Each session of this ongoing series explores the intersection of Judaism and queer identity. Putting these two identities in conversation creates tremendous potential for finding meaning and a deeper understanding of each identity. Everyone, regardless of whether or not they hold a queer and/or trans identity, is welcome. 

Binary ways of thinking-- the "either/or" model-- exist everywhere, not just in relation to gender. Jewish ritual and practice have an especially complicated relationship with binaries: while Jewish texts often quest for clear-cut answers, at other times, Jews also know how to cherish the in-between moments of time and place. This push-and-pull of seeking to define vs. living in the gray areas is something that many queer and trans people know particularly intimately. In this interactive workshop, we'll learn from contemporary queer and Jewish texts to help us parse out when rigid boundaries serve us well, and what it might mean, at other times, to think from a "nonbinary" perspective. Bring as much or as little gender as you have.

 Eli Lurie Sobel brings their love of words and storytelling to their work as an educator to people of all ages. He has taught at numerous institutions on the intersection of LGBTQ+ identity and culture with Jewish identity and practice. Eli lives outside Boston and greatly enjoys their role as the Greater Boston Education & Training Manager at Keshet, where our mission is for LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life.