Blair Jackson

Thesis supervisor: Naftali Cohn

Blair Jackson (they/he) is a first-year graduate student pursuing an M.A. in Judaic Studies. They graduated from McGill University in 2024 with a B.A. in Linguistics, minor concentration Jewish Studies.

Blair is particularly interested in queerness and Jewish practice, especially conversion to non-Orthodox streams of Judaism by transgender individuals, as well as the experiences of transgender Jews who identify as "observant," "traditional," and/or "Orthodox."

Blair aims to explore the intersection of Jewish and transgender identities while highlighting the unique experience of "dual-ostracization" of LGBT Jews in both traditional Jewish and secular queer spaces, and to imagine novel entryways for people of marginalized genders and sexualities to explore and participate in traditional religious spaces while holding their truth.