Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson, a political commentator and the author of nine books including the bestselling God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality, will speak on BEKI Zoom about Celebrating Gender Diversity in Jewish Tradition, Values, and Theology. Transgender lives are, today, often the subject of intense debate, persecution and misinformation—and, to be sure, the science of gender may be new to many of us. But while our current understandings of gender may be recent, the phenomenon of gender non-conformity is found throughout Jewish history, Biblical text, and even theology. Coming to appreciate what's not new about the gender spectrum can help us be more informed congregants today. No one will be shamed or canceled in this shmooze! Rather, we’ll take on this exploration in the spirit of curiosity, joy, and personal growth.

Rabbi Dr. Michaelson holds a JD from Yale Law School and a PhD from Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a commentator on CNN and a columnist at Rolling Stone, having been the legal affairs columnist for The Daily Beast for eight years. An affiliated assistant professor at Chicago Theological Seminary and a visiting scholar at the Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion, he lives outside of New York City with his husband and daughter.

If you want to join this event, please request the Zoom link from the BEKI office.