Trans Jews are Here 2021 Convening
We are thrilled to announce that the recordings from the convening are now available! For those who couldn’t’ make it, or just want to revisit the rich and profound day of programming, we invite you to click here to access a playlist featuring all the recordings from the day-of (keep in mind some programs were intentionally not recorded to respect the wishes of program leaders and participants), as well as two other programs we hosted leading up to the convening – Poetry at CBST: Joy Ladin in Conversation with Ariel Zitny and Two Dads Talking About Talking About Gender with S. Bear Bergman and Rabbi Mike Moskowitz.
Thank you for considering a contribution at your discretion to support Trans & Non-Binary programming at CBST. Your support is essential to helping us continue to provide the vital and profound programming that we are proud to create here at CBST!
The Trans Jews are Here 2021 Convening took place on Trans Day of Visibility – Wednesday, March 31, 2021. In 2019, the first Trans Jews are Here convening brought together trans and non-binary Jewish individuals, including some of our very own spiritual leaders, artists, educators, performers, and more, to celebrate and explore the intersection of transgender identity and Jewish life.
View the 2021 Convening Program!
The 2021 convening was fully online, with a full day of trans, Jewish – focused programming ranging from ritual to art to education and more. There was also an allyship track for cisgender friends, family, and community members to participate and learn. View the full schedule here!
Registration was offered free of charge to ensure ease of participation for all, however we do encourage an additional contribution at your discretion to support the convening and ongoing trans & non-binary programming at CBST!
Convening Merchandise
Our official Trans Jews are Here 2021 Convening merchandise, including a t-shirt, matzah cover, frosted-glass mug / Kiddish cup for the Pesach Seder, and event poster, all featuring art by nonbinary artist Jess Nora (they/she; their/her).
Workshop Proposals
We received so many truly amazing proposals – thank you to everyone who submitted or helped to spread the word!
Organizational Sponsors, Partners, & Institutional Allies
CBST is honored to have had the support of our organizational sponsors and partners who have helped to make this program happen. For a full list of convening sponsors and partners, view the 2021 Convening Program!
“Freedom of Living Truth” shows the liberating experience of a trans person accepting their true self. Just as the Red Sea waters parting brought great relief and hope for the future to the Jewish People as they left the land of Egypt, so is the ability to be one’s true self in the world. On Trans Day of Visibility, we celebrate those who are able to live life as their true self as we also push for more spaces to be truly safe for Trans folks to come out. We raise our voices in song, timberal in our hands as Miriam did, celebrating the freedom to be our authentic self.
Jess Nora (they/them) is a disabled, non-binary, Jewish artist and art activist who uses their art to help bring attention to commonly dismissed and often painful realities that are so commonly overlooked by society. You can find more of Jess Nora’s work at JessicaNora.com or @JessicaNoraArtist on instagram and facebook.
Trans Jews Are Here 2021 Convening Schedule
10:00 AM to 10:50 AM (Eastern Time) – Main Track
Avodat Lev (service of the heart)
with Itai Gal
OPEN to cisgender allies
Let’s gather for a moment of grounding and liveliness and send loving energy through our bodies with the vibrations of our voices. Sing your heart out, we can’t hear you! Family, housemates, beloveds, cats, and any other dear ones at home are welcome.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
Queer Kid Stuff Live!
with Lindz Amer
OPEN to cisgender allies
Lindz and their best stuffed-friend Teddy will sing songs and tell stories inspired by their popular webseries, Queer Kid Stuff celebrating all things social justice and LGBTQ+ for the whole family.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages, Kids and families!
This workshop will be recorded
Stuck on TERF Island: how trans Jews are organising across the pond
with Jonathan Fernandez & Eden Ladley
OPEN to cisgender allies
Responding to a meteoric rise in transphobia in the UK, Eden Langley and Jonathan Fernandez discuss the situation: how a hotbed of media disinformation has influenced transphobic organising, the TERF lobby’s links to antisemitism and our experiences as trans people in the Jewish community.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
11:00 AM to 11:50 AM (Eastern Time) – Main Track
There’s A Rainbow for Everyone!
with Stephen Figurasmith
OPEN to cisgender allies
This workshop will support children in tapping into their own agency to be advocates for trans rights. Through stories and music, participants will explore how gender stereotypes and heteronormativity impact their lives and ways they can disrupt these forces to create a world that is safe and free for all.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender non-conforming Jews, and Cisgender Allies, ages 2-10 and their families
This workshop will be recorded
Obligation: Holy binds
with Rabbi Becky Silverstein
OPEN to cisgender allies
Halakhah (Jewish law) posits that Jews are obligated to perform mitzvot. As part of the launch of the Trans Halakhah Project, we will discuss obligation. To whom? To what? How does gender affect our lived experience of obligation?
