Sarah & Ian Hoffman

Building a culture of kindness. One book at a time.
Menu

  • Home
  • Books
    • Jacob’s New Dress
    • Jacob’s Room to Choose
    • Jacob’s School Play
    • Jacob’s Missing Book
  • About Us
  • Events
    • Events
    • Our Presentations
  • Press
    • Media Kit
    • Stories by Us
    • Stories about Us
  • Fight Book Bans
  • Contact

Transgender Day of Remembrance

November 19, 2011 by Sarah

November 20 is the international Transgender Day of Remembrance, when we take a moment to honor the lives and mourn the deaths of transgender victims of hate crimes.

Last night I attended Shabbat services at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, San Francisco’s LGBT synagogue. I heard a prayer that was so beautiful that I wanted to share it with you here:

As the sun sinks and the colors of the day turn, we offer a blessing for the twilight, for twilight is neither day nor night, but in-between. We are all twilight people. We can never be fully labeled or defined. We are many identities and loves, many genders and none. We are in between roles, at the intersection of histories, or between place and place. We are crosscrossed paths of memory and destination, streaks of light swirled together. We are neither day nor night. We are both, neither, and all.

May the sacred in-between of this evening suspend our certainties, soften our judgments, and widen our vision. May this in-between light illuminate our way to the God who transcends all categories and definitions. May the in-between people who have come to pray be lifted up into this twilight. We cannot always define; we can always say a blessing. Blessed are You, God of all, who brings on the twilight.

We cannot always define; we can always say a blessing.

There are many gatherings in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance going on around the country—click here to find one near you.

 

 

Share

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: "sarah hoffman", "transgender", bullying, congregation sha'ar zahav, hate crime, LGBT, parenting, transgender day of remembrance

Buy the Books

Jacob's Missing Book

Buy at Green Apple Books

Jacob's School Play: Starring He, She & They!

Buy at Green Apple Books

Jacob's Room to Choose

Buy at Green Apple Books

Jacob's New Dress

Buy at Green Apple Books

Testimonials

“. . .a warmly illustrated picture book meant to comfort both boys who are gender nonconforming and their parents. Jacob’s mom’s look of concern when he first asks about the dress is poignant, and his dad’s words of acceptance (‘Well, it’s not what I would wear, but you look great’) could easily serve as a model for fathers in similar positions…hopeful and affirming.”

Share

Kirkus Reviews February 11, 2014

Praise for our books

“With books like this, minds open, perspectives blossom and everyone has more choices.”

Share

Jesica Sweedler DeHart, librarian June 27, 2019

Upcoming Events

Check out our upcoming events to see if we’ll be heading to your area.

Join our mailing list!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 by Sarah and Ian Hoffman • All Rights Reserved • Site design by Makeworthy Media