Judaism moves toward transgender rights.
By Megan Sanchez
Inclusiveness has always been a value of the Iowa Hillel House — a place for the small population of Jewish students at the University of Iowa to gather. Now, Jews are expressing this value on a more national scale.
The Union for Reform Judaism passed a resolution last week granting more equal rights for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. Synagogues and Hillels across the nation are starting to re-sign their bathrooms — a step the Iowa Hillel made nearly ten years ago.
“Our restroom here … we have a women’s room, but we also have a gender-neutral restroom,” said Iowa Hillel Executive Director Gerald Sorokin. “It’s not up to me to decide who goes where. We want people to feel comfortable, so we have a gender-neutral restroom, and that’s an easy step.”
Ab Weeks, a 19-year-old from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, has been out as gender-queer for a little over a year now. They prefer to use “they/them” pronouns and do not identify as either male or female. They go to a church that is open and affirming, and they said feeling comfortable in their place of worship is extremely important.
“The one person you can be truly honest with is God,” they said. “If you’re forced to be closeted in that place of worship, you’re not really being honest, and so being able to do that is really important.”
Today, there are three main types of Jewish practice: Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform. Each has a different approach to holiday observances and religious practices.
The Iowa Hillel has members who identify with all three practices. Sorokin estimated that between 2 and 3 percent of the UI’s population is Jewish.
UI senior Michelle Livitz, the vice president of Iowa Hillel, said she is thrilled to hear about the resolution.
“I’m happy to hear it,” she said. “Every religion has a variety of different people who believe in that faith and I think that being inclusive with all of those people … and making someone feel welcome in their own faith is obviously important.”
Sorokin said the Iowa Hillel tries to be inclusive not just on gender issues but when it comes to political issues, and even religious beliefs.
The center often holds events in which people from all different faiths are encouraged to attend. He said he feels the resolution, especially having been made on a national level, is a step in the right direction.
“In the Jewish bible, it says very clearly that we’re created in the image of God,” he said. “Every human being has value, and every human being ought to be respected for who they are and given every opportunity to flourish, whether they’re men, they’re women, they identify as trans, those are completely appropriate categories, all of which ought to be respected and somehow celebrated.”