"I wanted to say thank you so much for your words today. I was literally stunned by your story and felt inspired in my soul. It’s incredibly moving how you use your own experiences to inspire others to exist exactly as they are. Your honesty and passion left a serious impact on us. It all just felt REAL. I will hold your words close with me as I continue to college. Thank you thank you thank you. You were AMAZING!"

"Marra was an engaging speaker who inspired and challenged the congregation in our work to be a welcoming congregation to all"

"Marra is an engaging speaker. The people who gathered for our after program had some lively discussions. This is what she was aiming for, I’m sure. For those of us on the lecture committee it was the sign of a successful afternoon."

"By request of Oakwood parents, we welcomed into our community the expressive and thoughtful voice of Marra B Gad, who captivated our audience with her heartbreakingly honest and provocative journey story. As we continue to grapple with how we might transform ourselves and our world, her messages on honoring the fullness of oneself, setting healthy boundaries, and holding on to love will echo in our minds. We remember you with gratitude, Marra, thank you for being a part of Oakwood's story."

"I wanted to thank you for providing an amazing amount of content at FCB’s recent book club. We had record book club attendance and great feedback. 'The Color of Love' has so much to teach professionals as we focus on creating increasingly welcoming and inclusive environments. And of course, your personal stories and ability to tell them in a relevant, heartfelt and dramatic way are captivating and serve to thoroughly underline lessons for all of us."

"Our congregation was transformed by Marra Gad’s honesty and bravery as our featured speaker at this year’s Wolff-Toomim Distinguished Lecture Series. We learned from her experience how we can ensure that everyone feels welcomed and a sense of belonging in our community. Members felt 'seen' by Marra for the first time in a Jewish space, and as one person noted, she 'changed the thinking of everyone who heard her.' We are grateful to have had the experience of learning from Marra Gad."

"I wanted to let you know as I reflect before the High Holy Days that your presentation to our community last year made a deep and lasting impact. How do I know? Members of our community quote you regularly--either from a passage in your book or something that you shared when you spoke to us, to talk about how you helped them shift their perspective and what a big impact your talk made on them. Just wanted to share my thanks and gratitude again as we enter this new year. Thank you for initiating change and transformation in the hearts and minds of our community. May its impact be deeply and widely felt and may it lead to change."

"We cannot thank you enough for coming to be with us at our LEADS Lab Session. Hearing you speak about your story was not only empowering and inspiring but beautiful. We loved the experience of getting to know who you are and reflecting on our own lives. As teens, so many of us look for a way to be inspired and today, you were that. We are both so excited to read your full book. Both of us look forward to hopefully working with you in the future because your dedication to collaborating with us was amazing! Again, thank you for taking the time to come be with us!’...’This session was absolutely incredible! Marra inspired and interacted on such a personal level with all the teens in the call making the questions constantly roll in. Everyone seemed so in tune to what she was saying. She taught us and helped us grow which is what I call a success!’"

"Thank You!’ doesn’t feel adequate, but we can’t say it enough! Thank you for being a part of our mega-event, and the biggest virtual gathering of Jewish teens around the world. Thank you for so seamlessly connecting with our teens, allowing them to share their voices, hear your stories, and for being a part of their story. We are so grateful for the time, energy, and commitment you offered our teens across the weekend—we enjoyed every minute. It was so much fun to watch from our end too—both the press corps interview and the session!"

"Ms. Gad elegantly presented differentiated programs for each of our divisions (JK through 5thgrade, 6th through 8th grade and 9th through 12th grade) about her life experiences as a Mixed - Raced Jewish woman. She participated in a student-led interview format that fully engaged our students. Feedback from our students, parents and wider community was positive. The experience was enriching for all and Ms. Gad left us equipped to spread light instead of hatred."

"Marra is a warm, powerful and engaging speaker and facilitator who touched our students and our community with her deeply personal experience as a mixed-race, Jewishly engaged woman who was not fully embraced by either the Jewish community or the Black community. We are fortunate to have learned from Marra and to have her raise critical issues for the future of our community in a manner that invited reflection and circumspection. If your school or community cares about diversity, equity and inclusion, Marra is a partner who will touch the souls of all who come in contact with her."

