We all have the power to choose. Free will is a tenet of most religions and philosophies. But there are some things in life, that no matter how you look at it, you can’t choose. You can’t choose your parents. You can’t choose your face (at least not the one you’re born with), and you can’t really choose your sex at birth. It is what it is.
If Yiscah Smith would have been given the choice of how to be born, it might not have necessarily been as Yaakov, a Jewish man. But that’s what fate, or God or whatever you wanna believe in – chose. But when the time came, Yiscah did make an incredible choice, which led her to become the observant woman that she is today.
As many of you know, June is pride month. Last Friday Tel Aviv hosted its Pride Parade, and we’re continuing to discuss the fascinating questions about gender, sexuality and Jewish identity. With us today is Yiscah Smith, author of “Forty Years in the Wilderness, My Journey to Authentic Living.” She lives in Jerusalem and teaches at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. We are very honored and thrilled to have her here with us on the show today.
Yiscah’s TedX Jerusalem talk here. Her website with more info is here.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.