An Open Letter from a Transgender Rabbi to Trans Teens Everywhere http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2015/04/01/open-letter-transgender-rabbi-trans-teens-everywhereBY Rabbi Becky Silverstein
April 01 2015 4:29 PM ET
Trans Jewish teen Tom Sosnik's recent coming-out video has inspired one rabbi to tell all trans teens: 'I've got your back.'
Last week the story of Tom Chai Sosnik, a teenager who came out as transgender at Tehiyah Day School, his Jewish day school, made headlines. Inspired by Tom's courage, and the need to support transgender and gender-expansive teenagers everywhere, Rabbi Becky Silverstein penned the open letter below to Tom and teenagers like him, which Jewish LGBT rights advocacy group Keshet proudly shared on Transgender Day of Visibility.
Dear Tom,
As I was preparing my sermon last Friday afternoon, I decided to take a quick Facebook break and saw the video of you addressing your school. I watched it and immediately shared it with my own social network, commenting that "while I don't know this young man, I have the privilege of knowing others who share a similar story. Almost nothing in the world could make me smile wider than this."
Tom, we have never and may never meet, and yet I feel as though I know you.
I see in your face the faces of the LGBTQ Jewish teenagers I have had the opportunity to work with in my time as a Jewish educator and rabbi. In your face, I also see a vision of what I want so badly for our Jewish community to be: a place where everyone can be celebrated for the entirety of who they are and where nobody feels the need to hide a piece of their identity.
Tom, in your face I saw the reason why I am out, why I share my story, why I work to make our communities more inclusive. Tom, your courage gave me courage.