"Every day, members of our community are confronted with the reality of racism and hatred not only in the world at large but in our Jewish community. As clergy, it is the obligation of our members to do the work and to teach their congregations to do the work to make our world a more welcoming place. We can no longer take the stand of “it doesn’t happen here!” when there are so many times where we can say, “but yes, it did…and it does.” When you sit down to read Marra Gad’s memoire, “The Color of Love: A Story of a Mixed-Race Jewish Girl” you see that there is still much work to be done for the next generation. Members of the American Conference of Cantors and our affiliate, the Guild of Temple Musicians, touch the lives of their congregations in so many ways—through teaching, music, pastoral care, and prayer—that it was a natural fit to have Marra talk about her life, her book and her experiences growing up in the Reform Movement. Throw in a pandemic to create one big complication in how we would bring Marra and “The Color of Love: A Story of a Mixed-Race Jewish Girl” to our members during our annual convention. This is a conversation that needs to happen face-to-face, but that was suddenly an impossibility. By pre-recording the discussion between Marra and Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro, we were able to overcome our technical difficulties and bring the entire conversation to our membership in a virtual world. Following the conversation, Marra joined us live to answer questions and expanded on stories which helped bring the conversation full circle. This session was a necessary first step which we were grateful to bring to our professional community. There is much work to be done. This is only a start…but what a great start it is! Reading the book and having an open and honest conversation in our communities is how we move in the right direction and bring the vision of welcoming and love into reality."

"Marra Gad is the epitome of graciousness and integrity. Her beautiful memoir certainly stands on its own, but to have a chance to be in dialogue with her is a gift and a blessing. While we were already inspired by her book, we had no idea how much we would be moved by Ms. Gad’s talking with us about her process of writing and sharing this important work with the world—and with the Jewish community in particular. It was not only eye-opening, but soul-opening, as well. Her message on the importance of both accountability and forgiveness is a lesson that we all need to take to heart. Ms. Gad is a generous, courageous, and inspirational speaker who has the rare ability to both challenge and reassure her audience through her warm, insightful, honest, and above all engaging style. Our congregation is beyond grateful to have had this time with her."

"Marra Gad’s deeply moving and significant memoir of navigating life, family, and society as a biracial Jewish woman opens up a conversation about race that is crucial for the Jewish community today. Marra’s honesty, compassion, and thoughtful approach can be felt not only through her book itself, but also through her speaking engagements about the work. On tour for Jewish Book Council in 2019-2020, Marra was a highly sought-after speaker. Her events consistently drew an audience eager to hear her story and the meaningful dialogue it inspires; her events also created space for individuals who have experienced racism or prejudice to see aspects of their own lives represented, and a community open to engaging with these issues. Marra approached each event with care, working together with the hosting organization to ensure the best setup possible to share her compelling story."

"Hadassah’s Power Hour event was brought to life by Marra Gad. Her spirit, grit, tenacity and bravery came clearly through as she shared her life and her story of race, hope and ultimately, love. Our audience of over 300 listened raptly as Marra wove her magic, addressing the National focus on race and equality while leaving us more aware and more hopeful for a stronger future."

"Marra Gad was an invaluable resource and asset to my Panhellenic Association Recruitment training at the University of Maryland. Although Marra is not the typical speaker that is brought to Greek Life across the country, she perfectly delivered a perspective that inspired my community to want to be better in our efforts of combating racism and other forms of exclusion that have existed in Greek Life for over a century. Marra engaged beautifully on what it means to belong and how to accept the honest truth when sometimes that is hard, especially for young adults. Through sharing personal experiences, truly being an open book, and answering any questions that came her way, Marra instilled confidence in me as a leader and in my community as we are about to expand through our recruitment process in a couple months. Just as Marra was not the typical speaker for us, we were not the typical audience for her. However, that did not stop her, and she was ready to take on a new challenge and delivered it beautifully."