Jay Michaelson
Jay Michaelson is a writer and teacher whose work focuses on spirituality, Judaism, sexuality, and law. His voice is fresh, honest, and intelligent, bringing both the erudition of the academy and the devotion of the contemplative path to audiences around the country. His first book, God in Your Body: Kabbalah, Mindfulness, and Embodied Spiritual Practice, was published in November, 2006, by Jewish Lights press.
Writing. A recent finalist for the Koret Young Writer on Jewish Themes Award, Jay is a columnist for the Forward newspaper, where he writes the “Fringes” column on emerging Jewish spiritualities, as well as a contributor to the Jerusalem Post, Slate, Shma, and other publications. He is the editor of Az Yashir Moshe: A Book of Songs and Blessings and the founder and chief editor of Zeek: A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture, recognized as a leading institution of the “New Jewish Culture.” Jay also writes and lectures widely on issues of law and religion, and was a recent presenter on “Anti-legalism and anti-Judaism” at Cardozo School of Law’s conference on Jews in the Legal Profession. His writing has been featured in numerous magazines, and anthologized in Mentsh: On Being Jewish and Queer and other books. Jay’s freelance articles have been published in The Jerusalem Post, Shma, Spin, Surface, White Crane and Legal Times. His legal writing has appeared in the Duke Law Journal, Stanford Environmental Law Journal, the Journal of Law in Society, and the Yale Law Journal. Recent articles range from On the Promises and Perils of Sacred Sexuality to A Spiritual Critique of Bushism.
Teaching In addition to his writing, Jay has taught Kabbalah and spiritual practice, especially embodied spiritual practice, at a wide range of institutions, including Yale University, City College, Elat Chayyim, the Skirball Center, the Wexner Summer Institute, Limmud UK, Limmud NY, Wesleyan University, Drew University, the New York University Hillel, the Burning Man festival, Easton Mountain, the Park Avenue Synagogue, the Trinity School, the Dorot Fellowship, and a number of synagogues and community centers, as well as online at learnkabbalah.com. Having taught for four years the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Ivry Prozdor school, where he was an assistant principal, and for five years at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Jay has created and taught over twenty curricula for formal and informal Jewish education, ranging from “How Not to Believe in God” to “The Philosophy of Halacha.” A frequent speaker, panelist, and scholar in residence at synagogues and community centers, Jay brings Kabbalah down to earth, and brings the most mundane of earthly subjects to a higher spiritual plane. He has taught teenagers and senior citizens, at law schools and Burning Man. His classes range from textual studies of the Zohar to lighter workshops such as Eat Your Way to Enlightenment: The Art of Eating Meditation. He leads meditation circles, Jewish davening groups, caving trips, and energy workshops. For a full list of lectures, retreats, and workshops which Jay has led, and for information on how to bring him to your community, click here.