In honor of the annual observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance we are devoting space in our blog to posts about gender, such as “
Transgender 101
,” personal reflections from two parents faced with the reality of gender roles at day care, a Tachlis of inclusion post on“How to Hire a Transgender Rabbi,” transgender ally-ship wisdom from the Torah’s patriarchs and matriarchs, and even what a rabbi learned from binge watching the show Transparent. Also, be sure to check out Duncan’s earlier reflections on the freedom—and the burden—of coming out.
Today we share this beautiful and painful rendition of “Unetanah Tokef,” a poem from our Yom Kippur liturgy, in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance and the lives we have lost. Trigger warning: This post includes violent imagery.
The Bloods of Thy Siblings
Untitled picture by Flickr user “ceruleandepths.”
Because I weep every Yom Kippur,
To read ‘Who by fire?’
To hear ‘Who by water?’
Who by strangling?
Who by gunshot?
Who by apathetic silence,
And who with deafening rage?
Who by the edge of a knife
And who by blunt force trauma?
Destroying a single soul destroys the world.
Because we destroyed 238 worlds last year,
And because the world seems unaware.
Because we say Never Again.
Because its still happening.
Because every week I recite Kaddish
For another trans person, another trans woman.
And because sometimes there is not even a name for the lost.
Because there can never be a word big enough for this loss.
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Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20th. How will your Jewish community observe the day?
Yom Kippur
Pronounced: yohm KIPP-er, also yohm kee-PORE, Origin: Hebrew, The Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar and, with Rosh Hashanah, one of the High Holidays.
