Transition plays a big part in the history of the Jewish people. Ivri – the root of ‘Hebrew’ – means ‘to cross over’. The Jewish story has been one of becoming,: a formation of personal and cultural identity. This evolution and journey resonates with my experiences of gender transition.
In 2020, after converting to Judaism three years prior, I marked the end of my gender transition by reading a blessing over the sefer Torah (a handwritten scroll of the Bible used in synagogue services) and spoke to my congregation about the importance of receiving my Gender Recognition Certificate.
I was able to transition at the age of 16 with the support of my mum and organisations like Gendered Intelligence, which means I have lived the entirety of my adulthood feeling confident in myself, as I finished school and entered the workplace.
My conversion to Judaism mirrored my gender transition. Joining a Jewish community meant a new way of living and being, a new shared identity. There was lots to learn. Many trans people need to learn legal, medical and social knowledge to move through the world as trans; similarly, in the process of my conversion, I learned Hebrew, celebrated new festivals, and grappled with moral and theological questions. Becoming Jewish meant learning about antisemitism and some of the incredible Jewish teachers, artists and thinkers who transformed the world, just as I’ve learned about our trans elders’ historic fight for justice.
There can be hostility from both inside and outside of the Jewish community towards trans Jews. It’s important to not minimise the tension and harm caused to trans people who are ostracised because of some conservative interpretations of the Torah. However, LGBTQIA+ Jewish people have been, and are, pillars of Jewish communities across the world.
Activists like the iconic author Leslie Feinberg laid valuable groundwork for understanding gender and transness. Modern projects like Svara’s radical Trans Halakha Project and The Queer Yeshiva create spaces to centre queer and trans Jews, a lifeline for those who might feel marginalised in ‘mainstream’ Jewish spaces and who want to create beautiful, intentional communities.
Then there are openly trans rabbis, such as Rabbi Reuben Zellman, who have paved the way for more trans people to become leaders. They create vital representation for trans and queer people who never thought this could be a possibility.
Even in Orthodox communities, people like Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, a parent to a trans child, are outspoken allies and hold difficult conversations in spaces where it’s even more difficult for trans Jews to thrive.
Together, they are leading with the truth that trans people have been here throughout all of history. We see this in the expansive understandings of gender that are woven throughout the years into the stories of key Biblical figures.
18th Century Hassidic teacher Rabbi Yechiel Michael taught that Isaac was born with a female soul and afterwards obtained a male soul. Abraham and Sarah were often considered to be tumtum – someone whose sex is unknown. Joseph’s ‘Dreamcoat’ is only referenced again in the Bible when a similar garment is worn by maiden princesses. Rabbi Elliot Kukla teaches that the first person, the ‘adam’, was created as a gender neutral being in one form – male and female together.
It felt right that the closure of my transition was celebrated spiritually through the roots that Judaism’s rituals gave me. More broadly, there is great value in examining how we are all transitional beings. In communities all over the world, we embrace our milestones with communal joy.
By examining our similarities, we learn about how we can support cultures that at first we may not immediately understand, including Jewish people who are brave enough to be true to themselves.
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