| Abstract: | In addressing inclusion for trans Jews, clergy and other leaders in mainstream Jewish institutions may consider how trans Jews can fit into existing normative structures of Jewish law, practice, and community. While some trans Jews are interested in this assimilative version of inclusion, others desire Jewish recognition and affirmation of trans identity. Based on ethnographic and interpretive research, this article examines affirming rituals innovated by and for trans Jews. Instead of engaging with inclusion practices that uphold normativity, the trans Jews discussed in this article are invested in reinterpreting and expanding tradition in order to establish a Judaism that goes beyond recognition or assimilation to affirmation of trans identity. |
