Rabbi Abby Chava Stein (; born October 1, 1991) is an
Israeli-American
Israeli Americans () are Americans who are of full or partial Israeli descent.
The Israeli-American community, while predominantly Jewish, also includes various ethnic and religious minorities reflective of Israel's diverse demographics. This c ...
author,
rabbi
A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
, activist, blogger,
model
A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , .
Models can be divided in ...
, and public speaker. A member of New York's
ultra orthodox Jewish community and an ordained
rabbi
A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
, Stein made headlines after she
came out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
as a
transgender woman
A trans woman or transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria (distress brought upon by the discrepancy between a person's gender identity and their ...
in 2015. After going public about her gender identity, Stein founded support groups for transgender people from religious backgrounds and published a
memoir
A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autob ...
, ''Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman''. Since September 2024, she has served as a rabbi for
Congregation Kolot Chayeinu, a progressive
synagogue
A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
.
Early life
Stein was born on October 1, 1991, in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. It was an independe ...
, to
Israeli American
Israeli Americans () are Americans who are of full or partial Israeli descent.
The Israeli-American community, while predominantly Jewish, also includes various ethnic and religious minorities reflective of Israel's diverse demographics. This c ...
Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Stein, the sixth-born of thirteen children. Through her father, she is a member of the Ukrainian Hasidic dynasties
Savran and
Skver and a 10th-generation descendant of Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer, better known as
Baal Shem Tov
Israel ben Eliezer (According to a forged document from the "Kherson Geniza", accepted only by Chabad, he was born in October 1698. Some Hasidic traditions place his birth as early as 1690, while Simon Dubnow and other modern scholars argue f ...
, the founder of
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a Spirituality, spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most ...
. She was
assigned male at birth
Sex assignment (also known as gender assignment) is the discernment of an infant's sex, typically made at birth based on an examination of the baby's external genitalia by a healthcare provider such as a midwife, nurse, or physician. In the v ...
.
Stein's parents were
ultra-Orthodox
Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...
Jews. Growing up, Stein was heavily sheltered from the outside world. She was taught
Yiddish
Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
,
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
, and
Aramaic
Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...
but not
English and had very limited access to literature, music, and the internet. Though unaware of the existence of
gender dysphoria
Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to inconsistency between their gender identitytheir personal sense of their own genderand their sex assigned at birth. The term replaced the previous diagnostic label of gender i ...
, Stein exhibited signs of being
transgender as a child. She wanted a
dollhouse
A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy house made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North Americ ...
to play with and to wear bright colors, something men in her community couldn't do. At age four, her mother caught her
harming her genitals with a pin, and at age nine, she prayed nightly, asking God to turn her into a girl.
As a teenager, Stein was educated in both general and religious studies at several
yeshivas
A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The studyin ...
alongside other young Orthodox men. At 16, she was expelled for questioning religion and rebellious acts. She was sent to study at Yeshiva Viznitz, an all-boys Jewish boarding school over 100 miles away, in
Kiamesha Lake, New York. There, Stein had a long-term secret romance with a fellow classmate.
While still in school, Stein's parents
arranged for her to be married. After screening thousands of women, they chose Fraidy Horowtz based on a combination of her family history, genetic testing, and personality. Stein was uneducated about
sex
Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...
, only learning that women had
vaginas a few days before her wedding to Horowitz, when a rabbi instructed her on how to
consummate her marriage. They married in 2010, when Stein was 18.
Stein received her
semikhah
''Semikhah'' () is the traditional term for rabbiinic ordination in Judaism.
The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 CE. Si ...
in 2011 but she didn't immediately become a rabbi. Her and Horowitz's only child, a son, was born in 2012 and after witnessing his
circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. T ...
, Stein had a revelation that she needed to leave the Hasidic community. She contacted
Footsteps, a New York City-based non-profit organization that helps Jews Orthodox community, and with their help, she left Williamsburg in 2012, a decision she described as "life-saving."
Her separation from Horowitz was not an amicable one. Stein struggled to assimilate into mainstream society due to the cultural and language barriers, describing her experience as "being an immigrant in her own country."
Coming out

In November 2015, Stein made headlines when she came out on her blog as
transgender
A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth.
The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
and started physical transition. She was featured in some major media outlets, including ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative
daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'', ''
New York Magazine
''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City.
Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'',
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
, the
Daily Dot, and more. She has also appeared on
CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
,
Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
,
HuffPost Live
HuffPost Live was an Internet-based video streaming network run by ''HuffPost'', a news website in the United States. The network produced original programming as well as live conversations among users via platforms such as Skype and Google+. Liv ...
, and
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
Canada.
Stein also appeared on a number of international TV networks, newspapers, and magazines in over 20 different languages.
When Stein left her community in 2012 and came out as an
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, her parents said that no matter Stein's choices in life, she would remain their child. After coming out as trans, though, her father told her that, "You should know that this means I might not be able to talk to you ever again." Since then, her parents have
shunned her and stopped talking to her altogether. She has also received some hate from her former community, but, in an interview with
Chasing News
''Chasing News with Bill Spadea'' (formerly ''Chasing New Jersey'' and ''Chasing News'') was a news and talk show program broadcast by WWOR-TV, a MyNetworkTV O&O based in Secaucus, New Jersey, and serving New York City, and sister to Fox flagshi ...
(a Fox News short film company), Stein said that she received less hate than some people would have expected.
She described her life post-transition as "better than I could have ever imagined".
Stein was featured in the 2016
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
Documentary series, ''
Dark Net'', in episode 8, "Revolt".
["DARK NET: Growing Up Trans In An Ultra-Orthodox Community"](_blank)
Tracy Clark-Flory, March 10, 2016.
Naming Celebration/bat mitzvah
On June 4, 2016, Stein celebrated her transition and announced her name change to Abby Chava Stein at
Romemu, a
Jewish Renewal synagogue on the
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...
of
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
.
In an interview with ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'', she said that even though she did not believe in God, she wanted to celebrate in a
synagogue
A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
:
Publications
Books
Stein's first book, ''Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman'', a memoir, was published by
Seal Press
Basic Books is a book publisher founded in 1950 and located in New York City, now an imprint of Hachette Book Group. It publishes books in the fields of psychology, philosophy, economics, science, politics, sociology, current affairs, and his ...
(
Hachette Hachette may refer to:
* Hachette (surname)
* Hachette Livre, a French publisher, the imprint of Lagardère Publishing
** Hachette Book Group, the American subsidiary
** Hachette Distribution Services, the distribution arm
See also
* Hachette Fil ...
) on November 12, 2019.
[ The book became a ]best seller
A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, coo ...
.
''Becoming Eve'' has been translated into Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
, and was published under the title ''Eigenlijk Eva: Mijn transitie van ultraorthodoxe rabbi tot trans-vrouw'' by De Geus on January 18, 2022.
Stein's second book, ''Sources of Pride'', an anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
of Jewish texts on "Identity, Gender, Sexuality, and Inclusivity, in Jewish Texts from the Torah
The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...
to Kabbalah
Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of Mysticism, mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ...
, Hasidic Teachings, and Contemporary Sources." The book will be a collection of her source sheets on Sefaria
Sefaria is an online open source, free content, digital library of Jewish texts. It was founded in 2011 by former Google project manager Brett Lockspeiser and journalist-author Joshua Foer. Promoted as a "living library of Jewish texts", Sefaria ...
. It is to be published by Ben Yehuda Press, who describe the book as "Jewish views on gender and sexuality anthologized from Biblical, Talmudic, Midrashic, Rabbinic, and Chassidic sources with contemporary and personal commentary," with publication date set for September 2nd, 2025.
Stein was profiled in, and wrote the foreword
A foreword is a (usually short) piece of writing, sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Typically written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between th ...
for, Peter Bussian's book of portraits, ''Trans New York: Photos and Stories of Transgender New Yorkers''. In the foreword, she described her love for New York City – both while in the Hasidic community, and now living as a Queer person in New York.
Essays
Her writings have also been published in ''Queer Disbelief: Why LGBTQ Equality is an Atheist Issue'', written by Camille Beredjick, edited by Hemant Mehta
Hemant Mehta (; born February 25, 1983) is an American author, blogger, YouTuber and atheist activist. Mehta is a regular speaker at atheist events, and he has been a board member of charitable organizations such as the Secular Student Alliance ...
, and published by Friendly Atheist. Stein wrote an essay specifically for the book, titled, ''Trans Woman (and Former Hasidic Jew): Atheists Should Support the LGBTQ Movement'' ().
