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Jay Michaelson holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Jewish Thought at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he is writing on the antinomian theology of Jacob Frank. He has been an adjunct professor of City College, and a visiting professor at Yale University, teaching Kabbalah at both institutions and also assisting in Yale's Philosophy of Religion survey course. He is a former Golieb fellow in Legal History at NYU law school; Olin Fellow in Law, Economics and Public Policy at Yale; clerk to Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit; and senior editor of the Yale Law Journal. He is also the vice president and general counsel for Wasabi Systems, an open source software company which Jay co-founded in 2000, and has spoken at numerous trade and industry gatherings regarding open source software and intellectual property. Jay holds an M.A. in Religious Studies from Hebrew University, where his thesis under the supervision of Prof. Daniel Boyarin was awarded the grade of 100. Fellowships and prizes Jay has received include the Dorot Fellowship, the Weinig Traveling Fellowship, and, at Yale Law School, the Ambrose Gherini Prize, and the Israel Peres Prize (for the best Note in Yale Law Journal).
Below are some of the academic, legal, and scholarly lectures which Jay has presented. For a list of popular classes and booking information, click here.
Vedanta and Kabbalah in Contemporary Neo-Hasidism
American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting
November, 2007
This presentation analyzes the historical and ideological points of contact between neo-Hasidism and Advaita Vedanta, as represented by Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, and their heirs in the Vedanta Society, as well as in the writings of Westerners such as Wei Wu Wei and Aldous Huxley, and 20th century sages Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta, comparing, where appropriate, the theological/ ontological doctrines of Vedanta with those of Kabbalah and Hasidism. As we shall see, Vedanta, in the forms presented by the American institutions of the Vedanta Society, was an early source of inspiration for the neo-Hasidim of the 1950s and 1960s, and was at once an impetus and a foil in their own work. Vedantic sources largely articulated the goals and purposes of the spiritual life generally, but Kabbalah and Hasidism had more of an influence on how neo-Hasidism believed those goals were best achieved.
Letter and Spirit: The Archaic Revival in Contemporary Jewish Writing and Culture
Lehigh University
October, 2007
Among younger educated Jews, there is a renaissance underway of new Jewish culture, spirituality, and identity. Generally disregarding of conventional movements, ideologies, and labels, young Jews are congregating on their own for prayer, spiritual practice, and cultural activities. In parallel, leading young Jewish writers like Jonathan Safran Foer, Michael Chabon, Nathan Englander, and Myla Goldberg are increasingly making use of religious themes in their work, in sharp contrast to a previous generation of secular Jewish writers. What do
these new spiritual and literary movements mean for the Jewish future? Are there new forms of Jewishness being written and created today?
Anti-Legalism and AntiJudaism
Jews and the Legal Profession Conference, Cardozo Law School
October, 2006
Presentation on theological roots of anti-legalism, comparing contemporary American attitudes toward law and formalism with those of the New Testament. Conference speakers also included Sanford Levinson, Alan Dershowitz, and David Wilkins.
Kabbalah and the Erotics of the Infinite
Pincus Lecture, Drew University, April, 2005
Unlike those religious systems which see spirit as separate from the body and sexuality as a necessary evil, the Jewish mystical and esoteric traditions known as Kabbalah hold that the body is a place of sanctity, and sexuality is a key to unlocking the greatest of Divine secrets. And centuries before "The Da Vinci Code," Kabbalah sought the return of the Divine Feminine from Her exile and concealment. In fact, with both human beings and the Godhead possessing male and female energies, the permutations of gender and consciousness challenge simplistic notions of normative sexual expression. This lecture explored how these themes are treated in the Zohar and other theosophical Kabbalistic literature.
Turning It Around and Taking It Back: Religious Activism in a Time of Dissent
GLBT Center, April 2005
What role will progressive activism play in the national discourse on values?
How can liberal people of faith reclaim what it means to be "moral" in America?
How can a united progressive movement influence political dialogue today?
Join a vibrant group of activists for a panel discussion and community forum at the Center to discuss how our concerns and values fit into the national debate on what drives this country. A panel of activists and leaders of different faiths will offer their vision for religion in America and how it aligns with progressive activism.
Kabbalah and Popular Culture: Panel Discussion
The JCC of Manhattan, January 2005
Professor Rachel Elior (Jerusalem), Rabbi Jeremy Rosen (U.K.), and Jay Michaelson (U.S.) were featured on a panel discussing the phenomenon of Kabbalah in popular culture.
If you'd like to have Jay teach this practice to your group or organization, click here to send him an email.
For more information on Jay's speaking topics, click here.
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