Author, activist to speak at Central Reform

By Repps Hudson

Jay Michaelson, author of “God vs. Gay: The Religious Case for Equality” and a gay rights activist, will speak on two nights next week at Central Reform Congregation in the Central West End at 5020 Waterman Boulevard. Both events are free and open to the public.

On Wednesday, Feb . 22, Michaelson will speak at 7:30 p.m. on “Everything Is God.” At 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, he will discuss his book and how the Hebrew and Christian bibles do not explicitly prohibit gay relationships, yet stress compassion, love and acceptance of other human beings.

Michaelson is being brought to St. Louis as the guest of CRC members Michael Getty and Brian Vetruba, both of whom converted to Judaism and will become b’nai mitzvah April 28. They married in Toronto in 2003. To celebrate their event, Getty said he and Vetruba were looking for a social justice project they could sponsor that would benefit CRC and the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community here.

Rabbi Susan Talve said Michaelson’s visit and discussion are “a natural for CRC,” which welcomes members of that community. She added that Michaelson’s books “are organic to the values we share.”

Michaelson also has written “Everything Is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism” and “God in Your Body: Kabbalah, Mindfulness and Embodied Spiritual Practice.”

Getty and Vetruba will sell “God vs. Gay” for $25.95; proceeds to CRC.