Stein's essay about COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
and its impact on the LGBTQ community, titled, "COVID has exploded Jewish LGBTQ acceptance online. There's no going back." (originally published on Forward.com,) was included in ''When We Turned Within: Reflections on COVID-19'', an anthology of 165 essays edited by Sarah Tuttle-Singer and Menachem Creditor
Menachem Creditor is an American rabbi, author and musician. He is the Pearl and Ira Meyer Scholar-in-Residence at UJA-Federation New York and the founder of Rabbis Against Gun Violence. His work has appeared in the ''Times of Israel'', the ''Huf ...
.
Another one of Stein's essays on the current political climate, titled "When One Line Makes All the Difference" - reflecting on President Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
's victory speech (on November 7, 2020), and his mentioning of the transgender
A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth.
The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
community (originally published online by T'ruah
T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, often referred to as T'ruah, is a left-wing nonprofit organization of rabbis who act on the Jewish imperative to respect and protect the human rights of all people in North America, Israel, and the Pal ...
(of which Stein is a rabbinic member), as part of their "Torah 20/20" series.) - was published in the 2021 anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
''No Time for Neutrality: American Rabbinic Voices from an Era of Upheaval.''
Stein's essay titled "Bring Them In," based on her remarks as part of the 24 hour "Call To Unite," hosted by Tim Shriver and Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...
, was published in ''The Call to Unite.''
Stein also contributed to ''Jewels of Elul
Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...
: A Letter to Myself XII'', a collection of essays published by singer / songwriter and music producer, Craig Taubman. Her essay, titled, "Dayeinu" ("Enough" in Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
), focused on the question of "What If?", and explored an answer to the question of "What If you would have been" born or raised in different circumstances.
Stein also contributed an essay to Kaye Blegvad's ''The Pink Book: An Illustrated Celebration of the Color, from Bubblegum to Battleships'', discussing her relationship with the color pink, the Hasidic community and the color, and her feelings about stereotypical femininity.
Online essays
* "‘I Was Raised a Hasidic Man. When I Came Out as a Woman, the Sexism Shocked Me’" a piece about sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
, both in the Hasidic community, and her experience with sexism after coming out. Published in ''Glamour'' Magazine.[
* "On the Set of ‘Unorthodox,’ I Brushed Up Against My Hasidic Past" about her experience on set of the '']Unorthodox
Unorthodox may refer to:
Music
* Unorthodox (band), an American doom metal band
* ''Unorthodox'' (Edge of Sanity album), 1992
* ''Unorthodox'' (Snow Tha Product album), 2011
* "Unorthodox" (Joey Badass song), 2013
* "Unorthodox" (Wretch 32 so ...
'' TV show, where she played a Hasidic woman, wearing a traditional head covering for Jewish women
According to halacha (Jewish religious law), married Jewish women are expected to cover their hair when in the presence of men other than their husband or close family members. Such covering is common practice among Orthodox Jewish women.
Differ ...
. Published in ''Alma
Alma or ALMA may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film
* ''Alma'', an upcoming film by Sally Potter
* ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922
* ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017
* ''Alma'' ( ...
''.
* "Makah/Plague of the Binary" a poem
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
about the "plague" of the gender binary
The gender binary (also known as gender binarism) is the classification of gender into two distinct forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system, Culture, cultural belief, or both simultaneously. Most cultures use a gender binary, ...
and binary thinking as a whole, counting 10 plagues
In the Book of Exodus, the Plagues of Egypt () are ten disasters that the Hebrew God inflicts on the Egyptians to convince the Pharaoh to emancipate the enslaved Israelites, each of them confronting the Pharaoh and one of his Egyptian gods; the ...
. It was published by the Jewish Book Council
The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1943, is an American organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quali ...
as part of a project of 10 authors and artists responding to 10 modern plagues, for Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt.
According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...
2021, the second Passover of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
* "What I hope we learn from two Passovers in social distancing exile" a prose
Prose is language that follows the natural flow or rhythm of speech, ordinary grammatical structures, or, in writing, typical conventions and formatting. Thus, prose ranges from informal speaking to formal academic writing. Prose differs most n ...
style piece about celebrating the second Passover with Covid restrictions. Published in the Jewish Daily Forward's Scribe.
