to maintaining respectful discourse and making space for nuance and varied perspectives in our diverse community.
5
Embracing Joy
Amid ongoing hatred and violence targeting our communities, it is essential that we celebrate and find joy in who we are.
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