TransTextual: Get to know the characters who lived beyond the gender binary in ancient Jewish holy texts
Fully Enrolled
Thursdays, November 7th through December 19th
4-5:30pm ET | 3-4:30pm CT | 1-2:30pm PT
Facilitated by Rabbi Elliot Kukla
In this era of rising trans panic and repression (often in the name of religion), it is more important than ever to learn about ancient non-binary figures and meet our “transcestors.” In this class, we will read English translations of millenia-old Jewish texts about the tumtum and adrogynos, two gender non-conforming figures, that appear frequently in the mishnah and Talmud. We will learn about how Adam (the first human being) was an androgynos; how Abraham and Sarah (the first monotheists) were tumtums; how to have sex with an androgynos, the joys of drag, and more. No knowledge of Hebrew, religious background, or beliefs are required or expected to participate in this class. We will make use of a number of access tools including Live Captioning and ASL; you will have an opportunity to indicate other access needs upon registration.
Who is this space for?
Anyone who wants to get to know more about gender diversity in classical Jewish texts and/or explore their own nonbinary or trans lineage.
We know that virtual learning comes with a holy host of nuances and it can be hard to know exactly what to expect of an online experience. For that reason, we’ve gathered a list of the nitty-gritty details that will help you envision the fullest picture of each of our offerings!
- We’ll meet once a week on Thursday from 4–5:30pm ET (except 11/28)
- There are six sessions and regular attendance, to the extent that each learner is able, is strongly encouraged. However, we understand that access needs may interfere with attendance, and we strive to make this class as accessible as possible.
- No “homework” required between sessions
- All learning materials will be provided in an online portal
- Includes breakout spaces
- Live captioning is available in the main Zoom space. If you would benefit from live captioning in breakout rooms, you can request it in our enrollment form!
