
Lexi Kohanski
Full CV
As a descendant of the Lover and Pursuer of Peace, Aharon, and the line of priestly tenders of the Temple, Lexi’s ancestral mission lies in sanctifying the offerings of all our hearts so that the Presence can dwell in this world. In her work as a queer, white Ashkenazi, trans female Jewish educator, Lexi focuses on empowering those of us who have not felt at home in Judaism to own our texts and traditional lifeways.

Talks and Events
New Voices Magazine
February 2024
When Torah Hurts
What do we do when the Torah confronts us with verses that contradict our lived realities? As queer readers and practitioners of Torah, one of our grounding principles must be that the Torah is in harmony with what we know to be true about the world. Rather than distancing us from our tradition, the heart of Jewish faith lies in the pain of that initial encounter and the struggle to uncover meanings that restore life. We will explore how Jewish thinkers have applied this approach to Genesis 1:27--what could this verse mean if it can't be that God created the gender binary? In the second half of the workshop, you’ll also get to practice this framework on a Jewish text that seems to contradict your own truths.
Congregation Bnai Israel
June 2022
A Date With Davening
Prime time Shavuot shiur with 100+ person audience. Our community gathers for services, but what are we actually doing when we daven? A discussion framed by approaches from Non-Violent Communication, the Rambam, and the Zohar. 45 minutes. Northampton, MA.
Nefesh LA
May 2023
Bodies Beyond Good and Evil
Video shown at Nefesh LA's Shavuot learning. What are the spiritual stakes in claiming that gender transition is a Torah mitzvah? Framing transness as a part of relationship with the divine empowers us, uplifts our sense of self, and adds the weight of responsibility to our journeys. Video, 20 minutes.
My Jewish Living and Mount Holyoke College
March 2023
Encountering Gender at Creation
Guest teacher for LGBTQ Jewish student group Torah Queeries. As queer readers and practitioners of Torah, one of our grounding principles must be that the Torah does not contradict what we know to be true about the world. An experiment in applying this principle to Genesis 1:27--what could this verse mean if it can't be that God created the gender binary? Shiur, 2 hours. South Hadley, MA.
Yeshiva Shel Maala
April 2023
Revealing God's Face
A practical tutorial on writing tefillot full of power and self-expression, using this original prayer for a trans woman upon laser hair removal as a model. Shiur, virtual, 90 minutes.
Congregation Ohav Shalom
March 2023
Scholar in Residence
One shabbaton, 3 events. Friday night vort on astrology, faith, and reading gender. Saturday morning dvar Torah, “Do Something So They Can Live: Dysphoria as Exile.” Saturday afternoon open Q&A with the congregation. Albany, NY.
Fort Tryon Jewish Center
June 2023
Trans Pride Shabbaton
3 events. Dvar Torah: The experience of the Clouds of Glory mirrors encounters with trans bodies. Kiddush schmooze speaker on mobilizing the Jewish community against anti-trans legislation. Panel speaker about the Trans Halakha Project. New York, NY.
The Torah Studio
May 2023
Accepting the Mitzvahs
A deep dive into how the halakhic discourse on kabbalat mitzvot helps us understand Jewish conversion, covering Tannaitic material through the Acharonim. Shiur, virtual, 90 minutes.
SVARA x Shel Maala
September 2023
Compiling the Next Trans Codex: Be Whole
Interactive walkthrough of the sources for the mitzvah of gender transition. Conceiving of transition as a mitzvah lets trans Jews understand trans identity without defending our right to exist. Shiur, virtual, 90 minutes.
Smith College
February 2024
SCJC Guest Speaker
Dvar Torah on Mishpatim - The Torah is not a solid rock that does not change; it's more like a LEGO set that we have the power to arrange, for beauty and blessing. Q&A with the Smith Jewish student community about Lexi's experience of queer and trans Jewishness.
Classes
The Ohel Minyan
October 2021
Shatz Like A Boss
8-session skill building course on leading the weekday Shacharit service. Deepened students' understanding of the meanings of the tefillot and trained them in traditional Ashkenazi nusach, with the aim of cultivating more leaders for the minyan. Co-taught with Sasha Batz Stern, funded by the Grinspoon Foundation. 10 students.
The Torah Studio
Fall 2023
Worlds To Come Beta Test
Worlds To Come is an immersive tabletop roleplaying adventure for learning Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew. This beta test of the game was its first extended trial, with six beginner students learning the full Qal Imperfect verb paradigm and vocabulary over the course of six 3-hour sessions split between traditional lessons and live language activation through gameplay. Virtual.
Yeshiva Shel Maala
December 2023
Who Created These!
SVARA-style text study course on the aspects of Hashem called Mi and Eleh in the Zohar (1b-2a). Each class consisted of chevruta, reading, discussion, and a Zoharic Aramaic grammar lesson. 33 students, virtual.
Publications and Writing
Halachic Left
June 2024
Beneath the Mountain / למרגלית ההר: A Shavuot reader
A guided source sheet for Shavuos on why the Torah was received in the wilderness and not in the Land of Israel. Texts from Theopolitics and Queer Phenomenology give practical texture to the Nesivos Shalom's conception of Shavuos as a time of the Torah's complete renewal. p19-22
YouTube
2021-2023
T4Torah
A YouTube channel which is a living document of trans Jews reclaiming our texts and our God, and looking good doing it. Featuring original drashot and chevruta learning, written, starring, and edited by Lexi. 14 full-length videos.
The Trans Halakha Project
January 2023
Be Whole: A Halakhic Approach to Gender and Transition
A framework for trans identity in Jewish law and life. “Halakhic sex” does not exist, and gender transition is a mitzvah. 30 pages, Hebrew and English.
Gashmius Magainze vol 3
February 2024
A Lesson From God In Trans Visibility
Visibility is a major concern for the trans community, putting us at risk of violence while being necessary to secure our rights. The moment of encountering an illegible body can be understood as a divine experience, spiritually comparable to witnessing the Clouds of Glory settle on the Tabernacle. 3000 words.
Work Experience
The Torah Studio
2023-Present
Director of Online Learning
Oversees all online programming, including weekly courses, one-off shiurim, teacher training and student evaluation. Serves up to 90 adult students per quarter. Collaborates with Execute Director Liana Wertman on visioning the organization's growth and implementing strategies. Virtual.
Education
Yashrut
2024-Present
The Classic Talmud Program
"The Classic Talmud Program (CTP) is a skills-focused program aimed at improving students’ abilities to study Talmud deeply and independently, utilizing traditional modes of Talmud study and employing multiple pedagogical modalities."
5785 - Ketubot Perek 1 with Rabbis Isaac Landes, Joel Goldstein, and Lexie Botsum