Booking Information: Bringing Jay Michaelson to Your Institution or Event
Jay Michaelson often lectures, teaches, and serves as a scholar in residence at universities, synagogues & churches, retreat centers, and conferences around the country. His classes, workshops, and lectures combine spiritual seriousness, a high level of intellectual rigor, and a down-to-earth contemporary sensibility. Choose a link to learn more:
TOPICS
INSTITUTIONS
CONTACT INFORMATION
MULTIMEDIA
TOPICS
1. Religion and Sexuality / LGBT Issues
The Spirituality of the LGBT Movement: Why “Gay Rights” is a Spiritual Opportunity for Straight People, Gay People, and Everyone in Between
The last few years have seen rapid progress toward equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in all aspects of American society. Often, though, this change has been seen in negative terms, pitting religion against civil rights, or God versus Gay. In his bestselling book, God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality, however, writer and activist Jay Michaelson has argued that not only should religious people support LGBT equality because of religion and not despite it, but that this public debate is an opportunity for spiritual growth for all of us, regardless of our sexual identity, gender identity, or religious (or not!) identity. Come here Jay talk about the spirituality of introspection, dialogue, and eros in this fascinating lecture and conversation.
God vs. Gay? The Religious Case FOR Equality. Religious people should support equality for gays and lesbians not despite religion — but because of it. In this text-based and no-holds-barred discussion, Michaelson discusses his own personal journey of acceptance and affirmation, and how the overwhelming majority of our religious values support inclusion of LGBT people. Plenty of time will be allowed for questions and conversation. (Taught at over 75 churches, synagogues, and universities)
Sexuality and Scripture: What does the Bible really say about homosexuality? Taught at the Empire State Pride Agenda, Easton Mountain, and for several interfaith groups.
God, Gender and Justice. This class looks at Biblical text, anthropology, and contemporary ‘Christian Right’ discourse to see how ancient and contemporary fears of homosexuality are similar (and different), and how they are really about the fundamental Western obsession with imposing order on chaos. Taught at Arlington Street Church, Denver LGBT Center, and Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue.
Sunday School for Empowered Queers: How to Have Productive Conversations, Heal those in Need, and Take Back the Word! Jay will show you how to respond to those who say, erroneously, that the Bible prohibits homosexuality.
Ways to Talk about Queer Sexuality and Religion. We may never convince some of our relatives, communities, and debating partners about religion and sexuality. But there are ways to have better, more productive conversations about it, and to get into clearer focus about Western religious traditions. This conversation will give you some tools to do so.
Beyond Leviticus: Queering God, Torah, and Israel. Progressive Jews are beyond “it’s okay to be gay” and have begun asking more interesting questions about the intersections of Judaism with queer sexualities and genders. Are there distinctively queer voices and perspectives which are beginning to enrich the Jewish conversation, much as women’s voices have done over the last generation? What are some of the ways to ‘queer’ Jewish theological categories such as God, Torah, and Israel?
What did Abraham, Jacob, and David Learn from their Homoerotic Relationships with Other Men? Three of the great heroes of Judaism — its founder, its namesake, and its greatest king – all learned something very important about gender and God in homoeroticized encounters with other men… something which impacts how our tradition construes the ideal man and the ideal servant of God. Text workshop. Taught at Hadar, Limmud, and Nehirim.
Spirituality and LGBT Identity. Are there distinct queer spiritualities, and queer contributions to spirituality in general, or should sexuality and gender not really matter on the spiritual path?
Homosexuality and Liminality, Israelites and Canaanites: The Queer Theology of the Boundary Crosser. Biblical scholars have speculated that Biblical prohibitions on sexuality — especially cultic homosexuality — may have been intended to demarcate boundaries between Israelite and Canaanite. At the same time, some queer theologians and thinkers in the “gay spirituality” movement have sought to (re-)invent a suppressed queer identity that celebrates the transgression of precisely those boundaries. This scholarly presentation (with powerpoint) explores these fascinating themes. Taught at HRC Summer Institute, Nehirim, and Keshet/Mosaic.
