Torah Queeries News Today

Rabbi Mychal Copeland of Sha'ar Zahav, San Francisco's LGBTQI synagogue, on the Torah's attitude toward drag and why her synagogue incorporated drag story hour into their Purim celebration this year.

Among the topics addressed are family purity and when to use a ritual bath, and how a trans man converting to Judaism should be 'circumcised'

Scholars and rabbis affiliated with Svara, the 20-year-old queer yeshiva based in Chicago, are working on the first collection of Jewish legal opinions written by and for trans Jews.

A transgender rabbi finds that many medieval-era rabbis were asking the same questions about Jewish law that she is.

All those moments and more aside, Lesser cites guiding Congregation Bet Haverim’s young people among his proudest moments. “Supporting our children to find their authentic expression and create a model of Judaism that is loving, compassionate, and challenges the gatekeeping norms that too many congregations still adopt,” Lesser said. Lesser took some time to reflect on his time at CBH, how times have changed since he started, and his visions for the future for himself, the congre...