* "NYC pols, don't weaponize our pain over the Mideast violence" an op-ed about the 2023 Bombardment of Gaza, calling on NYC politicians to stop weaponizing the conflict. The piece was written in collaboration with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
, and was also published in the print edition.
* "We Spoke Up For Palestine and Got Kicked Out of the White House Pride Party" an op-ed about her experience at the 2024 White House Pride Party she attended with Lily Greenberg Call as her "plus one". The piece was then covered in the online LGBTQ Nation
''LGBTQ Nation'' is an American online news magazine headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 2009 and is currently owned by ''Q.Digital''. The website is primarily marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and q ...
Magazine, Autostraddle
Autostraddle is a queer and trans-owned online magazine and social network for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women ( cis and trans), as well as non-binary people and trans people of all genders. The website is a "politically progressive queer fem ...
as well as by international media, including in Hebrew in the Israeli Mako
, better known by the mononym name Mako (sometimes stylised MAKO), is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actress, singing, singer and a member of the band Bon-Bon Blanco, in which her prominent role is as the maraca player. She has also perf ...
, the online version of Channel 12.
Activism
After coming out, Stein started an online support group to help trans people who come from Orthodox backgrounds. Stein also said that Facebook and online support communities have been her lifeline while leaving her community, which made her realize the positive power of online communities.
In December 2015, Stein founded a support group for trans people from Orthodox backgrounds. The group's first meeting had 12 people attending, most of them fellow Hasids struggling with their gender identity. Stein's avid blogging also gained her a big following in the Jewish community, and she has become a role model for former ultra-Orthodox Jews – both LGBTQ and not.
In addition to transgender activism, Stein has also been active in several projects to help those going off the derech
Off the ''derech'' (, pronounced: , meaning: "path"; OTD) is a Yeshiva-English expression used to describe the state of a Jew who has left an Orthodox way of life or community, and whose new lifestyle is secular, non-Jewish, or of a non-Ortho ...
and leaving the ultra-Orthodox community. She has been working with Footsteps, and its Canadian sister organization, Forward, for which she traveled to Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
in 2016 to help jump-start. In addition, she has also done some lay advocacy work with YAFFED, working towards a better education in the Hasidic schools, for which she has also engaged in political work.
In 2018, Stein co-founded her own feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
/womanist multi-faith and inclusive celebration of women and non-binary people of all faith traditions, called Sacred Space, with former Mormon feminist and founder of Ordain Women, human rights lawyer Kate Kelly, and Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
professor and Baptist preacher Eboni Marshall-Turman.
Stein has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights. Following the October 7th attack, Stein, the daughter of an Israeli immigrant, managed her own grief while mobilizing her community in opposition of Israel's increasing violence against Palestinians. She has continued to work towards ceasefire solutions and recognition of human rights violations against Palestinians as a founding member and organizer of Rabbis for Ceasefire
During the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2020 election. The primaries and caucuses took p ...
, Stein served as a national Surrogate for the Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
campaign.
Stein is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Modeling
Since coming out, Stein has also done several modeling projects depicting her life and transition, which have been published by numerous sites. She told ''Refinery29'' that "I actually liked [shooting]. It did help me feel more comfortable", and that she does these projects to encourage others on their journey. In 2018, she also did several photo shoots and modeling projects with major fashion magazines such as Vogue Magazine, ''Vogue'', Glamour (magazine), Glamour, Elle (magazine), Elle, and InStyle Magazine, ''InStyle''.
In December 2021 Stein was photographed by Annie Leibovitz as part of Celebrity Cruises' "industry-elevating" All-Inclusive Photo Project. The Project, which according to CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
was "some of the world's most innovative artists and photographers teaming up with a cruise line in a bid to help change the face of travel marketing" was according to Celebrity Cruises "starting a movement to address under-representation in travel marketing through our All-Inclusive Photo Project. In partnership with world-renowned photographers, we have created the world's first open-source photo library featuring ethnic, disabled, curvy and LGBTQ+ changemakers. We invite our industry to join us in changing the face of travel." Stein said about that shoot that “while I don't understand corporate intentions, the people I worked with from Celebrity were all really, really amazing and they really mean it. I think they've done a lot of amazing stuff towards being more inclusive and I'm a big fan of inclusivity. Specifically, actual actions.”
Stein's photo from that shoot was printed in ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' Sunday edition on Sunday April 24, 2022, as a double page centerfold feature in the main section.