Transgender Souls, Pretty Boys, and Queer Theology: This is the Stuff You Didn’t Learn in Sunday School. Two verses of the Torah are not all that Judaism has to say about sexual diversity. In this workshop Jay will present a range of fascinating texts, some familiar (Jacob, Joseph, David and Jonathan), some less so (Lurianic Kabbalah, medieval poetry) to explore some of the ways in which queer sexuality has been expressed in the Jewish tradition.
Reclaiming Pleasure: Constructing a Non-Oppressive, Non-Repressive Sexual Ethic in the Shadow of Religion. Why is Western religion often so sex negative? How does the regulation of sexuality relate to larger issues of order and chaos? How do LGBT/queer ovements and other liberation struggles respond (and further problematize) these concerns? And is there any way to move toward a non-oppressive ethic of pleasure, if indeed one exists?
Language Matters: Why We Should Stop Saying ‘Abomination’ and ‘Sodomy.’ The Hebrew Bible never uses the words “abomination” or “sodomy” — and neither should we. Come learn what “toevah” really means (it isn’t abomination) and what the sin of Sodom really was (it isn’t homosexuality), and help rescue religion from the forces of fear.
Queer Activism, Queer Scholarship: Liminality, Identity, and the “Good Gays” (Academic lecture). In contemporary queer religious scholarship, the category of liminality has emerged as a site for positioning queer identity within religious frames. Yet out in the activist world, fixed identities (“born this way”) have been shown to be more politically effective. When do our activist interests and scholarly interests intersect, collide, and fight with one another? Does a basically queer approach to text lead to a particular political affiliation?
Does Homosexuality Matter? Is homosexuality more like gender — which is very important, and which has shifted how we conceive of liturgy, theology, and community — or more like, say, eye color, which is not so important?
Something Queer about Mysticism: Christians & Jews discuss the spiritual path (with teaching partners). Mysticism and spirituality are, paradoxically, at both the core and the edges of many religious traditions. Moreover, mystics are often queer people, and contemporary queer Christians and Jews have found resonance within their contemplative and mystical traditions. How does queerness figure into Christian and Jewish spiritualities? What’s similar and what’s different?
What Comes After Marriage? After marriage equality, what are the next items on the LGBT agenda?
Creating a Queer-Positive Jewishness: Resources and Challenges. This lecture combines ‘reports from the field’ and Jewish resources to discuss how LGBT people are creating their own forms of Jewish identities and practices.
Queer Spirit Heroes. This workshop explores LGBT spiritual heroes from David & Jonathan to Audre Lorde. Taught at Easton Mountain and Nehirim.
Other classes and workshops on religion and sexuality:
Homosexuality in Halacha
Introduction to the Gay Spirituality Movement
The status of gays and lesbians in the different movements of Judaism
Personal stories of ‘the closet’ and ‘coming out’
Lesbianism in Halacha
Toward a queer Jewish theology
2. Nondual Judaism, Theology, and Kabbalah
God Does Not Exist, God is Existence Itself: An Introduction to Nondual Judaism. This workshop explores how God-concepts evolve over time and the notion of the Divine as Ein Sof — without end — even filling every molecule in your brain and thinking your thoughts.
Introduction to Jewish Mysticism/Kabbalah 101. This class can focus on the core symbols of the “theosophical” Kabbalah, including the Zohar; the meditative practices of Rabbi Abraham Abulafia; Hasidism; and folk beliefs including golems, angels, demons, reincarnation, even the red string. Taught at: The 14th Street Y, Makor, The Dorot Foundation, the Skirball Center, and many synagogues. An enlarged an academic version of the course was taught at Yale University and City College of New York. Can also be taught as a focused text study on the Zohar, with the original texts.
What is Jewish Enlightenment? With Kabbalistic contemplation, inquiry into the nature of nonduality, dialogue, and a bit of mindfulness meditation, we ask the question of “what is Jewish enlightenment” and explore how the answer differs from enlightenment in other traditions. Taught at Manhattan JCC and several synagogues.
All is One/All is God: Nonduality East and West. “All is one” is a familiar teaching of yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism, and New Age spirituality. But it is also the foundation of Kabbalah, other forms of Western mysticism, and many Earth-based and indigenous religions as well.
