Rabbi Janine's Messages

Dear Community, 

I was privileged this week to be invited to the Hope Rises Up Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil held at the Universalist Unitarian Church at Washington Crossing. This annual vigil honors transgender people who have been murdered due to anti-trans violence. The vigil, which joins vigils across the nation, also provided a space for community and support for many who are transgender or gender non-conforming people, as well as their loved ones.  

Transgender Day of Remembrance was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

You may be wondering why have this vigil now? And why specifically a vigil for transgender lives? It's an important question. Transgender people- especially trans women of color-face extremely high levels of anti-trans violence and murder. Transgender and gender non-conforming people are disproportionately targeted by hate fueled violence. Learn more about the fatal violence transgender people face, click here. 

This is a dangerous time to be transgender or gender non-conforming. In our country, transgender basic human rights are being stripped away at an alarming rate. In 2025, 103 national anti-trans bills have passed. Across the country 1,012 anti-trans bills are still under consideration. Federal agencies have censored LGBTQ-related resources and erased mention of transgender leaders from national monuments like Stonewall. Learn more about anti-trans legislation here  and here. 

Even if you do not identify as trans or gender non-conforming, the odds are very high that someone you love does. According to a 2024 U.S. national survey conducted by The Trevor Project, over half of LGBTQ+ youth identify as transgender or nonbinary. UCLA Williams Institute estimates there are 2.8 million transgender people in the United States.

To learn more about what it means to identify as transgender or gender non-conforming, and how you can be a better ally, visit Transgender Information

I look forward to celebrating Shabbat with you and our Shul School tonight. Services will begin at 6:30 p.m. We are also welcoming guests from Solebury Friends Meeting House and their First Day School students. Please join me in welcoming everyone! 

Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Janine Jankovitz
she/her