This week on Whiplash, Max sits down with J.E. Reich—a Jewish, queer, and nonbinary journalist, editor, and writer—for a conversation that stretches beyond a single tradition and into deeper questions of gender, theology, and lived experience. Together, they explore what it means to encounter another religious framework not as a threat, but as an invitation: to rethink assumptions, to expand imagination, and to take seriously the histories of communities who have been engaging questions of gender and embodiment for far longer than many contemporary Christian spaces.

The episode also reflects on J.E.’s powerful writing about the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the enduring strength of Jewish communal life in the face of violence, alongside a broader discussion of how Jewish texts—from the Talmud to later rabbinic interpretation—approach gender with nuance and complexity. From the recognition of multiple gender categories to interpretive traditions that center intention and authenticity, this conversation offers a compelling look at what becomes possible when we learn across traditions.

Resources mentioned:

J.E. Reich, “Inside the Tree of Life Congregation, the Prayer for the Dead Brings Hope” (Vanity Fair) - https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/inside-the-tree-of-life-congregation-the-prayer-for-the-dead-brings-hope

Myles H. Aronowitz, “The Seven Genders in the Talmud” - https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-eight-genders-in-the-talmud/

Joy Ladin, “What Does the Torah Really Say about Cross-Dressing?” - https://www.jtsa.edu/torah/what-does-the-torah-really-say-about-cross-dressing/