IJ TRANSGENDER - London Congress - Abstract - The Jewish Perspective on Transsexualism.

Editors:
Friedemann Pfäfflin,
Ulm University, Germany

Walter O. Bockting,
University of Minnesota, USA

Eli Coleman,
University of Minnesota, USA

Richard Ekins,
University of Ulster at Coleraine, UK

Dave King,
University of Liverpool, UK

Managing Editor:
Noelle N Gray,
University of Minnesota, USA

Editorial Assistant:
Erin Pellett,
University of Minnesota, USA

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ISSN 1434-4599

XVI Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association Symposium
17 - 21 August 1999, London

Reflections on "Transsexualism and Sex Reassignment" 1969 -1999

The Jewish Perspective on Transsexualism

Berger, Iiana, Ph.D., Lazer, Simcha, M.D.

The Israeli Center for Human Sexuality and Gender Identity Tel Aviv, Israel

The growing attention and acceptance of transsexual surgery in the last decade has brought forth the topic of sex change not only to the public in general but also to the Halakhic discourse.

Sex change operations involving the surgical removal of sexual organs are forbidden among Jews on the basis of explicit Biblical prohibitions. However, there are a very small number of Rabbis who are major authorities in Jewish law to refer to this issue in the Halakha.

This presentation will discuss the most obvious Halakhic questions concerning the sexual status of such individuals with regard to marriage and divorce and with regards to their status vis-à-vis the respective obligations of men and women in the performance of "Mizvot".