This webinar will assist rabbis, cantors, lay leaders, and Jewish professionals in better supporting transgender community members. The presentation will focus on basic concepts around transgender identity, unique barriers and challenges often faced by trans individuals, answers to frequently asked questions, and resources for being an ally to transgender people.
The discussion will include:
- The expansive diversity of the transgender community
- Challenges trans people face
- Resources on how to be an ally to transgender people
Welcome – Rabbi Ari Lorge, co-chair, Clergy Task Force, Associate Rabbi, Central Synagogue, New York
Dvar Torah by Rabbi Gray Myrseth, Kehillah Community Synagogue, Director of Kehilla School
Ordained by the Hebrew College Rabbinical School in June of 2017, Rabbi Gray Myrseth is the School Director at Kehilla Synagogue in Oakland, CA. Gray has worked as a trainer and consultant on LGBTQ inclusion and equality, a chaplain with a specialization in the spiritual care of LGBT elders, and as an educator with people from age 3 to 103. When not at work, Gray can be found walking their excellent dog, expounding on the wonders of Talmud study, and reading everything from poetry to young adult novels.
Led by Michael Munson, co-founder and Executive Director FORGE
Michael Munson is the co-founder and Executive Director of FORGE, an organization focused on improving the lives of transgender/non-binary individuals by building stronger connections, providing resources, and empowering growth through knowledge. FORGE is a national training and technical assistance provider funded through the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women and the Office for Victims of Crime. Munson's educational background is in psychology, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care and non-traditional healing modalities. His work on violence against transgender and non-non-binary individuals stresses the intersectionality between complex components of identity, experience, and societal constructs that can both spur violence, as well as catalyze healing for individuals and communities. He is passionate about engaging professionals to embrace these complexities and learn key skills to better serve their clients/constituents.