Abby Chava Stein

@abbystein.bsky.social

5044 Followers 198 Following

parent, activist, speaker, author (Becoming Eve, Sources of Pride), ordained rabbi, woman of trans experience. Linktr.ee/abbystein (She/Her)

A vintage color photograph from 1994, taken by my mother on my third birthday. I sit at a small polished wooden desk, focused on a coin standing upright in the middle of being rolled. Four Hasidic men in black hats gather closely around me: my great-great-uncle, an elderly rebbe wearing a blue patterned robe, is seated at left; my father leans over me; my maternal grandfather is seated at right; and one of my grandfather’s disciples stands beside him. They are helping me learn and recite the Hebrew alphabet, following a traditional third-birthday custom. The image has the warm tones, soft focus, and visible texture of an old paper photograph - of which it is a scan.
Screenshot of a Google doc. White letter on black background. Top reads: פרייטאג צונא... All changes saved. Body reads: Bought: Grape Juice Mayim Chaim soda Wine (guests) Pickles Coleslaw Horseradish Course 1: Challah Salad (סאלאט, or by guest) Tomato dip Course 2: Salmon gefilte fish Poached salmon Course 3: Chicken soup Egg noodles Onion kugel Matzah balls Chickpeas Course 4: Chicken (baked?) Tzimmes Farfel Roasted green beans Sauteed liver Course 5: Potato kugel Yerusalemi kugel Course 6: Apple Strawberry Compote Apple cake/kugel (maybe apple + cherry) Fresh fruits (guests?)
Screenshot of weather app, showing hourly weather graph, and how at around sunset, the temperature suddenly dropped by almost 20 degrees
Hebrew screenshot that reads: אָמַרְתִּי בְסִינַי | לֹא תִרְצַח וְתִשְׁפּוֹךְ דָּמִים וְהֵמָּה בְצִיּוֹן | יְדֵיהֶם מָלְאוּ דָמִים אָמַרְתִּי בְסִינַי | לֹא תִנְאַף בְּנֵאוּפִים והֵמָּה בְצִיּוֹן | כּוֹלָּם מְנָאֲפִים אָמַרְתִּי בְסִינַי | לֹא תִגְנוֹב וְתַחֲלוֹק עִם גַּנָּבִים וְהֵמָּה בְצִיּוֹן | וּסוֹרְרִים וְחַבְרֵי גַּנָּבִים אָמַרְתִּי בְסִינַי | ולֹא תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךְ עֵד שָׁקֶר וְהֵמָּה בְצִיּוֹן | כִּי קָמוּ בִי עֵדֵי שֶׁקֶר אָמַרְתִּי בְסִינַי | לֹא תַחְמוֹד שָׂדוֹת וּבָתִּים וְהֵמָּה בְצִיּוֹן | חָ[מְד]וּ שָׂדוֹת וְגָזְלוּ בָתִּים וּבְכֵן אַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כָּל הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ [כִּי אֱ]מֶת עָשִׂיתָה וַאֲנַחְנוּ הִרְשַׁעֲנוּ
Screenshot from a weather app, for Brooklyn, NY tomorrow, Thursday July 2nd. Shows a high of 98°, and Feels Like 107°
Joint Statement from the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs and the NYC Commission on Human Rights While the Supreme Court today has chosen to permit states to explicitly discriminate against transgender students, the reality on the ground in New York City remains unchanged. The City of New York will continue to be a place where transgender students can play the sports they love and be treated at all times with dignity and respect. It has been and continues to be unlawful in the State and City of New York to discriminate against anyone, including students, simply because they are transgender or intersex. If you experience or witness discrimination, call 3-1-1 and ask for 'Human Rights'
Trans flag 🏳️‍⚧️ background. Black letters that read: WE STAND WITH TRANS STUDENT ATHLETES! Emergency Community Response Tuesday, June 30, 5:30 - 7:00 pm Stonewall National Monument at Christopher Park 7th Avenue & Christopher Street
Tweet from StephenM: In 2026, half of NYC residents speak a language other than English as their primary language and one-quarter of NYC residents lack English language proficiency.
Tweet from @MeghanMcCain To my beautiful Jewish friends in America. We love you. You are not alone. We are just as freaked out as you are and see with clear eyes exactly what is happening.
Photo of Abby Stein, brunette white trans woman, with light makeup and lipstick, wearing a floral shirt with a bow. Cross body bag, and a sticker that reads: "I VOTED" Symbol of Vote NYC "2026" Walking on a Brooklyn street in rainy weather.
Screenshot of tweet by @JGreenblattADL: "No matter what spin he puts on it, Mayor Mamdani has chosen to double down on his vilification and demonization of those who support Israel and a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. In his mind, does that make 85%+ of the Jewish community “monsters”?"
Screenshot of a Facebook post from Casper Capital. It reads: 🚨 BREAKING NEWS: UnitedHealth Group posted $6.2B in profits last quarter while simultaneously denying 32% of all prior authorization claims. They made $6.2 billion. They denied one out of every three medical requests. You paid your premium. They denied your claim. They kept your money. This is legal. This is normal. This is American healthcare.
Photo of 4 people, dressed for queer pride, holding a sign that reads "Claire Valdez for Congress," and a white box that reads: "Workers Deserve It ALL." And below it it says Election day June 23 Many other Pride goers and signs visible in the background.
