Zellman to speak about gender identity, transgendered lives

Rabbi Reuben Zellman will lead an open conversation about the challenges he faced as the first openly transgender rabbinical student and how his experiences have served his mission of LGBTQ acceptance and inclusion at 2 p.m., Friday, Jan. 15, in the Rowe Arts Building Auditorium.

The Music Department is hosting this free event, which is open to the campus community. Zellman is participating in a residency at UNC Charlotte Jan. 11-15 to educate the campus and community on gender identity, sexuality, Judaism and Jewish music.

Zellman received a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently completing a Master of Music in choral conducting from San Francisco State University. He earned a master’s degree in Hebrew literature, and in 2010, his rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles was held. He became the first openly transgender person accepted to the Reform Jewish seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 2003. He currently serves as assistant rabbi and music director of Congregation Beth-El in Berkeley.

An activist and educator in the transgender community, Zellman has written extensively about gender identity, sexuality and Judaism. He is involved with various LGBTQ community organizations and projects and has taught at congregations, conferences and universities around the country.

“Basic steps of transgender inclusion do not mean pretending that everyone is comfortable or pretending that everything is fine the way it is,” said Zellman. “It means looking at where the work needs to be done and taking action.”

Zellman will participate in Sine Nomine’s performance of Donald McCullough’s “The Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camp” at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 15, at UNC Charlotte Center City. He will open the evening’s concert with a short introduction to McCullough’s cantata and reflections on the continuing fight for civil rights for all races, beliefs and identities.