brin spotting: Paths and Prayers
You can spot your local brin at . . . SVARA!
Hello all! This past year, I have been a part of SVARA’s Trans Teshuva Writing Collective, and we have just published our responsa! To form the collective, SVARA assembled a group of trans Jews with diverse gender modalities, Jewish practices, and halakhic orientations to study and think together before ultimately authoring a collection of papers on various issues relating to traditionally gendered halakhot. Some people wrote on nidah, some on milah, and some on transness more generally or other topics close to their own heart. You can read all our offerings here — I am proud to have my work included alongside the deep and thoughtful offerings of the other members, and I hope our work offers guidance to trans Jews and others working in this world.
Siddur Update
Those who follow me on Twitter may have seen that I have a complete rough draft of the entire Volume I of the siddur! From candlelighting on Friday night to blessing the new moon after havdalah, it’s all there. The whole thing clocks in at about 200,000 words, and will probably condense down to about 875 pages in the PDF/print version. Which! There is going to be a print version! But! It is probably going to cost ~$15,000 (give or take) to bring hard copies into the world, and that is more money than I have lying around right now. I am looking into funding options — the final bankroll will probably be some combination of grants, my own personal savings, and crowdfunding — but if you know any Rich Eccentrics who desperately need to get rid of $15,000 to keep their bank accounts Numerologically Pleasing, feel free to send them my way.
In the meantime, I will be taking a nap.
Further Afield...
I am very pleased to announce that my tuba sonata will be presented at this year’s International Tuba and Euphonium Conference. It looks like the final details are still being solidified, but if you’re around Arizona State University at the end of May and beginning of June, keep an ear out for some excellent galumphing sounds.
OK, that’s all for this installment! As always, be excellent to one another and fearless in defending what is right.