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
Insights in Jewish Disability and Aging
with Rabbah Rona Matlow, ASL Interpretation from Julián and Jessica
CLOSED to cisgender allies
In this workshop we will have a short period of presentation about disability and aging in current scholarship and Jewish tradition, as well as some polling, and then open the floor for various forms of discussions. The topic of disability, particularly neurodivergence, is a very hot-button topic in the trans community.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will be only partially recorded
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM (Eastern Time) – Both Tracks
Welcome to the Trans Jews are Here 2021 Convening!
with ASL Interpretation from Julián and Jessica
OPEN to cisgender allies
Join Convening Director Ariel Zitny, Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, and Guest Cantorial Intern Ze’evi Berman as we gather for a very special Kedushat Hayom for Trans Day of Visibility! To sanctify this day, we will discuss the importance of TDoV, join together in song, and offer blessings for this holy day and this holy community.
For: Open to all
This program will be recorded
1:00 PM to 1:50 PM (Eastern Time)
Trans-ing the TaNaKh
with Martin Rawlings-Fein
CLOSED to cisgender allies
This workshop will explore the TaNaKh as a literature work with a trans lens for the gender-nonconforming and G!d’s ever-shifting fluidity of gender. We will identify gender transforming places in the text where we may read our story woven into the fabric of Biblical storytelling.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
This workshop is sponsored by Sha’ar Zahav Synagogue
Friendship as a Way of Life
with Rabbi Max Reynolds
CLOSED to cisgender allies
Drawing off of Jewish tradition + queer theory, we will explore the role of friendship as a sustaining source of support and generativity for queer & trans people.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Queer and Trans identified people
This workshop will not be recorded
Building Online Community for Trans and Queer Jews
with Xava De Cordova
OPEN to cisgender allies
Trans and queer Jews were already more likely to be excluded from Jewish community before the pandemic and COVID has only made things worse. This workshop will explore how we can use the lessons and experiences of my co-founding the first online-first queer yeshiva. We will discuss the ways that I and other trans people in the Shel Maala community have built the space and brainstorm together what the online communities of tomorrow might look like.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
1:15 PM to 3:15 PM (Eastern Time) – Allyship Track
Keshet Allyship Training
with Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael & Dubbs Weinblatt
OPEN to cisgender allies
At the end of this two-hour interactive training, participants will
– Build a common definition of allyship
– Approach allyship with a growth mindset
– Approach allyship from a framework of authentic relationship with and accountability to LGBTQ people most impacted by bias and oppression.
– Recognize some ways in which biases around gender and sexual orientation impact LGBTQ individuals in communal or organizational settings (microbehaviors, barriers to access, etc).
– Begin to effectively intervene when witnessing microbehaviors, barriers to access, or homophobia/transphobia.
For: Cisgender allies, Open to All
This workshop will be recorded
This workshop is sponsored by Keshet
2:00 PM to 2:50 PM (Eastern Time) – Main Track
Exploring Trans Orthodox Lives: 2021
with Joshua Avishur & Dana Friedman
OPEN to cisgender allies
A Meet, Greet, with and of Orthodox Trans Jews in exploration of how we negotiate living an Orthodox life as part of the Jewish community. Orthodox traditions and communities generally exclude and shun people who transgress the prescribed gender binary. Many trans and non binary individuals leave their Orthodox faith because of this unbearable rejection. Come meet with individuals who have chosen to remain Orthodox while embracing their inner truth as a trans human being. The panel will present a few important issues and take your questions.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
This workshop is sponsored by JQ International
How Is This Fight Different from All Other Fights? A Trans Jewish Case for Abolition
with Enzi Tanner & Jamie Kavanah, ASL Interpretation from Julián and Leana
OPEN to cisgender allies
Join organizers for a conversation grounded in Jewish learning and tradition. Together, we’ll examine the intersecting histories of anti-Blackness, anti-queerness, and policing. Then, we’ll consider the responsibilities police have in our society and discuss other ways to meet those needs. Finally, we’ll look at ways to move towards a police-free future.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages, The intended audience is people who are interested in furthering the conversation around community safety and abolition, whatever their identities might be.
