What does queer dignity in death look like? How can Jewish communities honor LGBTQ+ members in their passing? The story of Ben Rosenstein offers an entry point into these questions, via three resources:

• A video that outlines Ben’s life and death in early twentieth-century America, as well as a twenty-first century community’s efforts to honor him.
• A Discussion Guide for Participants that includes questions and prompts for viewers.
• A Discussion Guide for Facilitators that includes these same questions and prompts, as well as additional considerations and suggested discussion points.

LEARNING GOALS

• Explore themes of LGBTQ+ ancestry and queer Jewish lineages.
• Learn the story of Ben Rosenstein z”l as a case study for honoring queer ancestors.
• Understand challenges around dignity in death for queer people.
• Learn Jewish tools for fostering dignity in death for queer people.

THE VIDEO

Video Timestamps:

• 00:00 Introduction to LGBTQ+ ancestors
• 01:34 Immigrating to America
• 2:01 Life on the Lower East Side of NYC
• 3:25 Moving to the Midwest
• 4:21 Navigating Illness
• 6:48 Ben’s Passing
• 8:04 Honoring Queer Ancestors in Death

Sources:

• Noam Sienna; A Rainbow Thread: An Anthology of Queer Jewish Texts from the First Century To 1969 (2019)
• Chicago Daily Tribune: Death Reveals Girl “Wed” Girl to Fight Want. February 8, 1915.
• Chicago Daily Tribune: Dress, Not Suit, Will Be Shroud. February 9, 1915.
• Digital Transgender Archive

Additional Resources:

• Community Hevra Kadisha of Greater Boston; Toward a Gender-Inclusive Hevra Kadisha (2020)
• Feinberg, Leslie; Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Marsha P. Johnson and Beyond (1997)
• Feinberg, Leslie; Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue (1998)
• Jewish Book Council; Queer Iden­ti­ty in Jew­ish His­to­ry: An Inter­view with Noam Sienna (2019)
• The Order of the Good Death; Trans Death Rights Are Human Rights (2020)
• Queer Funeral Guide; A Funeral Guide for Queer People, and Those Who Support Them (2019)
• Sharman, Zena; We Have the Power to Reimagine How We Die and How We Mourn; Xtra (2023)
• Shomer Collective’s Jewish End of Life Rituals Glossary

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