BECOMING EVE My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman

Abby Stein narrates her engrossing memoir of growing up in the insular Ultra-Orthodox Hassidic Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Stein’s Yiddish accent connects listeners more deeply with her upbringing in a large family strongly bound by rabbinic traditions. The author’s openhearted account of struggling with heightened expectations to perform as a male while coming into her own as a trans woman within a highly gendered culture illuminates intersectional challenges. Possessed of a keen, restless intellect, Stein candidly discusses how immersing herself in Jewish academic and cultural traditions distracted her from difficult questions surrounding gender identity and personal dreams. Stein’s journey includes the heartache of losing loved ones while also discovering an affirming and supportive community. An essential and hopeful production. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2020]