Jay Michaelson
Special guest
Jay Michaelson is author of “The Heresy of Jacob Frank: From Jewish Messianism to Esoteric Myth” and none other books. He is a freelance journalist at New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, and other publications, covering the U.S. Supreme Court, religion, sexuality, climate change, and other topics. Jay previously worked as a professional LGBTQ activist for ten years.
An ordained rabbi, he holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Thought from Hebrew University and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He is also a meditation teacher, editor, and podcast host at Ten Percent Happier, a leading meditation platform. Jay has written several books on meditation, religion, and spirituality. He is an ordained rabbi and is authorized to teach in a Theravadan Buddhist lineage.
Jay Michaelson has been a guest on 2 episodes.
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Episode 49: Bestselling author Jay Michaelson on his new book of fiction, covering the Israel-Hamas war, campus antisemitism, and more
January 25th, 2024 | Season 1 | 1 hr 4 mins
creative writing, fiction, hamas, israel, jewish, judaism, middle east, war
Bestselling author and journalist Jay Michaelson returns to discuss his first book of fiction, "The Secret That Is Not a Secret: Ten Heretical Tales" (03:30). The linked short stories explore the nature of heresy, queerness, kabbalah, mysticism and the sometimes-thin line between erotic desire and religious yearning. We also delve into some of Michaelson's recent op-eds for the Forward and Rolling Stone, which explore the ethics of war, the charged nature of the term genocide, the debate about campus antisemitism and more (31:40).
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Episode 35: The Heretic: Why an 18th Century Opponent of Rabbinic Authority Matters Today
November 23rd, 2022 | Season 1 | 55 mins 55 secs
jewish podcast, judaism, progressive judaism
Polymath Jay Michaelson, a rabbi, journalist, scholar, LGTBQ activist and meditation teacher, joins the Evolve podcast to discuss his new book, "The Heresy of Jacob Frank: From Jewish Messianism to Esoteric Myth". Michaelson separates myth from fact and explains why Frank’s radical philosophy may have been a precursor to how many non-Orthodox Jews relate to the tradition today.