The Adult Education Committee of Temple Concord and Temple Israel will hold a program and brunch on Sunday, September 15, from 10 am-noon, at Temple Concord, 9 Riverside Dr., Binghamton. Rabbi Leiah Moser, Temple Concord’s new spiritual leader, will speak on “Gender Diversity and Jewish Values.” The entire community is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. There is a suggested donation of between $5-20. per person. A Zoom option will be available: contact the Temple Concord office at templeconcordaa@gmail.com for the link. For more information and to RSVP, contact the Temple Concord office at 607-723-7355 or Temple Israel at 607-723-7461 or via e-mail at templeconcordaa@gmail.com by Wednesday, September 11, so enough refreshments can be prepared.
In her talk, Moser will explore a number of traditional Jewish texts that recognize a spectrum of gender expression beyond the male-female binary and discuss their relevance to the efforts of contemporary transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming Jews to find recognition and welcome in the broader Jewish community. The program will include a short reading from Moser’s Jewish young adult fantasy novel, “Magical Princess Harriet.”