Public speaking
Stein's first public appearance was in a promotional video for Footsteps 10th anniversary gala in 2013, where she was interviewed about her experience leaving the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Around the same time, she also did interviews with ''The Wall Street Journal'' and ''Haaretz'' about her experience leaving the community and fighting for custody. She also started giving public speeches on these topics.
In addition to public speaking, she also teaches classes on gender within Judaism, as well as bringing attention to trans people from Orthodox communities. As of November 2016, she has had speeches at several universities. She has also done longer speaking tours to several communities in Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the New York metropolitan area.
Starting in 2016, Stein has also become a rising star in demand for speaking engagements and conferences, such as the Limmud franchise, where, at the 2017 Limmud NY conference, she spoke more times than any other presenter. At the same time, she has also spoken internationally at conferences such as the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee's annual Junction Conference in Berlin, and the Miles Nadal JCC's Shavuot in Toronto.
A big part of Stein's events have been with Hillel International affiliates all over the world. According to a 2017 report by Hillel, "Stein has visited more than 100 campuses, sharing her story with thousands of students, in hopes of teaching them the importance of inclusivity, and that 'Judaism and queerness are not a contradiction'." Her events drew hundreds of students, where she talks about her life, Transgender people and religion#Hasidic Judaism, Transgender in Judaism, Intersectionality, policy, and politics, as it relates to the LGBTQ community, and consulting on how to be more inclusive.
Stein is today a globally recognized author, activist, and speaker. As of July 2020, she has given over 400 speeches at venues worldwide.
Women's March leadership
In early 2019, Stein joined the 2019 Women's March, Women's March leadership, as a member of the 2019 Steering Committee. Despite some controversy surrounding the March and its leadership, Stein said that, "I'm convinced that working with Women's March people, we can gain so much more by working together, even when there might be some parts we feel uncomfortable with", and "expressed solidarity with other Jewish women who are supporting the march on grounds that it has emerged as an important and growing coalition of marginalized groups, including Jews, African Americans, Hispanics, and LGBT people".
During the rally following the march, Stein also spoke on stage alongside Reverend Jacqui Lewis, senior minister of Middle Collegiate Church, and Muslim activist Remaz Abdelgader, leading the spiritual invocation opening the rally. During her speech, which she started with the traditional greeting of "Shabbat Shalom", she related the march to the The Exodus, Exodus, leading the audience in chants denouncing different forms of prejudice and oppression, with a chant of "Let It Go!". She also called for unity, saying that, "A lot of people out there, a lot of people in the media are trying to divide us. What brings us together is not the fact that we are all the same. What brings us together is our differences."
In 2020, Stein was a featured speaker at the 2020 Women's March, Women's March NYC, in Foley Square.
Rabbinical work
For a few years after leaving the Hasidic community, and later coming out, Stein did not work as a rabbi at all. About the first two years after leaving, she told HuffPost "I felt very much disenfranchised from God. One rabbi called it “Post-God Traumatic Disorder.” When God is just this really bad person who is going to punish you. I was like, “That's it. I don't want to know anything about the Jewish religion. This is all bulls**t.” Later on, she started practicing Judaism again, saying “I don't believe in God, but I believe in Judaism,” naming specifically the Jewish Calendar, Jewish year cycle, as well as Jewish music, Jewish food, food, and Jewish spirituality, spirituality, as details that made her reembrace some Jewish practices. About celebrating Shabbat she said that while she is not observant in an Orthodox sense, marking Shabbat with simple rituals such as Shabbat candles, candle lighting helped ground her when she was going through a hard time before coming out, and that "it became a mental health and spiritual practice." On her social media she posts almost weekly posts of her celebrating Shabbat.
By 2019 she has re-embraced her title and work as a rabbi, leaning into the knowledge she got in her training to advance LGBTQ right and social justice." She also said that “I have found that even the most secular Jews have a certain type of respect when you say, ‘rabbi,’” and she has used that ability to talk more about how Judaism and Jewish texts have space for queer and trans people, saying that “While I don't think that we need text to justify who we are... I do think that [texts] create something so beautiful and powerful.” While making a video teaching Jewish texts with the ''Jewish Daily Forward'', she said that “I'm hoping that looking at these texts and sharing them could help us all, if we wish, to find a space for us within Judaism to learn not to tolerate who we are, but to celebrate who we are.” Stein also partnered with the Yiddish Forverts to create content in her native Yiddish on the topic of gender and transgender in Judaism.
