Queer Niddah: Online Course

Queer Niddah

This eight-session online course will explore what it can mean for niddah (Jewish practices around menstruation and sex) to be queer – both in the sense of what it can look like for queer Jews to develop a niddah practice, and what niddah can become when read in conversation with queer frameworks and experiences. 

Is this class for me?

I’m newer to Jewish learning and/or don’t know anything about niddah but I’m interested! Is this class for me?

Yes! All the sources I offer will be available in their original language and, if that language isn’t English, in English translation. Everyone in the class will be bringing different kinds of wisdom – that includes embodied life experiences, other things you’ve read, and previous Jewish text learning or experience. We need your wisdom in the room! 

I’ve spent a lot of time with traditional Jewish texts before and/or and have familiarity with niddah – is this class for me? 

Yes! I will use framing and structures that encourage students who have more experience with the direct content or genres of the class to bring your previous wisdom – and, if there is chavruta time, I will pair with an eye to level and interest in learning in the original text versus translation. My hope is that you will also experience new kinds of texts and learning (eg, queer theory!).

I’m straight but interested! Am I allowed?

Amazing! Please come! 

Content

Will I come out of this class with clear and direct instructions on how to observe niddah as a queer person?

One of the joys and struggles of this moment in halakhic time is that queer practices are in flux and being created. Which is to say, I won’t be offering targeted guidance on specific issues in the classes, but it is my hope that in our collective learning and my teaching we develop more direction and ideas for those who do want to have a queer niddah practice. I am happy to discuss specific halachic questions about personal practice in a 1:1 context!

How will the class be structured? 

This class will be chabura-style – in other words, we will read and discuss all the texts together in the full group! Each week, we’ll start with a check-in question and then read a variety of texts aloud and discuss them. 

 If the registration list gets too long for that to be sustainable (that would be so cool!), I’ll re-work the game plan so there will be chavruta (paired learning – don’t worry, I’ll offer lots of scaffolding and guidance if that’s new for you!) and small-group time in addition to full-group conversation. 

What will each class be about?

Scroll down for the weekly course descriptions, below this FAQ!

Logistics

Do I have to come to every class?

No! The classes are all thematically related, but other than the first session (which is a grounding in the primary texts and practices of traditional niddah observance), none of them build on each other. I am offering both a drop-in rate and a full-course rate, so you can decide to come to one class or all of them! 

What if I miss a class?

Those who opt for the full-course rate will have access to recordings and source sheets afterwards!

When is this class?

This class will be on Monday nights (and one Thursday night, the week of Shavuot) in May and June. The class will be from 7:30-9pm Eastern. See the full list of dates and topics below.

(If you are in a different time zone and can create a group of people who want to take the class at a different time, reach out — I will consider offering additional time options.)

There is now an across-the-Atlantic friendly time! I will be teaching the same class on Thursdays, at 12:30 PM Eastern, 5:30 London time, 6:30 Berlin time, 7:30 PM Jerusalem time!! Please note in your registration if you are signing up for this time.

How much does this class cost?

The full-class rate is on a sliding scale between $54 and $360. To make the prep and teaching “worth my time” (ugh, isn’t gig work in late capitalism horrible), I am aiming to average out to  around $200 per full-course student. Part of why I am teaching this class is to get to spend more time developing ideas around these texts, and by taking this class, you support my work in the world in addition to having great learning! 

The drop-in per-class rate is a sliding scale between $10 and $54.

How do I register? 

A note: the confirmation emails are manual – i.e., I send them out myself rather than having some fancy computer thing make it automated! So you’ll get a confirmation email, but don’t panic if it’s not immediate!