Pittsburgh to host transgender cantorial concert

Cantor Kalix Jacobson, of Temple Emanuel of South Hills, was one of three nonbinary cantors to be the first ordained from Hebrew Union College in 2023. On Nov. 20, Jacobson will join their two colleagues, Ze’evi Tovlev and Jordan Goldstein, for We Remember, a concert honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Jacobson, Tovlev and Goldstein have remained close friends since their studies, and it was Goldstein’s idea to create a concert series. The plan is to take the series to each of the cities where each respective cantor worships and sings, starting with Pittsburgh and including Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Princeton Junction, New Jersey.

“The fact that the three of us are ordained and doing this work in the world is a huge step in the right direction for trans people of all kinds to see ourselves positively represented in faith, proving what we know: G-d made us as we are, in G-d’s image, and that our trans-ness is holy, sacred and worth celebrating,” Goldstein said.

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Jacobson added that “This is not the first time we have been through difficult times to be trans people. We all think it’s really important to be beacons. As Jews we’re taught to be or lagoyim, a light among the nations.”

We Remember will take place at The Rotunda Collaborative, the former site of B’nai Israel synagogue, now a community space and performing arts center. The site previously has hosted live music and dance, and live painting from local artists.

The Rotunda’s mission states that it is “meant to be a spiritual space where all who walked through its doors would have access to the divine” and that it “seeks to bring a sense of awe to community building through music, dance, theater, and more.” Though We Remember will feature sacred music and original work by the three cantors, they also plan to sing secular music and encourage people of all faiths to join.

“We’ll sing some classic favorites, like Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah,’ some Jewish standards like Elana Arian’s ‘Shalom Rav,’ and plenty of new music speaking to healing in difficult times by up-and-coming composers,” Goldstein said. “The piece I’m bringing is part protest piece, part mantra to help me through the overwhelming nature of our news cycle.”

For Jacobson, Tovlev and Goldstein, We Remember isn’t just an opportunity to play original music, but also a chance to center trans and nonbinary people in a way society as a whole — and Jewish liturgy — typically doesn’t. But all three have found ways to navigate being nonbinary in their Jewish liturgical practice and in the community.

Jacobson recalled how at Modern Orthodox congregations they’ve attended, the rabbis let them sit on whichever side of the mechitza they prefer. “A friend also let me sing for their kids, as since I’m not a woman, there isn’t an issue with kol isha,” Jacobson remembered, referencing the prohibition on a man hearing a woman’s singing voice in more religious communities.

Tovlev has been a pioneer of writing nonbinary Hebrew in the Reform movement, describing it as “gender-expansive” rather than “gender-neutral.” Even that small linguistic shift changes the framework for more inclusive language from neutralized to expanded.

“Showing up for trans and nonbinary people in Jewish community requires both intention and the ability to translate that intention into impact,” Tovlev said. “Beginning with an intention to use language that reflects the diversity of gender in our communities is a wonderful start. Then comes the work of translating that intention into action.”

Goldstein hopes the wider community can see that trans and nonbinary community members “are not an inconvenience, but an opportunity to do better.”

At a time when young people are less involved in synagogue life, Jacobson, TovLev and Goldstein are working to help younger Jews see themselves in the liturgy. “Some of my favorite moments in my career so far have been in supporting and mentoring trans and non-binary teens and being the kind of adult in their lives I wish I had. That part never gets old,” Goldstein said.

Though the tone at We Remember will be somber in honoring the trans lives lost to violence and bigotry, Jacobson stressed the importance of marking this concert as a historical event. “This is the first all-trans cantorial concert in history,” they said. “It’s a cool moment in history that Pittsburgh will be able to claim.”

We Remember: A Musical Memorial Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance will take place on Nov. 20, 2025, at 7 p.m. at 327 N. Negley Ave. Registration available here. PJC

Emma Riva is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.