Introduction
Hi, I’m Jessi. I was born Hard of Hearing (HoH), and I am Jewish. While both identities shape who I am today, I realize there was still so much I don’t know about the histories, cultures, and communities connected to either of them. Or, interestingly, where they overlap.
This blog is a place to share the learning that I uncover.
My Story
Growing up HoH was interesting. People had to raise their voice and repeat a lot of things for me. My auditory nerves in one ear are dead; auditory nerves take sound from the inner ear and connects it to the brain. From what I understand, my ear is taking in the sound but my brain is not getting the signal that there is sound. I can’t hear certain pitches, and other pitches end up sounding jumbled up when I’m trying to process the sound.
Combining this with my inattentive ADHD and neurodivergence, focusing was not my strong suit growing up. I use captions, and when I can’t use captions, I tend to lipread. Growing up, I just wanted to fit in with hearing kids, and never really explored that angle. I didn’t know there was a whole D/deaf culture until I was an adult.
Also as an adult, I converted to Judaism. I explored my neurodivergence as it applied to Judaism (which was certainly interesting). However, it wasn’t until I started looking into taking a sign language class at community college that I even thought about what the D/deaf community looked like in Jewish culture.
Why This Blog Exists
This isn’t a blog about having all the answers. It’s about learning.
As I’ve started exploring Deaf history, American Sign Language, Deaf culture, Jewish history, and the experiences of Deaf Jews, I’ve discovered stories I want to share with you.
A lot of it has been really interesting, some aspects have been surprising.
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I hope documenting that learning process encourages you to become curious, too.
What You’ll Find Here
Readers can expect articles about topics such as:
Deaf Culture
- What “Deaf” and “deaf” mean
- Community traditions
- Identity
- Accessibility
- Disability and culture
American Sign Language
- The history of ASL
- Linguistics
- Regional variation
- Signed languages around the world
- Learning ASL as an adult
Deaf History
- Milestones in the United States
- Education
- Civil rights
- Influential individuals
Judaism and the Deaf Community
- The history of Deaf Jews in America
- Accessible worship
- Jewish Deaf organizations
- Deaf rabbis and educators
- Israeli Sign Language
- Jewish communities around the world
My Approach
I want this space to be thoughtful, well-researched, and respectful.
Whenever possible, I’ll draw on books, archival materials, academic research, and the voices of Deaf scholars, researchers, historians, and community members. I’ll always show my sources.
I’ll also be transparent when I’m still learning or when a topic includes multiple perspectives. I don’t expect every question to have a single answer.
A Note on Language
By now, you’ve noticed that I use both Deaf (capital D) and deaf (lowercase d).
When appropriate, I’ll follow the conventions preferred by the communities I’m discussing, while recognizing that not everyone identifies in the same way.
Similarly, when discussing Judaism, I’ll acknowledge the diversity of Jewish identities, traditions, and practices rather than presenting any one experience as universal.
An Invitation
If you’re Deaf, hard of hearing, hearing, Jewish, learning ASL, studying accessibility, or simply curious, I’m glad you’re here.
My hope is that this blog becomes a place where history, language, faith, and lived experience come together as an ongoing conversation.
Thank you for joining me on the journey.