Top has a rainbow colored rotunda of a synagogue. Below reads: Pride Shabbat + Dinner with Rabbi Jenna June 5, 2026 7:00 pm ET 6:00 pm - Happy Hour* 7:00 pm - Service 8:15 pm - Dinner Rabbi Jenna and Rabbi Abby Stein, an author, educator, and activist, lead an inclusive and musical service celebrating the diversity of DC Jewish life.
Photo of 5 Shabbat candles: 2 large Paraffin ones in large metal candle holders, one small wax one in a glass candle holder, two olive oil candles in the same small glass candle holder. On top of a sectional wall, overlooking an empty living room with one suitcase at the corner.
כתב החיד"א בספר לב דוד פרק לא ז"ל, "גם באור יו"ט שני של גלויות ויומו, יזהר לתת חלק ביום ובלילה לתורה כו', ובפרט למה שכתב הרב רבינו מנחם עזריה ז"ל במאמרות (מחקור דין ח"ב פרק טו) כי יו"ט שני של גליות דעצרת, חיבה יתירה נודעת לו שבו ניתנה תורה, ביום חמישים ואחד אחר הפסח שחל בשבת, דלכולי עלמא ניתנה תורה, והסכימה דעת עליון לחוג בכבודו ובעצמו ביו"ט שני של גליות, שהוסיף משה מדעתו כדברי רבי יוסי (שבת דף פז, ב) עיין שם" עכ"ל.
"וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר". נִתְּנָה תוֹרָה דֵּימוֹס פַּרְהֶסְיָא בִּמְקוֹם הֶפְקֵר, שֶׁאִלּוּ נִתְּנָה תוֹרָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לָהֶן לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם: אֵין לָכֶם חֵלֶק בָּהּ! לְפִיכָךְ נִתְּנָה בַמִּדְבָּר, דֵּימוֹס פַּרְהֶסְיָא בִּמְקוֹם הֶפְקֵר, וְכָל הָרוֹצֶה לְקַבֵּל, יָבֹא וִיקַבֵּל! "and they encamped in the desert": The Torah was given openly, in a public place. For if it were given in Eretz Yisrael, they could say to the nations of the world: You have no portion in it. But it was given openly, in a public place, and all who want to take it may come and take it.
Screenshot of an IG comment that reads: Remind us where the "gift of Torah" was delivered to us?
Screenshot from a tweet that reads: Indig fit in well with Mamdani's who who of degenerate Jews. Jews who deny the Torah, deny Judaism and deny Jewish peoplehood and the Land of Israel. Did you get to dance with Abby the trans Rabbi ex-Satmar male Chosid now female model.
White box, with a black border, and a thicker rainbow border surrounding the poster. In the box it says (some words are in rainbow colors): We envision a world where homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia no longer exist. Where all queer people are loved, respected, celebrated, and free. -------------------- INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA, BIPHOBIA, AND TRANSPHOBIA
A huge yellow sign hanging on a building, the sign being the size of a few stories in length. It reads, first in Hebrew: מדינת ישראל הוא אבי אבות הטומאה, ומטמא במגע במשא ובדיבור!' Then in English, in all caps: WE OPPOSE AND HAVE NO PART IN ZIONISM! WE OPPOSE AND HAVE NO PART IN THEIR WARS! WE OPPOSE AND HAVE NO PART IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL!"
Photo of Abby Stein, seated on a chair. Wearing a pink sweater top, with ruffles on the sleeves close to the shoulder. Maroon velvet leggings, rainbow earrings, and a necklace with the trans symbol ⚧️ On the top left is the logo of the magazine, the word CULTURED in white bold letters. Top rights reads "CULT100" and 2026 underneath it. Bottom center reads: Abby Stein Activist, Author & Rabbi
Screenshot of a post in Hebrew, from @AlonLeeGreen - his name written out in Hebrew and in Arabic. Below the text it has 2 photos of the kippah. On the left is a whole black kippah, with an Israeli and Palestinian flag on either side, and 2 clips. The right photo is the same kippah with the Palestinian flag cut off. The text reads in Hebrew (translation below): ‏זו המדינה שאנחנו חיים בה: ד"ר אלכס סינקלר ישב בבית קפה במודיעין. לקוחה אחרת הבחינה שעל הכיפה שלו יש דגלי ישראל ופלסטין ביחד, סמל לשלום, והזמינה את המשטרה. המשטרה הגיעה והודיעה לו ש"הכיפה שלו נגד החוק". משסירב להסירה, נקלחה הכיפה בכוח, והוחזרה לו אחרי שדגל פלסטין נגזר ממנה. זהו. Translation: This is the country we live in: Dr. Alex Sinclair was sitting in a café in Modiin. Another customer noticed that on his kippah there were Israeli and Palestinian flags together, a symbol of peace, and called the police. The police arrived and informed him that "his kippah was against the law." When he refused to remove it, the kippah was forcibly taken from him, and it was returned to him after the Palestinian flag was cut off it. That's it.
Screenshot of the end of a blog post that reads: In total, 25 of my direct grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great- grandparents went through the Holocaust. 9 survived, 16 perished.
Photo of a digital camera taking a photo. The photo is centered on Mayor Zohran Mamdani, standing at a podium that says "100 Day Address." In the background are several people holding signs, and to the left (right of the Mayor) Abby Stein is visible.