LimmudVan ’14 at the JCC

“Why did you convert?” “How did you know you were trans?” “What does your family think?” Have you ever asked these questions of someone you just met who is a Jew-by-choice or identifies as trans? Do you bring up the fact of a conversion or transition with someone when it is just the two of you privately speaking? Have you ever shared that someone is a Jew-by-choice or trans to another person without their permission?

Have you ever wondered whether Jewish tradition offers guidance about how to interact with transgender people? This presentation explores the parallels and differences between gender transition and Jewish conversion. Working through the existing body of Jewish text and thought regarding treatment of the ger provides a Jewish ethic that can form the basis of how we can not only avoid deliberate or inadvertent oppression but move beyond to create communities that are inclusive and supportive of trans people and Jews-by-choice.