For many trans people, practicing religion can be complicated and difficult. In my life, being both trans and Jewish has undoubtedly shaped who I am. While it has brought challenges, as I’ve grown, I’ve found that being transgender and Jewish can truly enrich each other. My spirituality today is deeply connected to my trans identity and my transition.

Judaism is full of traditions where men and women are seen as having rigid roles. When I was younger, this seemed not to fit with my understanding of myself and my gender. However, as I’ve explored my community, my history, and the texts that have been handed down to me, I’ve come to see Judaism as a practice of questioning and re-creation. 

When I was a teenager, I attended a trans-only weekend retreat hosted by Keshet, an organization for LGBTQ+ Jews. That was where I first discovered the richness of transgender Jewish life. I found power in the way our texts reflected many forms of gender. I found comfort in the community we built and the love we shared among each other.

One Jewish value that has spoken to me in my transition is tikkun olam, which means “repairing the world.” Tikkun olam reminds us of our responsibility to make the world a more just place, where everyone can live freely. For me, my transition has been an act of tikkun olam—repairing myself as a step toward repairing the world. By aligning my outer self with who I am inside, I am better equipped to care for myself and others. I can show up in my community authentically.

There’s a strong connection between transness and spirituality. This isn’t just through Jewish values like tikkun olam, or gender diversity in Jewish texts. It’s also in the act of transition itself. Hunter Schafer, in her Euphoria special episode, said, 

At least for me, being trans is spiritual. It’s not like, for some congregation. It’s for me. It’s mine. It belongs to me. And I don’t ever want to stand still. Like, I want to be alive. I mean, that’s what this has always been about, is, like . . . staying alive.

I feel similarly. Transition can be deeply spiritual, and supporting trans people in religious spaces is essential to their well-being. Judaism teaches pikuach nefesh— saving a life above all else. With so many trans people around the world facing violence, affirming trans identities is truly a matter of life and death. Judaism’s focus on the value of life pushes us to protect and uplift trans people.

Being a religious trans person hasn’t always been easy. I’ve experienced alienation, especially in more conservative spaces. But I’ve also found profound connection. In queer Jewish spaces, my identity is celebrated, and my spiritual voice is valued. In my community, I find peace in the idea of b’tzelem Elohim, which teaches that we are all made in the image of G-d. This means that all people, no matter their gender, are reflections of the divine. Our diversity, including gender diversity, is something to celebrate. Trans people are created in G-d’s image.  To me, transition is an act of co-creation with G-d. Author Daniel Mallory Ortberg reminds us: 

As my friend Julian puts it, only half winkingly: ‘G-d blessed me by making me transsexual for the same reason G-d made wheat but not bread and fruit but not wine, so that humanity might share in the act of creation.’

I feel my Jewishness most strongly through my transness. My trans and Jewish communities love me, and I feel most connected to myself through the act of becoming.