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Becoming Eve
Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman | Abby Chava Stein
11 posts | 5 read | 25 to read
The powerful coming-out story of an ultra-Orthodox child who was born to become a rabbinic leader and instead became a woman and an outspoken voice for gender freedom Abby Chava Stein was raised in a Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn, profoundly isolated in a culture that lives according to the laws and practices of an eighteenth-century Eastern European enclave, speaking only Yiddish and Hebrew and shunning modern life. Deeply immersed within one of the world's most gender-segregated societies, Stein was born as the first son in a rabbinical dynastic family, poised to become a leader of the next generation of Hasidic Jews. But Stein felt certain at a young age that she was a girl, even though there was no context for understanding this disconnect. Without access to TV or the internet, and never taught English, she suppressed her desire for a new body while looking for answers wherever she could find them, from forbidden religious texts to smuggled secular examinations of faith. Finally, she orchestrated a personal exodus from ultra-Orthodox manhood into mainstream femininity-a radical choice that forced her to leave her home, her family, and her way of life. Powerful in the truths it reveals about biology, culture, faith, and identity, Becoming Eve poses the ultimate question for a new generation: How far are you willing to go to become the person you are meant to be?
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

Another hit from @IndoorDame ‘s #auldlangspine list! I‘m a sucker for a memoir and this one kept me engaged through each stage of “Eve” Abby‘s life, from childhood through adolescence and adulthood to transitioning into who she has been all along. A member of the Hasidic Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and from a prominent family in this religion, she grew up male but always knew she was female. A great audio narrated by the author.

IndoorDame I‘m so glad you decided to read this one! You‘re diving right in with all the hard hitting titles on my list. 10mo
monalyisha Oh, yes. Stacked! 10mo
WildAlaskaBibliophile Abby is amazing! I follow her on Insta and FB. She's a courageous woman and a fearless role model! I loved reading Becoming Eve! 10mo
82 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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IndoorDame
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#12Booksof2023 February‘s book was my first 5⭐️ nonfiction read of the year, and one I knew before I‘d even finished it would end up as one of my top books of the year.

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TrishB
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Lovely #friendmail- thank you Cindy. It actually arrived yesterday but I was out late with work and no one told me and have only just noticed in back room., so a nice surprise. This looks great 😘😘

Cinfhen Haha 😂 I couldn‘t remember what I had wrapped back in January 🤪Enjoy xx Book was REALLY INTERESTING 1y
Cathythoughts Looks good ♥️ 1y
IndoorDame One of my top reads so far this year! 1y
squirrelbrain Oh, I‘ve seen this book and thought it sounded fascinating. 1y
72 likes1 stack add5 comments
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IndoorDame
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1. The tagged book was my standout February read

2. I‘m dedicating March to cleaning and reorganizing since there‘s a chance I‘m moving soon and if that doesn‘t happen hopefully this place will be ready to greet spring!

#TwoForTuesday @TheSpineView

Thanks for the tags @Cuilin @dabbe !
Do you want to play @Chrissyreadit @Johanna414 @MaleficentBookDragon ?

dabbe #cleaningbuddies! 🤣❣️😊 2y
IndoorDame @dabbe yay! I could use the moral support 😂❤️ 2y
37 likes2 comments
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IndoorDame
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Unputdownable. The writing style here was nothing special, but this was still my first 5⭐️ read this month because it is is a story that needs to be told! The author tries to help you understand what it means to know you‘re transgender when you live in such a closed community that you have no concept this is something anyone else has ever experienced. Stein set out to tell write this because it‘s a story that hasn‘t been shared yet. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

IndoorDame This is the most internal memoir I‘ve ever read, and at the end you realize that for everything she‘s shared with you, there are so many parts of this story left unexplored. I hope others pick up her mantle, and those aspects of her story get explored someday in their own writings. #Booked2023 #FeaturingANonbinaryOrTransCharacter @alisiakae @BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen 2y
Cinfhen Fantastic review!!! Agree 💯!!!! 2y
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Cinfhen
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A riveting memoir - from her earliest memories Abby born into a Hasidic Dynasty knew she was not whom her parents believed her to be. Abby, known as Yisroel Avrom born a male and raised to be a Torah scholar knew her soul and physical body did not align. She also knew that her life held bigger promises than just sitting and learning the Talmud, a collection of writings that covers the full gamut of Jewish law and tradition. 👇🏼

Cinfhen This book, her journey from male to female and from leaving the insular world of Hasidic Jewry is full of heartbreak and newfound joy. I was mesmerized. 2y
See All 14 Comments
squirrelbrain Sounds fabulous - stacked! 2y
IndoorDame I‘m so excited to read this! My library hold says only 4 weeks now. 2y
Cinfhen I can‘t wait to hear your thoughts @IndoorDame 2y
Cinfhen It was pretty eye-opening @squirrelbrain 2y
Megabooks Wow! This sounds really interesting! 2y
Librarybelle This does sound riveting! 2y
Cinfhen It‘s a quick read @Megabooks @Librarybelle but it leaves a big impression 2y
TrishB Sounds really interesting. Another one that‘s mega expensive here, will keep a look out for a bargain! 2y
Cinfhen I bought it used @TrishB and super happy to share it with you xxx 2y
TrishB Aw thank you! No rush and v kind as always 😘 2y
Suet624 Sounds like quite the life. 2y
81 likes8 stack adds14 comments
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Cinfhen
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Excited to finally pick this one up.

ShelleyBooksie That's a heck of a journey! 2y
Cinfhen I finished the book today @ShelleyBooksie CRAZZZY story - my heart really goes out to Abby 2y
Cinfhen My friend‘s daughter was with her at Columbia after she transitioned/ she couldn‘t read or write English until she left the Hasidic community at the age of 21 - 2y
71 likes1 stack add3 comments
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IndoorDame
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#Family is the perfect word to lead you down an unending rabbit hole of interesting books. My journey started with The Family by Marissa Kennerson, which has a fascinating premise but gets all the typical criticisms associated with YA, and after many many stops, ended with the tagged book which I‘m really excited to read! #DivineDecember @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs 👏🏻📚👏🏻 2y
49 likes1 comment
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Maria514626
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This was amazing. Both her ultra-orthodox life and navigating life knowing from early on that she was a girl. #lgtbq

4/5⭐️ The ending felt rushed. It left out most everything of her married life. It sounded like her marriage would have been as happy as it could be. That‘s perhaps something she doesn‘t or can‘t talk about.

Listen if you‘re able. She reads it. I got so much more out of it than I would have reading. #20in4
#diversifyyourreading

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Maria514626
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I‘m so ignorant about the trans and non-binary experiences. I‘m going to work on that during Pride month. #lgtbq ❤️

I don‘t have my #bigjunereadathon goals set except this: at least one book about a trans person and at least one about a non-binary person. (Sorry if my language is off or offensive. Please correct me!)

If you have suggestions, especially about a non-binary person, I‘d love to hear them!
#20in4

TrishB I don‘t have specific non binary books recommendations . But I found this one very informing about trans issues 2y
Maria514626 Thanks, @trishb! I appreciate recommendations from Littens (aka informed). 👍🙂 (edited) 2y
Maria514626 @trishb sounds very good! 2y
Clwojick Good luck with your goals! Happy that you‘ll be joining us! 🌼 2y
Maria514626 @Clwojick Thanks for hosting the readathon! 2y
19 likes5 comments
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Insightsintobooks
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I just finished this book. I enjoyed it, however I do wish it expanded on a few things. I found the part mentioned about the Kabbalah interesting and would enjoy reading more books by this author.

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