The first openly transgender woman raised in a Hasidic community, writer and activist Abby Stein will address the St. Francis College community and visitors on April 15th (12:30 p.m., Founders Hall), in a lecture entitled My Second Transition.

Stein gained a global spotlight after coming out as a trans woman in 2015. She was born into a prominent Hasidic Jewish family, and was ordained as a rabbi in 2011. She transitioned out of the Orthodox world the following year, and since then has been working to raise support and awareness for transgender rights and those leaving ultra-Orthodoxy.

Stein's personal story and work has been covered by major media, including The New York Times, NBC, CNN and The Wall Street Journal. Her memoir, The Second Transition, will be published later this year.

With issues involving gender identity and religious freedom becoming increasingly central to current political and social dialogues, Stein's unique experience and perspective make her a particularly relevant voice in today's public discourse.

My Second Transition is sponsored by The Self-Awareness and Bonding Lab, Center for Women's and Gender Studies, Institute for Peace and Justice, and Philosophy and Religious Studies Department.

For more information, contact Dr. Marisa Cohen [email protected].

About Abby Stein

Abby Stein is a Jewish educator, writer, speaker, and activist. She was born and raised in a Hasidic family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and is a descendent of Rabbi Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidic Judaism. In that world Abby attended Yeshiva, and became a rabbi in 2011. She left the Hasidic world the following year, and came out as a trans-woman in 2015. Since then, Abby has been working to raise support and awareness for trans rights and those leaving Ultra-Orthodoxy. Her story has been covered in publications such as The New York Times, New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Jewish Daily Forward, Daily Mail, The Daily Dot, Haaretz, and Refinery29. She also appeared on NBC, Fox News, CNN, Huffington Post Live, ShowTime, and more. In 2016 Abby was named by The Jewish Week as one of their "36 Under 36" emerging Jewish leaders. She is currently studying gender studies and political science at Columbia University, and her memoir will be published by Seal Press in 2019.