Noach Dzmura is an instructor at the Progressive Jewish Alliance. His writings have appeared in Sh'ma, the Jewish Chronicle (UK), Zeek- A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture, and other publications. The recipient of the Haas-Koshland Award, he lives in Berkeley, CA.
“This groundbreaking collection addresses transgender and gender
identity issues in Jewish law and community from diverse scholarly,
religious and personal perspectives. Essays range from
autobiographical to academic, including text studies and rituals.
While diverse in nature, contributions share an emphasis on the
struggle against binary notions and on the exploration of language,
identity, and spirituality… I enjoyed the variety of contributions
and found myself eager to keep reading… Recommended for academic,
synagogue and community libraries.
—Amanda (Miryem-Khaye) Seigel, Librarian, Dorot Jewish Division,
New York Public Library
“An unprecedented volume attending to the challenges and
opportunities facing transgendered individuals committed to
practicing Judaism… Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in
Jewish Community, edited by Noach Dzmura, includes contributions
from Rachel Biale, Chalotte Elisheva Fonrobert, and Joy Ladin, and
ranges from a ‘Ritual for Gender Transition (Male to Female)’ to
thoughtful readings of the figure of Androgynos in the
Mishnah.”
—Tablet Magazine
“An outstanding community of authors join together in Balancing on
the Mechitza… Divided into three sections Torah, Avodah, and
G’milut Chasadim, each chapter opens with an intelligent
introduction guiding the reader into the essays and bridging the
topic and Jewish text. The editor’s note to each essay provides a
linking thread.”
—TCJewfolk
“Balancing on the Mechitza ranges widely across denominational
lines, carefully including voices from across the spectrum of Jews,
and also sex and gender ideologies—giving equal privilege to
Reconstructionism and Orthodoxy, to genderqueers and
full-medical-model transsexuals. The work is well-chosen, and a
deft editor has been at work here—the prose is generally lively
without verging into sameness… the balance of the book is also of
high quality indeed. Crisp, fresh prose and a gentle humor
characterize many of the pieces; both you-are-there stories of
interactions with Jewish culture and longer discursive pieces that
treat a broader topic.”
—S. Bear Bergman, LambdaLiterary.org
“Overall, the book is enjoyable. … From reconciling Jewish identity
as a form of gender, to the Jewish values of humor and debate as
methods for accepting difference, it is precisely the Jewishness of
the writers’ experiences that mark their stories and make this text
worth reading.”
—Rachel E. Silverman, Journal of Jewish Identities
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