Last month, the
Trans Halakha Project from
SVARA, the queer and trans Talmud yeshiva, released eleven glittering gems of brand-new knowledge into the world: ten teshuvot, practical papers on applying Jewish law to our lives, each written on a different facet of the trans experience, and
Tefilat Trans, a pocket-sized prayerbook of Jewish blessings and rituals for moments of trans experience.
Their authors create “euphoric halakha”—not dysphoric halakha—by bringing their own experiences of transness to questions of transness as has never been done before in Jewish history.
But trans halakha is for everyone: as each one of us learns from these documents, we will discover more than we knew was possible about ourselves, our friends and neighbors, and about Judaism.
The New Synagogue Project in Washington, DC, along with Yeshiva Shel Maala, the Torah Studio, and Synagogues Rising, are excited to announce a Revolutionary Reading Group to hold ourselves and each other accountable for learning the work of the Trans Halakha Project.
On alternate weeks from the middle of Iyar till Rosh Hashanah, chevrutas (study pairs) will learn and discuss a teshuva, and the following week we will all meet synchronously on Zoom to present the paper and its findings, then discuss our impressions of it. Of course, you don’t have to attend the synchronous meetings to follow the reading schedule—the learning happens all the same!
ASL and CART captioning are available upon request. Please let us know any additional access needs below:
The dates for the reading group synchronous meetings are:
May 3
Be Whole: A Halakhic Approach to Gender & Transition
by Alexandra Rose Kohanski
May 17
The Androgynos in the Laws of Milah & Niddah: A Potential Approach to Trans Halakha
by Alyx Bernstein
May 31
Milah & Hatafat Dam Brit in a Case of Sakanah (Danger)
by Ariel Ya’akov Berry
Jun 14
Conversion & Circumcision: A Trans Approach
by brin solomon
Jun 28
Immersing in a Mikvah While Wearing a Chest Binder
by Jamie Weisbach
Jul 12
Genderqueer Torah on Niddah: Jewish Practices of Sacred Sexuality for Nonbinary Folks & People of All Genders
by Jericho Vincent
Jul 26
no reading group meeting for Tisha B'Av
Aug 2
Gender-Inclusive Mikva’ot
by Lara Haft
Aug 16
Are Trans Women Obligated in Niddah? How Can That Obligation be Fulfilled?
by Rabbi Xava de Cordova
Aug 30
Caring For & Removing Body Parts Related to Gender-Affirming Care
by Willemina Davidson
Sep 13
In What Case(s) are Transgender Men or Transmasculine People Obligated in Bris Milah?
by Zachary Carruthers
This reading group is run by unpaid volunteers and supported by NSP staff. If you would like to make a donation to help us fund opportunities like this, please do so below!
Moreover,
we strongly encourage you to donate to the Trans Halakha Project to support and further their work
at this link!
