Tuesday, October 2, 2012 l 11:45 a.m. l USF Main Campus, Cowell 107
In June 2007, after a lifetime of struggling to live as a man, Dr. Joy Ladin began to live as a woman. Like many transgender children, for many years Joy’s only confidant was God. Unlike many transgender people who lose their early intimacy with God as they struggle with religious traditions that don’t acknowledge or accept them, Joy remained engaged with the Jewish tradition into which she was born and found a position teaching at Yeshiva University, a modern Orthodox Jewish school. After receiving tenure as man, she came out as a transsexual; after a tumultuous period of adjustment she was welcomed back by her students and her colleagues, becoming the first openly transgender employee of an Orthodox Jewish institution and sparking discussions about religion and gender identity around the Jewish world.
In this powerful presentation Dr. Ladin will share parts of her newly published autobiography, Through the Door of Life: A Jewish Journey between Genders. Dr. Ladin is also the author of five books of poetry: Coming to Life, Psalms, Transmigration, The Book of Anna, and Alternatives to History.
This Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice event is co-sponsored by the Departments of Theology and Religious Studies, English, and the Program in Gender and Sexualities Studies.
