Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman

Join Rabbi Scott Perlo for an intimate conversation with transgender activist Abby Stein to discuss her journey from ultra-orthodox rabbi to woman of trans experience.

Abby Stein’s Hasidic community in Williamsburg believed that, as a 10th generation of the Baal Shem Tov, she was destined to be a rabbinic leader. They also believed she was a boy. But Abby felt certain at a young age that she was a girl, and eventually orchestrated a personal exodus from ultra-Orthodox manhood to mainstream femininity—a radical choice that forced her to leave her home, her family, her way of life. Less than five years later, she is a sought-after speaker and prominent activist for gender equality, serving on the steering committee for the 2019 Women’s March. Her book, Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman is out in November.

In this conversation, moderated by the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life’s Rabbi Scott Perlo, we’ll explore powerful truths about biology, culture, faith, identity and the enduring question: How far are you willing to go to become the person you are meant to be?