Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Two married gay guys who both converted to Judaism decide to become b’nei mitzvah together and go looking for a social justice project.
Being avid readers and devoted groupies of Nehirim, a national organization for community building among LGBTQ Jews, they decide to bring Nehirim’s founder, author and activist Jay Michaelson, to their plucky little community by the Arch to talk about his recent work.
That’s the story. Our story! So if you’re in or around Saint Louis on February 22 and/or 23, 2012, mark your calendar. Here’s the line-up, all of it happening at our spiritual home base, CRC.
Wednesday, February 22 @ 7 p.m. at CRC
Book talk and community discussion of Everything is God, Jay’s remarkable 2009 book on “the radical path of non-dual Judaism.”
God does not exist, the thinking of Hadisic and Kabbalistic masters goes, God is existence itself. This is esoteric stuff, the outmost frontiers of Jewish thought, but Jay makes it remarkably accessible and readable.
Reading this book has shaken up my prayer and practice for the better and has for a number of other people we know.
Thursday, February 23 @ 7:30 p.m. at CRC
Book talk and community discussion of God Versus Gay: The Religious Case for Equality.
This is Jay’s most recent book, and one reviewer on Amazon sums it up very nicely:
God vs. Gay is an excellent resource for those struggling to reconcile their sexual feelings — or those of a loved one — with being a person of devout religious faith. Michaelson never panders, attempts to set aside all biases and simply lets the text speak for itself. What happens when he clears the smoke of punditry and bigotry is a beautiful thing, and the discussion over equality and human diversity is elevated because of Michaelson’s willingness to have faith in the words of the Torah — and in human dignity.
Jay delves into Christian scripture and tradition as deeply and courageously as he does into Jewish sources, so this is an event we’re really encouraging our Christian friends to come to.
Both events are free and open to the public! Hope to see you there.
B’ahavah v’shalom,
Michael/Shim’on