It’s Not All In Your Head: Food, Sex, and the Enlightenment of the Body in Jewish Tradition. This lecture explores how the body is the site of religious observance and enlightenment in Judaism, with a wide range of textual explorations. Lecture given at Cong. Kol Ami, Cong. Dorshei Emet, Academy of Jewish Religion
“A Taxonomy of Wonder” An Introduction to Abraham Joshua Heschel. Taught at Temple Israel of Natick and Ivry Prozdor school.
Kabbalah and Eros. Lecture given as the Pincus Lecture at Drew University. Workshop version taught at One Taste San Francisco.
Polytheism and Nonduality: Integral Kabbalah and the Repersonalization of God. Though one might expect a radically iconoclastic emphasis on nothingness in nondual mystical traditions, in fact the opposite is the case: religious traditions which most embrace nonduality often embrace polytheism — in Hinduism, for example — or in the case of Judaism, what might be called theological polymorphism. Taught at the Science & Nonduality Conference, and New York Integral.
Ways of Speaking Silence: Vedanta and Neo-Hasidism. How did Vedanta, the nondual mystical Hinduism that is the root of much “New Age” spirituality, impact Neo-Hasidism and the Jewish spiritual renaissance? This scholarly presentation traces some of the key figures and contrasts central doctrines and teachings.
To Sin is Holy: The Anti-Torah of Jacob Frank. The antinomian heretic Jacob Frank (1726-1791) was a fascinating and startling Jewish (and Christian) thinker and/or cult leader who believed that the total transgression of all norms was necessary to actualize the messanic redemption. Taught at Limmud Colorado and Limmud NY.
Performative Messianism and Radical Freedom: Antinomianism, Sexuality, and Consciousness. Performing ritual acts of radical antinomian sexuality is found in many cultures, from tantra to the Radical Faeries. How does ecstatic sexual practice relate to transformation of consciousness?
Is Ecstasy Bad for You?: The Staroselse-Lubavitch Controversy. Two hundred years ago, the Chabad Hasidic sect split in two, over what remains a pressing question today: whether ecstatic mystical states are good for you, or not. This text workshop explores some of the key texts of the dispute. Taught at Hadar, Limmud, and synagogues.
Queering Kabbalah. Kabbalah has become a resource for progressive, feminist, and even some queer Jews seeking an alternative to normative Jewish spirituality. Yet Kabbalah is among the most heteronormative, sexist, and gender-binary-reenforcing discourses in world religion. In this workshop, we’ll explore ways in which traditional theological Kabbalah can indeed be a site for a queering of the categories of mysticism and religion.
3. Contemporary Judaism
iSpirituality: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love 21st Century Judaism. Traditional Jewish institutions are in trouble. Yet particularly among younger, educated Jews, there is a renaissance underway of new Jewish culture, spirituality, and identity. Is this the end of the Jewish world, or the beginning? What can we do to make the most of this new, postmodern American Judaism — in our congregations, our homes, and our lives together?
YHVH Means ‘What Is’: Integrating Buddhism and Judaism. It’s an open secret that many of America’s leading Buddhist teachers come from Jewish backgrounds, and many of America’s leading teachers of Jewish spirituality have spent time on Buddhist retreat. What do these two seemingly disparate traditions have in common? How are they influencing one another? And what, really, is Buddhist about Buddhist meditation anyway? Taught at Wesleyan University, Limmud UK
A 21st Century DIY Jewish Journey. According to Yale’s Rabbi James Ponet, “Jay has already done far more than carve out a Jewish niche for his own idiosyncratic self. As journalist, author, activist and scholar he seems to be leading all willing and able to hear him to a new vision of what being a Jew means.” Jay will discuss these issues and describe his own personal Jewish journey.
American Jews and Israel: Is The Love Affair in Trouble? How have Israeli policies changed American Jewish opinion? How have American Jewish communal policies shifted American Jewish opinion? What is the state of the American-Jewish relationship with the Jewish state?
Is the Torah a Basis for Liberal values? Today, it’s common in some circles to hear claims that the Bible aligns with modern liberal ideas such as taking care of the less fortunate, pursuing peace and justice, and ending baseless hatred. Are Jewish neo-conservatives, are just plain wrong? This is a frank look at Biblical texts on such issues as poverty, the death penalty, slavery, and multiculturalism. This text workshop and discussion is sure to provoke. Taught at: Skirball Center, Beth Israel Center Madison.
