Does a trans woman who converts to Judaism need to be circumcised? On what side of the mechitzah should non-binary converts sit, particularly if they didn’t grow up sitting on one side of it? How do trans converts end up deciding these things for themselves? And why do trans people convert to Judaism in today’s America in the first place? This is a not-uncommon phenomenon, and this class aims to unpack it. This class will take a trans-affirming approach to explore these and other questions surrounding trans converts to Judaism in the contemporary United States. The new and growing field of trans Jewish studies is an exciting one, and this class will help provide a rudimentary look into just one slice of it.

This class is meant to be accessible and discussion-based—no previous knowledge of queer or trans studies, or of halakhah, is required.

Nicole Malte Collins (she/her) is a PhD student in Religious Studies at Brown University, where she researches transgender converts to Judaism in the contemporary United States. She received an MTS from Harvard Divinity School and a BA from Carleton College.