Is the Mechitza Permeable? An Exploratory Study on Navigating Jewish and Transgender Identities

Identifying as a Jewish transgender woman can come with a plethora of stigma and challenges. Compounded by the ongoing existence of microaggressions and violence, a 2009 survey found individuals who identify as transgender are 40 times more likely to have attempted suicide than the national average. The invalidation of an already marginalized group is exacerbated by clinical invisibility and lack of empirical research. Participants took part in 90-minute semistructured qualitative interviews using a questionnaire created based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. After transcription, the researcher and two assistants ascertained eight major themes and four minor themes: (a) Family (spouse, parent, or sibling) Interactions; (b) Dynamics of Sexual Orientation; (c) Professional Help and Bureaucratic Red Tape; (d) Stealth and Disclosure of Transgender Identity; (e) Education; (f) What Does It Mean To Transition; (g) Changes to Community Interactions; and (h) Transgender Jewish Interactions. The four minor themes were: (a) Interactions with and Views of Israel, (b) Naming and Language, (c) Not Fitting In, and (d) Reaction of Children. The meaning and construction of the participants' transgender and Jewish identities varied greatly. Access to support and resources both in the Jewish and gender contexts either aided or hindered the participants' identity growth. Resilience and humor played roles in all participants' narratives. This study supports and validates the idea that there is no one right way to be a transgender Jewish woman.