Tools to Observe Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), memorializes trans individuals who have died because of anti-transgender discrimination and victimization. It occurs annually on and around November 20 each year. We invite you to explore, learn, and participate with your Jewish community this year. Below are some resources to get you started. And if you missed our earlier post by Rafi Daugherty, on why marking this day is important, you can find it here.

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Featured Resources

A Jewish Guide for Marking Transgender Day of Remembrance


A Jewish Guide for Marking Trans Day of Remembrance
Contains readings, personal stories from transgender people, quotes from rabbinic leaders, and suggested concrete action steps.

 

Jewish Observance

See how Jewish organizations are observing TDOR this year and check out events happening around the country.

How is your Jewish community planning to observe? Tell us about it here.


“When Do You Take A Stand?” Guide

This Hanukah guide, part of the Ask Big Questions/Hillel, is perfect for group discussions about the risks and rewards of taking a stand.  The guide features an important, moving essay by author S. Bear Bergman about the intersection of Hanukkah and Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Trans Day of Remembrance Info Sheet

Includes tips for hosting a successful remembrance event, guiding principles, ideas for events, and planning tips.

Liturgy

Transgender Shabbat Liturgy

Shabbat services with liturgy, poems, and other readings specifically compiled for TDOR.

Prayer for Transgender Day of Remembrance

A prayer (in English) written by Rabbi Reuben Zellman on the occasion of TDOR.

D’var Torah

Transgendered Hearts: Abraham, Sarah and Isaac

In this d’var Torah, professor, poet, and Keshet board member Joy Ladin retells the biblical stories of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac through the lens of their gender and life transitions as a way for transgender readers to find themselves in the Torah.
Learn more

Parashat Toledot: Transgender Day of Remembrance

In this sermon about identity and self-understanding, Kadin Henningsen highlights the ways that characters in this Torah portion come to know themselves and what we as LGBT people can glean from this.

Surely God is in This Place – a d’var Torah for TDOR

Vanessa “Vinny” Prell offers some insights into how we, as queer Jews and allies, can understand and connect with what it means to be transgender.

A brief d’var on Vayeitzei and Trans* Day of Remembrance

Additional resources on transgender Jewish issues

Making Your Jewish Congregation or Community More Transgender Friendly

A brochure with concrete steps that Jewish communities can take to be more inclusive of their transgender members.

All-Gender Restroom Signs

For many transgender people and people who don’t conform to societal gender norms, using a public restroom is a daily struggle. Use this sign at your next event to explain why you have created an all-gender bathroom.

Transgender and Jewish

A terrific series by The Forward exploring transgender and Jewish identity.

From the Keshet Blog

Honor a transgender Jewish hero


Kate Bornstein Poster
Kate Bornstein is a Jewish transgender author, playwright, performance artist and gender theorist.

Buy the poster

 

“I AM: Trans People Speak” Videos

Check out this series of videos of transgender Jews and allies to trans Jews. Tremendous gratitude to Keshet members Alex, David, Stacy, Stephanie, and Suzie for sharing your lives with us and to the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition for this project.

Discover More

International Transgender Day of Visibility: A Jewish Perspective

For a while, just as Transgender Day of Remembrance was getting established as an observance, a competing movement emerged. That ...

A Personal Message about Transgender Day of Remembrance

When I was growing up, as a little girl in the Orthodox Jewish community, I would stare longingly over the ...

Trans Day of Remembrance: To Every Thing There is a Season

A few weeks ago, many Jewish communities, mine included, read from Megilat Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) during the holiday of Sukkot. I ...