Trans Spirituality: Orthodoxy Has Failed Us
This last week of March is a really busy time! The 31st was Trans Day of Visibility, and in the Trans Jewish Community, we had the Second Trans Jews are Here Convening hosted by Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York. For Jews, this is Passover, and for Christians this is Holy Week, with Sunday being Easter.
For many trans folx, this can mean a feeling of abandonment, since the religious institutions they grew up with abused and abandoned them. Some have found new homes in queer or open and welcoming churches and synagogues. Others have found homes in Pagan, Wiccan and Satanic practices. Still others became Agnostic or Atheist. NO judgement is applied here. This is simply a statement of fact and history. Part of my work as a trans religious scholar is to try to undo the damage that Orthodox religionists do in preaching scripture incorrectly.
What is fascinating to me is that both Easter and Passover have the threads of Pagan rites in them, even though both religions claim to have purged Paganism. The Vernal (Spring) Equinox comes around March 21. Easter falls on the First Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Equinox. So it is completely tied to Pagan rites. Hence all the Spring Festival practices such as pastel colors, Easter Egg hunts etc. Even the belief in the Resurrection of Jesus comes in part from the “re-birth” of the Earth at Springtime in the Northern Hemisphere.
In Judaism, we have similar threads. On the Saturday of Passover, the Prophetic reading is Ezekiel Chapter 37, where he prophecies on the Valley of the Dry Bones. They are re-enfleshed and come to life. This is a metaphor for the coming of the Jewish Messiah and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, with the ingathering of all Jews. This belief includes the resurrection of all Jewish dead. This is tied to the Spring with the common theme here.
If you were to ask Orthodox clergy or scholars of either religion, I’m sure they would deny any connection to Pagan rites or culture but the connection is clearly there.
On Trans Day of Visibility, just as on National Coming Out Day, I will note that not all Trans folx can feel safe being outwardly visible. In the US, we still deal with an absurd amount of transphobia, and far too many of us need to remain hidden for their own safety. According to a recent report taking out the one Covid-19 death, since last TDOR we have had 30 trans deaths, making us on track for a year worse than last year in terms of violent trans deaths. We cannot rest until all trans folx can live openly and peacefully.
All scriptures teach that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, and we shall not murder. Yet it seems like it is those who claim to be the most religious who do the most killing. How long will this hypocrisy continue?
Please stay safe out there, and I hope you were not visible on TDOV if it would have put your life in jeopardy.
Peace out,
Rona
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Category: Transgender Body & Soul
About the Author (Author Profile)
Rabbah Rona Matlow (ze/hir) is an AMAB NB trans woman. Ze is a retired navy nuclear power officer, permanently disabled veteran and ordained rabbi. Ze is the author of the upcoming book “We are God’s Children Too”, part autobiography and part text which debunks the myths that conservative clergy have been teaching about trans and queer people for millennia. Ze is a communal activist, pastoral counselor and educator. Hir websites are http://www.RabbahRona.us and http://www.RonaMatlow.com.Subscribe
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