Transgender Day of Remembrance and After Shul Special at Beth Chayim Chadashim
Jewish Journal / November 14, 2012
By: Kalil Cohen
This coming weekend will mark the eighth year that Beth Chayim Chadishim, the world’s oldest queer synagogue, will have a special Shabbat service to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Transgender Day of Remembrance is held all over the world on November 20th to commemorate the lives of those lost to bigotry and anti-transgender violence, with related events happening throughout the month of November. “The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, …[and] publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people… [and] gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil…” – Gwendolyn Ann Smith,www.transgenderdor.org
Services at BCC will celebrate and remember the lives of our lost Trans/Gender Queer sisters and brothers in community with song and prayer. Led by Rabbi Lisa Edwards, Cantor Juval Porat and Transgender Lay Leader Kadin Henningsen. Kadin, the first transgender person to serve on BCC’s Board of Directors, had this to say about the upcoming event: “What I really love about BCC’s Transgender Day of Remembrance Shabbat is how inclusive it is. While lay leadership has been a long-standing tradition at BCC, Rabbi Lisa Edwards and Cantor Juval Porat have really helped empower transgender members of the community to be actively involved in creating and leading the TDOR Shabbat service. I feel very blessed to have their continued support and encouragement while helping BCC over the last four years create a strong TDOR Shabbat tradition that is both meaningful and speaks to the transgender experience through song, liturgy and prayer.” (See below for full event information.)
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