Rabbi Joshua Lesser
Special guest
Rabbi Joshua Lesser is a nationally recognized faith leader, social innovator and bridge-builder whose work spans from pioneering LGBTQ+ inclusion in Jewish life to consulting for leading social impact organizations. For two decades he was senior rabbi of Congregation Bet Haverim in Atlanta, an LGBTQ+ congregation. He is the founder of SOJOURN, Interfaith Atlanta and the Faith Bridges Initiative and is a spiritual director and consultant for communities and nonprofits, including The On Being Project, the City of Atlanta and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Rabbi Joshua Lesser has been a guest on 1 episode.
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Episode 3: Preparing our Communities for Conversations on Race
December 3rd, 2019 | Season 1 | 48 mins 3 secs
In our third episode of Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations, we speak with Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim in Atlanta. A noted civil rights activist and leader, Lesser shares the evolution of his thinking on race and how fighting injustice has always been a core component of his rabbinate. He breaks down the Jewish conversation on race into an internal and external conversation. The internal focuses on efforts to fully embrace and celebrate Jews of color as a central part of North American Jewry. The external focuses on how Jewish communities interact with communities of color and confront structural racism. Lesser discusses steps his congregation has taken.