Bigots Tried to Destroy Us. We’re Rebuilding With Love.

Hi — I’m Talia Avrahami. I’m an Orthodox Jewish woman, a wife, a mother, and an educator. I’m also intersex — something I only discovered as an adult, after a lifetime of confusion and silence. For years, I worked quietly and lovingly as a teacher in religious Jewish schools, committed to helping my students grow into thoughtful, proud citizens.

But in 2022, far-right activists targeted me. They outed me as transgender, circulated footage of me without my consent, and launched a campaign of harassment that shook my family to the core. I lost my job. My husband Bradley, who works in Jewish education, received threats and hateful calls just for being married to me. Our young daughter was filmed and stalked by strangers simply because of who we — her parents — are.

To make matters worse, our longtime synagogue — where we had prayed, served, and built community — asked us to leave. My former rabbi, someone I once trusted, told me I was no longer welcome. It was a devastating betrayal.

But through all of this, we refused to give up.

Our daughter Bracha is the heart of our world. She’s a kind, bright, frum little girl who deserves the stability of a loving Jewish home — and, with the help of the Almighty, a sibling. We’re now working toward growing our family again through surrogacy.

But, surrogacy is expensive — and after everything we’ve been through, the financial burden is overwhelming. The process will cost us over $60,000, spread across multiple payments. We’re doing everything we can: working hard, applying for loans, and making sacrifices. Still, we can’t do this alone.

This fundraiser isn’t just about having another baby. It’s about healing from trauma. It’s about affirming that people like me — Orthodox, intersex, transsexual, and committed — can build families too. That we belong in the Jewish world. That love wins.

If you’ve followed our story, if you’ve seen the headlines or watched the videos, you know how much this means. Every donation helps us move forward. Every share sends a message that our existence is not only valid — it is sacred.

Thank you for standing with us.

Documentary by The Guardian (in English): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iok2EjV5evs&t=288s

News Article by i24 News (in French): https://www.i24news.tv/fr/actu/international/ameriques/1663831065-une-ecole-juive-de-brooklyn-licencie-une-enseignante-transgenre

TV Interview by Channel 13 (in Hebrew): https://13tv.co.il/item/news/abroad/xqb5i-903283566/