Stein currently serves in the capacity of a rabbi on NCJW's "Rabbis for Repro" board, overseeing "a network of Jewish clergy who have pledged to preach, teach, and advocate for reproductive rights, abortion justice," which currently has over 1,500 members.
Stein is an active member of the rabbinical group T'ruah
T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, often referred to as T'ruah, is a left-wing nonprofit organization of rabbis who act on the Jewish imperative to respect and protect the human rights of all people in North America, Israel, and the Pal ...
: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, as well as a member of the rabbinical advocacy group "Tirdof: New York Jewish Clergy for Justice" which is a partnership between T'ruah and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ).
A February 2022 article in ''Distractify'' claimed that the transgender rabbi character (played by Hari Nef) in episode 10 of ''And Just Like That…'' was based on Stein.
As of the High Holy Days Hebrew calendar#Years, 5784 (September 2023), Stein has been working as a rabbi and scholar-in-residence at The New Shul, a Jewish religious movements#Trans- and post-denominational Judaism, Non-Denominational progressive synagogue
A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
in Manhattan's West Village.
Honors and awards
* The Jewish Week 36 Under 36. In 2016, she was named by ''The Jewish Week'' as one of the "36 Under 36" young Jews who changed the world; she is the first openly transgender person ever to get this award.
* Footsteps Leadership Award. At the 2016 Footsteps Celebrates She received a leadership award for "Her outstanding leadership in advancing Footsteps stories in literature and Voice".
* New York Magazine 50 Reasons to Love New York. In 2015, the ''New York Magazine
''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City.
Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'' counted her story as one of the 50 reasons to love New York, saying that New Yorkers are overly accepting of trans people.
* 9 Jewish LGBTQ Activists You Should Know. In June 2016, she was named by The Times of Israel and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency as one of the nine "most influential Jews who have helped make LGBTQ issues visible and are still working to enact change".
* Faith Leaders Leading the Fight for LGBTQ Equality. In October 2017, for LGBT History Month, she was named by the Human Rights Campaign, as one of 9 "faith leaders who are also leading the fight for LGBTQ equality".
* CAFE 100. In April 2018, Stein was named by former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, US Attorney Preet Bharara, as part of the inaugural "CAFE (media company), CAFE 100 – extraordinary change-makers who are taking action to address some of the most pressing problems in America and around the world".
* LGBTQ Pride Award. During Gay pride#LGBT Pride Month, Pride month in June 2018, Stein was honored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (politician), Eric Adams as part of "a special group of LGBTQ New Yorkers", honoring her work within the LGBTQ, and especially the Off the derech, formerly Hasidic LGBTQ, community.
* 14 Jews Who Changed Queer History Forever. In June 2019, Stein was named by Jewish Telegraphic Agency#History, Alma as one of 14 "Jews who have changed queer history forever". Alongside Jazz Jennings, Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Leslie Feinberg, Magnus Hirschfeld, and others.
* 9 LGBTQ Faith Leaders to Watch in 2019. In September 2019, Stein was named by the Center for American Progress as one of 9 LGBTQ faith leaders, whose "leadership in the current moment makes them critical faith leaders to watch in 2019 and beyond". According to a press release by CAP, "these extraordinary leaders have proposed powerful visions to Criminal justice reform in the United States, reform the criminal justice system, advance climate justice, dismantle systemic racism, and more".
* The Forward#Forward 50, Forward 50. In December 2019, Stein was named by ''The Forward'' as one of the 50 American Jews "Who Influenced, Intrigued, And Inspired Us This Year". In it, Stein also described her commitment to lighting Shabbat candles.
* 10 Women You Need to Know This Women's History Month. In March 2020, for Women's History Month, Stein was named by ''Moment (magazine), Moment Magazine'' as one of 10 "powerful and inspiring women who work hard to create change and make an impact". Alongside Martha Nussbaum, Roberta Kaplan, Alice Shalvi, and Dr. Ruth.
* The World's Top 50 Thinkers. In July 2020, Stein was named by the ''Prospect Magazine'' as one of "The World's top 50 Thinkers in the COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
Age". The list, which, according to Forbes, "is a much-anticipated exercise by the influential British magazine", called Stein a "renegade New York political science college student, and finally 27-year-old globally recognised author and advocate".
