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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.