This workshop will be recorded
Trans Community in the US & Israel
with Nate Shalev & Elisha (Shuki) Alexander
OPEN to cisgender allies
This conversation focuses on the connections between the trans community in Israel & the US. Topics include the lived experiences of trans folks, the fight for rights & inclusion as well as topics that may relate like pinkwashing, BDS, etc. Led by A Wider Bridge & Maavarim, the Israeli trans rights organization.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
This workshop is sponsored by A Wider Bridge
Gender Euphoria & Dysphoria in Halakha/Jewish Law
with Laynie Soloman
CLOSED to cisgender allies
What lies at the intersection of Jewish law and trans experiences? What happens when we shift the conversation away from problems and issues, and turn our attention to the areas of expansion in Jewish law that queer realities create? As part of the launch of the Trans Halakha Project, we’ll explore resources and frameworks for shaping a halakhic future for and by trans people.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will not be recorded
3:00 PM to 3:50 PM (Eastern Time) – Main Track
Navigating Being Bi+ and Trans Within Religious Contexts
with Martin Rawlings-Fein
OPEN to cisgender allies
This workshop will navigate religious contexts, especially those that have often attempted to negate our ingrained gender and sexuality. We will take a trans-affirming look at making space in religious communities accessible to us all. As activists, theologians, rabbis, clerics, and practitioners, we must do the work to “queer” religion.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
Creating Community Archives: How to Document Trans, Jewish Lives
with Sky Karp
OPEN to cisgender allies
In this workshop, participants will learn how to use community-based archives to document Trans, Jewish lives. We will learn the principles of building a community archive and generate a virtual archive that commemorates the convening! We will also explore zines and oral histories as new ways to document our histories.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
Lift Up Our Gorgeous Trans Voices: A Community Sing!
with R’ Noam Lerman & Koach Baruch (KB) Frazier
CLOSED to cisgender allies
If you want to sing old familiar songs, or learn new ones, help us co-create a trans-fabulous Let My People Sing-style community sing. Although we cannot be in the same physical space to hear our voices together, we can still sing over zoom. Teach us your favorite soul songs/melodies that have been getting you through this time of covid-19, and learn what songs have been supporting and nourishing others in our community!
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, This is a trans-only space
This workshop will not be recorded
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM (Eastern Time) – Allyship Track
Rabbis as Allies
with Rabbi Guy Austrian, Rabbi Megan Doherty, Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, and Rabbi Becky Silverstein
OPEN to cisgender allies
Jewish clergy have a unique ability to influence the individual lives of trans Jews and their families, and to set the collective tone of our communities. It’s a power that can do much good, but can also cause damage–even or especially by accident. This panel of cisgender and transgender rabbis will share experiences and spark discussion about the role of clergy as allies across denominations and in a range of settings including camps, schools, congregations, and communal organizations.
For: Cisgender allies, Open to All
This workshop will be recorded
This workshop is sponsored by Fort Tryon Jewish Center
4:00 PM to 4:50 PM (Eastern Time) – Main Track
Change the World in Two Minutes: How to Share Your Story
with Rakhel Silverman
OPEN to cisgender allies
In this interactive session, participants will pick a personal experience and develop it into an engaging narrative that can help move trans equality forward. Participants will discuss how and why personal stories are so effective in creating transformative change, identify, develop, and refine their personal stories, better understand the ever changing relationship they have with their stories and their audience; and fine-tune their storytelling and public speaking skills.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender non-conforming Jews, and Cisgender Allies
This workshop will be recorded
This workshop is sponsored by PFLAG National
Pastoral Care for Trans and Non-Binary Jews
with Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman
OPEN to cisgender allies
Some Jewish observances and rituals have historically been gendered, and thus can provide challenges for trans and genderqueer Jews. Learn how Jewish clergy and communities have found creative ways to deal with milah (circumcision), mikveh (immersion), aliyot (torah blessings) and other historically gendered Jewish practice.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages, Everyone welcome!
