In this one-off class, we will engage traditional and modern Jewish texts to ask how niddah – Jewish laws about menstruation and sex – can be a resource in our lives as queer people. Although these laws are saturated with assumptions about what constitutes “normal” bodies and “normal” sex, they also suggest paths forward for sanctifying our bodies and sex lives just as they are. This class is also open to allies.
Rabbi Avigayil Halpern (she/her) is a writer and educator whose work focuses on feminist and queer Torah. Currently based in Berlin, you can find R. Avigayil online at ravigayil.com, @_ravigayil on Instagram, and avigayil.substack.com.
This shiur was recorded on Nov 15, 2023 as part of the Fall 5784 Niddah Lecture Series.