* Best Nonfiction Debut. In September 2020, Stein's book, Becoming Eve, was awarded the Best Non-Fiction Debut award, as part of Alma's "The Best Jewish literature, Jewish Books of Hebrew calendar, 5780" (Anno Mundi, AM). Saying that "not only is Abby a trailblazer and ridiculously inspiring — she's a really talented writer".
* 10 LGBTQ+ American Jews Who've Made History. During Pride Month 2021, Stein was named by Hillel International as one of "10 LGBTQ+ American Jews Who've Made History." Alongside Leslie Feinberg, Kate Bornstein, Lesley Gore, Rabbi Elliot Kukla, Michael Twitty, and others.
* The NCJW, NCJW NY Rebekah Bettelheim Kohut, Rebekah Kohut Award. At the 2023 Fall Luncheon by the National Council of Jewish Women New York section, benefiting Jew for Reproductive justice, Repro, Stein received the Rebekah Kohut Award. As per the NCJW event invite, "the award is given to a List of people from New York City, New Yorker who has played an especially significant role in the communal life of our city."
*Woman of Distinction. In May 2024 Stein received the Woman of Distinction award from the New York State Senate, after being nominated by her State Senator Jabari Brisport representing New York's 25th Senate district.
American Jewish Press Association Simon Rockower Award, Rockower Award, First place Award for Excellence in Personality Profiles. In the 2019 awards, Simi Horowitz's profile of Stein, "Abby Stein: A Gender Transition Through a Jewish Lens", in the Moment (magazine), Moment Magazine Received the first place award for Excellence in Personality Profiles. The AJPA commented by saying that, "This piece captures the humanity of Abby Stein, with an abundance of quietly telling details (like what she's eating during the interview). An impressive work."
Filmography
In addition to a long list of interviews with major national and international news networks, Stein has also been featured in several TV segments in the United States, Canada, Israel, Bulgaria, and more – in English, French, Hebrew, Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish.
Personal life
In 2010, Stein married a woman, Fraidy Horowitz, with whom she also had her son, Duvid. The marriage was an arranged marriage by a Shadchan, matchmaker, and the couple only met for 15 minutes prior to the engagement. As Stein left the community, she divorced her wife. In an interview with ''The Wall Street Journal'' right after her divorce, she said that, "They had a good relationship", and that at the time of the divorce, she was able to "obtain a 'normal agreement', including weekly visits, joint custody, split holidays, joint decision-making on major life events, and every second weekend with her son".
Stein is a cousin of the actor Luzer Twersky.
In a 2023 piece Stein wrote for Autostraddle
Autostraddle is a queer and trans-owned online magazine and social network for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women ( cis and trans), as well as non-binary people and trans people of all genders. The website is a "politically progressive queer fem ...
, she identified her sexuality "as an out and proud queer, polyamory, poly demisexual."
See also
* Transgender rights movement
* Trans woman
* LGBT culture in New York City
* List of LGBT people from New York City
* List of LGBT Jews
* NYC Pride March
* Transgender people and religion
* Transgender culture of New York City
Notes
References
External links
*
*
"Happy Pride! Meet the Women Celebrating Across the Country"
an interview with Abby on Yahoo style for Pride Month 2016.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stein, Abby
1991 births
Living people
20th-century American Jews
20th-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American Jews
21st-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American women writers
Activists from New York (state)
American people of Israeli descent
American female models
American LGBTQ rights activists
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American queer women
American transgender women
American transgender writers
American women non-fiction writers
Columbia University School of General Studies alumni
Descendants of the Baal Shem Tov
Female models from New York (state)
Former Hasidim
Israeli transgender women
Jewish Israeli activists for Palestinian solidarity
Jewish American activists for Palestinian solidarity
Jewish American atheists
Jewish American non-fiction writers
Jewish female models
Jewish socialists
Jewish women writers
LGBTQ Orthodox Jews
LGBTQ people from New York (state)
LGBTQ rabbis
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America from New York (state)
Models from New York City
New York (state) socialists
Orthodox Jewish feminists
People from Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Transfeminists
Transgender female models
Transgender Jews
Transgender rights activists
Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty) members
Women's March
Writers from Brooklyn
Yiddish-speaking people
Jewish LGBTQ women
Jewish women activists