This workshop will be recorded
This workshop is sponsored by The Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion
Making Halachic Decisions Involving Trans People? A Case Study From Tahara and Burial
with Rabbi Emily Aviva Kapor-Mater
CLOSED to cisgender allies
In this seminar, we will review the recent teshuva regarding tahara (purification of the body) and burial for transgender people, published by the Community Hevra Kadisha of Greater Boston. I will discuss the process of writing this teshuva, and how I came to the decisions I did. We will discuss some of the challenges in the current state of trans halacha, and how this teshuva can serve as a model for more trans-affirmative halacha in the future.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jewish Adults
This workshop will be recorded
4:45 PM to 5:45 PM (Eastern Time) – Allyship Track
The Place of Trans Torah in Jewish History
with Dr. David Zvi Kalman
OPEN to cisgender allies
Some Torah is designed to be eternally relevant. Other Torah just tries to speak to what happened yesterday. But Torah built for posterity sometimes fades, while Torah of the moment sometimes lasts forever. This class, given by an ally primarily for other allies, will talk about how this paradigm helps us understand the project of Trans Torah.
For: Cisgender allies, Open to All
This workshop will be recorded
5:00 PM to 5:50 PM (Eastern Time) – Main Track
Trans Jewish Podcasting
with Lulav Arnow & Jaz Twersky, Elijah Blue Reeves, and Xava de Cordova & Michael Sokolovsky
CLOSED to cisgender allies
The co-hosts of the three major trans Jewish podcasts will host a panel in which they discuss their process of podcasting, why podcasts work as a Jewish medium, and how other people could host their own queer trans Jewish podcasts. A Q&A section will be included.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
Be’sha’a Tova: Trans Temporalities in Israeli Media
with Dr. Slava Greenberg
CLOSED to cisgender allies
Is there a “good time” to transition? What is trans time and how it relates to both queer and crip time? In the workshop, we’ll discuss the connections between our temporal experiences and their artistic expressions.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
Mya Byrne & Fureigh: Songs & Stories
with Mya Byrne and Fureigh
CLOSED to cisgender allies
Award-winning songwriter Mya Byrne and indie rocker Fureigh trade songs, share stories, and lead a Q&A about writing for self- and community empowerment.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will be recorded
Genderqueer Torah
with Jericho Vincent
OPEN to cisgender allies
What does Judaism have to teach us about gender? In what ways might understanding genderqueer identities expand and deepen the spiritual lives of all people? Drawing together ancient sources, personal stories, and a provocative series of paintings, Jericho will offer new pathways to authenticity and connection through gender and Torah.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages, Cisgender Allies of all ages
This workshop will not be recorded
6:00 PM to 6:50 PM (Eastern Time) – Both Tracks
Trans Jews are Here 2021 Convening Plenary
with Sy Gitin, Rabbah Rona Matlow, Rakhel Silverman, & Enzi Tanner, moderated by Convening Director Ariel Zitny, with ASL Interpretation from Julián and Craig
OPEN to cisgender allies
A panel discussion on Intersectional Trans Jewish Identities featuring some of our amazing convening workshop leaders from the day. Our panelists will discuss how other marginalized identities can intersect with trans identity, and how we all can create more accessible and safe spaces of belonging.
For: Open to all
This program will be recorded
7:00 PM to 7:50 PM (Eastern Time) – Main Track
How to navigate religion, gender, and College life
with AJ McCormick
CLOSED to cisgender allies
This will be an affinity group for gender non-conforming Jewish College students. We will discuss what it’s like being on our own, and how to come to terms with our own identity of gender and Jewishness.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will be only partially recorded
Sustaining our Spirits
with Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael & Dubbs Weinblatt
CLOSED to cisgender allies
Transgender and nonbinary people often find ourselves educating, and advocating for our own dignity and safety. This work is sacred, and it can take a toll. We will reflect on the value of self- and mutual care, and encounter Jewish tools for spiritual healing and care to sustain us.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop is sponsored by Keshet
This workshop will be only partially recorded
Affinity Group for Disabled Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Nonconforming Jews
with Sy Gitin and Rakhel Silverman, with ASL Interpretation from Julián and Craig
CLOSED to cisgender allies
This will be a space for community and discussion among trans, non-binary, or gender nonconforming Jews who identify as Disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, and/or d/Deaf or hard of hearing.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will not be recorded
It’s Not All Rainbows and Butterflies: Parenting Caucus
with Rafi Daugherty
CLOSED to cisgender allies
This year has been an enormous stressor for everyone but most parents have been hit harder because of the lack of childcare options and total absence of community supports. Let’s get together to recognize the ways this year has impacted our parenting, the ways we have survived, and how we hope to thrive moving forward as the incredible families we are.
For: Trans, Non-binary, & Gender Nonconforming Jews of all ages
This workshop will not be recorded