Alternative Judaisms of the 20th Century. In the 20th century, many new alternative forms of Judaism were created. In this class, or series of classes, we’ll learn about them first-hand. Topics covered include: Jewish Socialism and Labor Unions, The American Jewish Left & the American Jewish Right, Radical Zionism & Canaanism, Radical Jewish Nationalism, the 60s Radicals, the Chavurah Movement, and more.
Integral Judaism: An Introduction to Ken Wilber, Spiral Dynamics, and The Torah of Everything. How does Torah fit into the evolution of the world & consciousness? How does the evolution of the world & consciousness fit into Torah?
Other classes in Contemporary Judaism:
The Philosophy of Halacha
Letter and Spirit: An introduction to the New Jewish Culture
Buber, Rosenzweig, Levinas, Derrida: Toward the Other
How Not to Believe in God
Motherland, Mother Earth, Divine Mother: Dreaming of the Land of Israel
4. Meditation and Spirituality
Insight Meditation Retreats. Meditation is the practice of slowing down thought enough to observe the mind more clearly. It is a non-dogmatic and non-sectarian practice that shows demonstrable results: more calm, less selfishness; more clarity of mind, less confusion; more awareness, less suffering. Jay Michaelson’s meditation teaching makes serious meditation practice accessible to all. He teaches the basic practice of insight meditation (vipassana), which is derived from Theravada Buddhism. If desired, Jay can also combine insight meditation with Jewish religious practice. Jay is formally authorized to teach in the Burmese lineage of Theravadan Buddhism.
A Day Spa for the Soul: A Day of Mindfulness. This daylong retreat of meditation and spiritual practice will include sitting, eating and walking meditation; body-centered spiritual practices including yoga and movement; and time to connect with one another. It’s like a day-spa for the soul! Taught at the JCC of Manhattan and Easton Mountain
What is Spirituality? Is it Nonsense, or the Meaning of Life Itself? Can we say anything useful about “spirituality,” a non-Jewish word which has transformed Jewish life and practice? Is it just a narcissistic feel-good for the privileged and the lonely, or is there more to it than that? Can the word even be defined? We’ll look at the purposes, stages, and varieties of spiritual practice; distinguish spirituality from religion, hedonism, and personal growth; and suggest that a spiritual orientation transforms religion and is an essential part of the life well lived. Lecture given at Easton Mountain and several synagogues.
Getting “Serious” About Your Meditation Practice: How to do it, why to do it, and where you can go with it. Why might a meditation practice be of interest? What can it do? Can you do it in a hectic life and with a skeptical mind? Do you have to be “spiritual” to meditate? How is meditation understood by contemporary cognitive neuroscience? And what can we expect of meditation practice? How does practice deepen over? Are we allowed to talk about goals — and if so, what might they be? All this and more, plus silence.
What’s Next After Now? Taking your practice to the next level. Contemplative practice is always about the present moment. But over time, it is indeed possible to make progress, or not, in one’s spiritual life. In this discussion for experienced practitioners, we’ll explore developmental approaches to contemplative practice, focusing on practical ways each of us can take the “next step” for ourselves. “Advanced Meditation” need not be an oxymoron.
Meditation on the Run. You don’t have to set aside 45 minutes a day to meditate in peace and quiet. Even if you have kids or a crazy business schedule, you can easily relax, be present and gain the benefits of meditationwith zero minutes of spare time. Learn several simple and effective meditation practices that you can integrate into your busy, stressed-out life. Taught at Makor, Limmud, and the 14th Street Y.
Eat Your Way to Enlightenment: The Art of Eating Meditation. Eating meditation, combining the wisdom of the Buddha with the brilliance of the bagel, can give your mind the spaciousness it needs, and, nu, a little nosh. Anyone can do it, and you don’t need 45 minutes either. Taught at National Havurah Institute, Congregation Kol Ami, Congregation Dorshei Emet, and many other institutions.
Introduction to meditation. Learn the basics of meditation, practices that can work well with a low-sleep, high-energy lifestyle, and ways to integrate these techniques in our own lives for more calm, concentration, and focus. If youre curious about meditation, this is the perfect introduction. Taught at NYU, the JCC of Manhattan, and Wesleyan University.
