Blair Jackson

Thesis supervisor: Naftali Cohn

Blair Jackson (he/they) is a final-year MA student pursuing an M.A. in Judaic Studies. They graduated from McGill University with a B.A. in Linguistics, minor concentration Jewish Studies. His research examines the parallel ritualistic dimensions of gender transition and conversion to Judaism, with particular focus on how embodied practices act as bridges between the internal self/identity, the body, and the community. Through their analysis, they aim to illuminate the structural similarities between gender transition processes and conversion to Judaism as a "closed" religious tradition, thereby contributing to broader theoretical discussions about the nature of religious and gender identity formation. His methodological framework combines ritual studies with textual analysis, examining both traditional conversion rituals (mikveh and brit milah) and practices associated with gender transition (hormone replacement therapy protocols and the social ritual of "coming out").