Friday, May 25, 2018

Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, Scholar In Residence For Trans And Queer Jewish Studies At CBST


Rabbi Moskowitz studied at the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem where he received smicha. He then continued his studies at BMG in Lakewood where he received an advanced degree in Talmud. 

For the last 15 years, he has been engaged in Jewish outreach and education as the Dean of Students of the Yeshivah of Virgina. Most recently he has served as a rabbi at Columbia University (Lipa Schmeltzer's Alma Mater) and of the Old Broadway Synagogue in Harlem. 

Rabbi Moskowitz is a vocal advocate for inclusivity, LGBT rights, and social justice. He writes frequently at the intersection of transgender issues and Jewish thought. He is currently working on a doctorate in Talmud at The Jewish Theological Seminary – JTS. He is the Scholar in Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at CBST.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, he's a much needed maverick rabbi for this day and age. At least he is acknowledging and gaining understanding of an issue that does exist and will continue to exist - instead of the shunning and ignoring that almost all other orthodox rabbis do re LGBT.

mmz said...

So, he was frum and now became conservative.

Another one OTD

mmz said...

Why would the Frum community recognize the gay community?

Steve Brown said...

They need a therapist not a Rabbi.๐Ÿ˜‚

Anonymous said...

He should do lunch with the pope one day.

ื’ืขื ื•ื’ ืฉื•ื™ืŸ said...

The guy is a fraudster.

Off with that black hat!

Anonymous said...

Is he married ?

Jonny said...

ahhaha lipa's alma mater! Great line!

I love how people are so accepting of gays etc. when they either choose to ignore or fail to understand the fact that it is just another tayvah Hashem gave to people. No one seems to be understanding of my Tayvah to look at girls. All the rabonim should be accepting of guys who like to watch you know what. And we should all be accpeting of those who steal from the government. And those who light others on fire. You get the point. This is just another Tayvah. Doesnt mean we should start normalizing it in our community!! People need to learn to control themselves, whether it's with looking at woman, eating non kosher, lusting after the same gender, etc!!

Gay Aveck said...

He was thrown out by modern orthodox Old Broadway Synagogue after he gave his first pro-toyavah speech.

He is a tzedreite BT who never finished becoming Orthodox.

Lakewood & all other yeshivos should carefully vet BTs who have quick tefisa in learning but have not been shomer Shabbos very long

Anonymous said...

This guy is an opportunist like many of the original conservative & reform Rabbis, some still ate Kosher , laid Tfillin & kept Shabboss, but were machtie others, in exchange of money & power.
This guy was in Lakewood, unfortunately a nothing, he could not become Rosh Yeshiva Rosh chaburah or get a top Notch Shtelle, let alone keep up with most of the average Talmidei Chachomoim.
He had blown his Pell grants & student loans & was without qualification & without a job, the Rabbi jobs available either had many ahead of him, or paid too little for a surviving wage.
So he endeavored to a paying job & another one, ending up in JTS. JTS has nothing to teach him which wasn't available in Lakewood other than thi garbage.
JTS started off Orthodox, although not on a high level, Dr. Hertz the Hungarian born Chief Rabbi of the UK, was educated there before he left to London. At one point it considered joining up with YU, Boruch Hashem it didn't. A little later on Solomon Schachter came from London, and took over JTS, & took it all the way to the left with the beginning of Conservative Jewry. many Yeshiva grads with little to no Yiras shomayim, joined the movement, some for money others for convenience.
Re Moshe Feinstein Zatza"L looked at conservative no different than reform in spite of his eidellkeit, and opposition to machlokes, he regarded them as a different religion, many thought he was wrong, but time has proven as their communities keep merging with the reform, and there is almost no shomer Shabboss at any level in the conservative movement, some have gone back to Orthodox, but most assimilated, & children of those marriages (many goyim) are accepted as members.
This opportunist thinks he will get a fat check, little does he know it will be short lived, as that community enters the dustbin of history, with struggling and dying communities spread out all over the US.
He needs power, recognition & money, I guess that is his motivation.

Anonymous said...

I actually know him
You would not believe this but his ex is lesbian!
No jokes he is an am haaretz , with every hiddur i dont think anyone will tske him seriously

Anonymous said...

If his ex-wife was a lesbian, he would have a unique and insightful view of the issues.
Instead you intellectual pygmies attack him for being Humane to unfortunates. In your world it's far more important to victimise women for the length of their hair/skirts and to cheat the Goyim.
As each day goes by, my decision to quit this inbred selfish world is more and more justified. #notacult

Big Guy said...

Rabbi Moskowitz was active in USY in Junior High, joined NCSY, and became modern Orthodox, then Black Hat, earning a degree at Lakewood. Most BT's don't go that far. He has a daughter who wants to be a boy. He wants that to be a blessing from God, not a curse. He wants to be understanding with parents blessed like himself and wants to treat all with rachmones.

Some Black Hat Orthodox believe Rabbi Moskowitz has not just fallen from the path of righteousness, but, to borrow a movie title, is on the "Road to Perdition". In the speeches he's given and the words he's written, Jews who are NOT Black Hat see nothing portending that fate. Let's hope everything is for the best.

Big Guy said...

Rabbi Moskowitz was active in USY in Junior High, joined NCSY, and became modern Orthodox, then Black Hat, earning a degree at Lakewood. Most BT's don't go that far. He has a daughter who wants to be a boy. He wants that to be a blessing from God, not a curse. He wants to be understanding with parents blessed like himself and wants to treat all with rachmones.

Some Black Hat Orthodox believe Rabbi Moskowitz has not just fallen from the path of righteousness, but, to borrow a movie title, is on the "Road to Perdition". In the speeches he's given and the words he's written, Jews who are NOT Black Hat see nothing portending that fate.