Jay Michaelson (born 1971) is a writer, teacher, and scholar in the USA. His work involves spirituality, Judaism, sexuality, and law.[1] He is a columnist for The Forward[2] and a featured blogger for the Huffington Post[3] He has written three books, Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism (2009), God in Your Body: Kabbalah, Mindfulness, and Embodied Spiritual Practice (2006) and Another Word for Sky: Poems (2007). Michaelson has been a leading voice in "New Jewish Culture," alternative Jewish spirituality, and GLBT activism. He has written 200 articles for The Jerusalem Post, Slate, Tikkun, Zeek, Reality Sandwich,[4] and other publications.
Michaelson has held teaching positions at Boston University, Yale University, and New York City College with a focus on religion, law, and ethics. His 1998 Stanford Environmental Law Journal article[5][6]] on geoengineering and climate change was described as "seminal" by Salon Magazine[7] and he is regarded as an early advocate of the policy.[8]
Michaelson has been noted as an innovator and occasional gadfly in the American Jewish community. He founded Zeek: A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture in 2002 and Nehirim, an organization for GLBT Jewish culture and spirituality in 2004. In 2009, Michaelson's essay entitled "How I'm Losing My Love for Israel" generated substantial controversy in the Jewish world, eliciting responses from Daniel Gordis,[9] Jonathan Sarna,[10] and others.[11]
God in Your Body: Kabbalah, Mindfulness, and Embodied Spiritual Practice.[12] Michaelson's first book, God In Your Body, discusses an embodied path to spirituality, culling from mystical and traditional Jewish traditions, as well as Buddhism and meditation.[13]
Another Word for Sky. Michaelson's first book of poetry reflects on many of the issues explored in his previous work, including spirituality, mysticism, materialism, and sexuality.[14] One reviewer stated that "Michaelson sustains an intimate tonality that frames even obtuse sketches of people and place, but always with economy and concrete imagery."[15]
Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism. Michaelson's third book is regarded as the first work of theology of the so-called "New Jewish Culture".[16]
Zeek: A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture. Jay Michaelson is the founding editor of Zeek[17] which he founded in 2002. The monthly online publication supplemented with the semi-annual print edition has been the premier publication for "New Jewish Culture." Zeek publishes art, essays, fiction, and poetry. While Jewish culture magazines or webzines have been on the rise in the past 5 years, Zeek was among the first.
Nehirim. Nehirim[18] is an organization for GLBT Jewish culture and spirituality. Nehirim creates retreats and events to celebrate and explore the unique GLBT culture within the Jewish community.[19]