← Interview of Rafaela Anshel
![](http://nyctransoralhistory.org/content/uploads/2021/11/Rafaela-Anshel-photo.jpg)
Rafaela Anshel is a Jewish trans woman, affiliated with the Congregation Beth Simchat Torah. This interview is a reflection of Anshel's transition. She details accounts from youth up until present day, focusing on her struggles with self-acceptance as well as societal perceptions of trans people. The main topics discussed include rape and violence, trans safety, PTSD, gender nonconformity, queerness, sexual reassignment surgery, the AIDS epidemic, socially constructed stereotypes, and Anshel's time spent at the LGBT Synagogue. She is a singer, feminist, and advocate on transgender issues.