Friends,
I’m pleased to announce that Reconstructing Judaism’s online Evolve Magazine has published a paper I wrote a couple years ago entitled “Joseph’s Womb: Gender Complexity in the Story of Joseph.”
In the essay, I puzzle over oddities in the Torah text (and in rabbinic response to it) that gravitate around Joseph’s feminine looks, clothing, emotions, social role, and body (with provocative references to knees, breasts, and womb). I also explore my own relationship with Joseph’s stories and what it feels like to find in Joseph the trancestor that I have long needed.
As you read, be aware there's a lot of juice in the footnotes. So you might want to keep your eyes on them. (Serving suggestion: You could have the essay open in two adjacent tabs, one on the body of the text and the other scrolled down to footnotes so you don’t need to keep bouncing up and down and finding your place.)
With hopes that compiling all of these sources and questions will be of use to you, your loved ones, and your communities!