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Mimi Lemay, author of What We Will Become: A Mother, A Son and A Journey of Transformation, will discuss her advocacy on behalf of her transgender son and her own struggle to redefine her faith after leaving her ultra-Orthodox upbringing. At 3 PM, Jewish LearningWorks Senior Educator Deb Massey will lead a discussion for educators exploring how this essential conversation relates to our work with students, parents, and community members in Jewish educational settings.

Mimi Lemay is an author, advocate for transgender rights, and a member of Human Rights Campaign’s Parents for Transgender Equality National Council.  She began her public advocacy shortly after her son Jacob’s transition from assigned female to affirmed male, with the viral essay “A Letter to My Son Jacob on His 5^thBirthday.”  The Lemay family hasappeared on television, including the NBC Nightly News segments “Jacob’s Journey: Life as a Transgender 5-Year-Old.” Her memoir, What We Will Become, was a finalist for the 2020 Massachusetts Book Awards.  Also in 2020, Lemay was awarded the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Unsung Heroine Award for her efforts on behalf of the transgender community. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University, where she received her Master’s degree in international affairs.

Co-presented by Congregation Sha’ar Zahav.