Trance Techniques of Ecstasy: Music and Contemplative Practice. Around the world, repetitive musical patterns are used to induce trance states believed to be conducive to spiritual insights and mystical experience. In this class, we will examine some of these practices, experience some of them for ourselves, and situate our understanding of mystical experience in the context of how these traditions address the relationships between experience and insight. Taught at Berklee School of Music.
Meditative davening services. Jay’s Jewish ritual spaces usually follow the structure of the traditional liturgy, but do not include all of its substance, instead allowing those who wish to daven traditionally to do so alongside our own creative interpretation and improvisation. Jay is fully fluent in all Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform nusach, and can read Torah, Haftarah, High Holidays, and Megillah trope. the services are a mindful and heartful way to bring in a Sabbath of tranquility and alertness, regardless of your level of religious observance or Hebrew knowledge.
Other meditation classes:
Authentic Movement
Nondual Meditation
Sitting with God: Using the Ashrei as a Guided Meditation
Osho’s Dynamic Meditation
Meditation: It’s a Walk in the Park (walking meditation, outside)
5. Law and Policy
Antilawyerism and Antisemitism
Geoengineering: Toward a Climate Change Manhattan Project
Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Pricing of Human Lives
Legal Issues Regarding the Israel/Palestine “Separation Wall”
6. Other
Non-Violent Communication
Poetry Performance
INSTITUTIONS
Academic Appointments
Boston University Law School (Visiting Assistant Professor; Environmental Ethics, Law & Religion)
City College of New York (Adjunct Professor, Kabbalah)
Yale University (Instructor, Jewish Mysticism college seminar)
Faculty Positions
Scholar in Residence, Eden Village Camp, 2010
Human Rights Campaign Summer Institute, 2010
Senior Teacher, Camp JRF, 2007
Adjunct Professor, City College of New York, 2005
Skirball Center for Jewish Studies, 2005
Berkshire Hills-Emanuel Center, Summer 2004
Teacher, Jewish Theological Seminary of America Prozdor School, 1999-2005
Teacher, Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, 1991, 1994, 1997-99
Teacher, Makom, New Haven, CT, 1996-97
Teaching Assistant, Yale University, 1996-97
Scholar in Residence
Temple Beth El, Stamford, CT, April 2011
Shir Tikvah, Minneapolois, MN, April 2011
Jewish Community of Amherst, MA, May 2011
Limmud New York (invited presenter), Jan 2011
Jewish Theological Seminary Rabbinic Training Institute, Jan 2011
Bet Alef Synagogue, Seattle, WA, Nov 2010
Beth El Temple, Harrisburg, PA, May 2010
Limmud Colorado (invited presenter), May 2010
Limmud UK (invited presenter), Dec 2009
Academy for Jewish Religion, Nov 2009
Easton Mountain Retreat Center, Greenwich NY, Summer 2009
Temple Israel of Natick, Feb 2008
Congregation Dorshei Emet, Montreal, Nov 2007
Lehigh University, Oct 2007
Congregation Bet Haverim, Atlanta, GA, March 2007
Congregation Kol Ami, Tampa, FL Feb. 2006
Wexner Heritage Foundation, August 2004
Academic Lectures/Presentations
American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Fall 2007 (Vedanta & Neo-Hasidism)
Cardozo Law School/ Jews and the Legal Profession Conference (Anti-legalism and anti-Judaism)
Lehigh University (New Jewish Culture, Queer Midrash)
Manhattan Marymount College (Judaism & Sexuality)
Drew University (Kabbalah and Eros)
Wesleyan University (The Theory and Practice of Queer Spirituality)
Lectures and Classes
God, Gender & Justice, Arlington Street Church, Boston, MA, December 2010
Meditation, Spirituality, and the BuJus, Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, Nov 2010
God, Gender & Justice, Denver LGBT Center, Nov 2010
Moving Traditions, Nov 2010
Queering Kabbalah, Nehirim Shabbaton, Oct 2010
Polytheism and Nonduality, Science & Nonduality Conference, Oct 2010
Judaism and Sexuality, Judaism Your Way, Denver CO, July 2010
Spirituality in Turbulent Times, Kripalu, Lenox MA, June 2010
Intro to Nondual Judaism, Congregation Kol Ami, KS, May 2010
Intro to Nondual Judaism, Temple Beth Israel, Charlottesville, VA
What’s next after Now? Taking your practice to the next level, JCC Manhattan, May 2010
Intro to Nondual Judaism, Allentown PA, April 2010
The Queer Theology of the Boundary Crosser, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA, April 2010
Talking about Israel in the LGBT Community, San Francisco, CA April 2010
Intro to Nondual Judaism, Tufts Univ. Hillel, April 2010
What is Jewish Enlightenment?, Jewish Meditation Center, Brooklyn NY, April 2010
Intro to Nondual Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Intro Nondual Judaism, Mishkan Shalom, Philadelphia, March 2010
Why Gay Rights is a Religious Issue, Denver University, March 2010
Everything is God: Intro to Nondual Judaism, JCC of Boulder, March 2010
Introduction to the Gay Spirituality Movement, Nehirim, March 2010
Peoplehood and Israel, UJA-Federation of Greater NY, March 2010
Jewish Spirituality for Gay Men, Congr. Shaar Zahav, San Francisco, Feb 2010
Exploring the New Jewish Spirituality, San Francisco, Feb 2010
Exploring the New Jewish Spirituality, Boston, Jan 2010
What is Spirituality? Shedding Some Light on the Light, JCC Palm Beach, Jan 2010
Polytheism and Nonduality, New York Integral, January 2010
Intro to Nondual Judaism, JCC in Atlanta, Nov 2009
God Does Not Exist, God is Existence Itself, JCC in Manhattan, Nov 2009
Exploring the New Jewish Spirituality, New York, Oct 2009
Intro to Nondual Judaism, NY Open Center, April 2008
Kabbalah, Mindfulness & Embodied Spiritual Practice, JCC Metrowest, Feb 2008
The Voices of 21st Century Jewish Poetry, 92nd Street Y, Jan 2008
Kabbalah, Mindfulness & Embodied Spiritual Practice, JCC New Haven, Jan 2008
Vedanta and Neohasidism, American Academy of Religion, Nov 2007
The Political Meaning of Homosexuality, Congregation Shaar Zahav, San Francisco
Kabbalah and Eros, One Taste Retreat Center, San Francisco, CA, Nov 2007
Mystical Practice of Zohar Study (weeklong), National Havurah Institute, Summer 2007
Babel to Bamba: New Words From, About, and Wrestling with Israel, Makor, Feb 2007
Is the Torah really a Basis for Liberal Values?, Skirball Center, NY, Feb 2007
Anti-Legalism and Anti-Judaism, Cardozo Law School, October 2006
Is Ecstasy Bad for You? The Lubavitch-Staroselse Controversy, Hadar, June 2006
Buddhism and Judaism in the 21st Century, Wesleyan University, January 2005
Lesbianism and Jewish Law, Limmud UK, December 2004
Panels
American Jews and Israel: Is the Love Affair in Trouble? Hebrew Union College, Feb 2010
Jewish Seekers and Finders, Makor, Feb 2007
Faith Traditions and Homosexuality, New York GLBT Center, Nov. 2006
“The Jews in Control of the Media,” Sidney Krum Conference, Sept. 2006
Sexuality and Scripture, workshop at New York state legislature, May 24, 2005
Turning It Around and Taking It Back: Religious Activism in a Time of
Dissent, New York GLBT Center, April 2005
Kabbalah and Popular Culture, Manhattan JCC, January 2005
Judaism and Homosexuality: Is There Movement Among the Movements? Makor, June 2003
High Schools and Youth Programs
JTS Prozdor High School
The Trinity School
Camp JRF
Camp Ramah in the Berkshires
USY Metny Summer Encampment
USY on Wheels
The Teva Institute
J-High Queens
Makom Hebrew High School in Connecticut
Park Avenue Synagogue Youth Programs, New York
Performances and Readings
92nd Street Y
Burning Man
Knitting Factory
CBGB
Bowery Poetry Club
Giovanni’s Room
Gay Spirit Culture Summit
National Havurah Institute
Center for Jewish History
Judaism Your Way
Limmud Colorado, Limmud UK
JCC in Manhattan