Jay Michaelson
@jaymichaelson.bsky.social
Writer, journalist (Rolling Stone, Forward, CNN), rabbi, professor (Emory Center for Psychedelics & Spirituality, Harvard Law School [2025]). Former lawyer & LGBTQ+ activist
jaymichaelson.substack.com
jaymichaelson.substack.com
"Once you strip away the false claims of criminality or violence or the stealing of American jobs, what you’re left with is the truth: that some mostly-white people don’t like the way the country is changing."
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/the-real-a...
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/the-real-a...
The Real America is Not About Blood and Soil
Ethnonationalist Garbage vs. Six Flags Great Adventure
jaymichaelson.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:39 PM
"Once you strip away the false claims of criminality or violence or the stealing of American jobs, what you’re left with is the truth: that some mostly-white people don’t like the way the country is changing."
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/the-real-a...
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/the-real-a...
Reposted by Jay Michaelson
The Trump admin has vowed to go after organizations it vaguely (and falsely) claims support violence.
The list includes several Jewish groups.
Despite their insistence and smokescreen tactics, Trump and his allies do not care about Jews — only crushing dissent.
from @jaymichaelson.bsky.social
The list includes several Jewish groups.
Despite their insistence and smokescreen tactics, Trump and his allies do not care about Jews — only crushing dissent.
from @jaymichaelson.bsky.social
The Trump administration is targeting Jewish organizations — what are we prepared to do?
Even if you're not a fan of organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace or IfNotNow, you need to stand with them nonetheless.
forward.com
October 16, 2025 at 9:18 PM
The Trump admin has vowed to go after organizations it vaguely (and falsely) claims support violence.
The list includes several Jewish groups.
Despite their insistence and smokescreen tactics, Trump and his allies do not care about Jews — only crushing dissent.
from @jaymichaelson.bsky.social
The list includes several Jewish groups.
Despite their insistence and smokescreen tactics, Trump and his allies do not care about Jews — only crushing dissent.
from @jaymichaelson.bsky.social
To understand Charlie Kirk's political legacy, one must understand his religious beliefs.
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
The Faith of Charlie Kirk: A Guide
To understand Charlie Kirk's political legacy, one must understand his religious beliefs.
open.substack.com
September 12, 2025 at 12:44 AM
To understand Charlie Kirk's political legacy, one must understand his religious beliefs.
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
Just asking questions...
Laura Loomer, Trumps alleged mistress, a MAGA & pro-israel influencer, targeted Charlie Kirk weeks before his assassination.
Loomer painted Kirk as a traitor and placed a target on his back after he called for the release of the Epstein files and opposed a war with Iran.
Loomer painted Kirk as a traitor and placed a target on his back after he called for the release of the Epstein files and opposed a war with Iran.
September 12, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Just asking questions...
Reposted by Jay Michaelson
It's not just that the administration never cared about antisemitism, rather, they used us for their own authoritarian goals.
And that, that's antisemitic 😡
From Rabbi Dr. @jaymichaelson.bsky.social:
"It is now obvious that antisemitism was never the real reason..."
forward.com/opinion/7564...
And that, that's antisemitic 😡
From Rabbi Dr. @jaymichaelson.bsky.social:
"It is now obvious that antisemitism was never the real reason..."
forward.com/opinion/7564...
American Jews were played — now what?
Antisemitism was never the reason for the Trump administration’s attacks on universities. What can we learn from this great exploitation?
forward.com
July 21, 2025 at 5:59 PM
It's not just that the administration never cared about antisemitism, rather, they used us for their own authoritarian goals.
And that, that's antisemitic 😡
From Rabbi Dr. @jaymichaelson.bsky.social:
"It is now obvious that antisemitism was never the real reason..."
forward.com/opinion/7564...
And that, that's antisemitic 😡
From Rabbi Dr. @jaymichaelson.bsky.social:
"It is now obvious that antisemitism was never the real reason..."
forward.com/opinion/7564...
What do MAGA nationalists see when they look at the Statue of Liberty?
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/what-to-th...
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/what-to-th...
What, to the Nationalist, is the Statue of Liberty?
Right and Left live in different nomic countries.
jaymichaelson.substack.com
May 9, 2025 at 7:31 PM
What do MAGA nationalists see when they look at the Statue of Liberty?
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/what-to-th...
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/what-to-th...
Reposted by Jay Michaelson
I usually look to @jaymichaelson.bsky.social for his brilliant application of Jewish insight to current politics. This piece in the Forward 2 days ago comes close... forward.com/opinion/7110...
We need something like the Declaration of Independence in listing the crimes of despotisim we're facing.
We need something like the Declaration of Independence in listing the crimes of despotisim we're facing.
Stephen Miller's cavalier cruelty misses the whole point of Passover
With his cavalier cruelty, Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, seems to have forgotten that we, too, were once strangers in Egypt.
forward.com
April 11, 2025 at 1:05 PM
I usually look to @jaymichaelson.bsky.social for his brilliant application of Jewish insight to current politics. This piece in the Forward 2 days ago comes close... forward.com/opinion/7110...
We need something like the Declaration of Independence in listing the crimes of despotisim we're facing.
We need something like the Declaration of Independence in listing the crimes of despotisim we're facing.
The deep truth of Jesse Watters' conception of fragile masculinity:
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
Opportunism, Madness, Nihilism, & Terror
Jesse Watters is really, really worried about men spontaneously turning into women.
open.substack.com
April 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The deep truth of Jesse Watters' conception of fragile masculinity:
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
Honored to be part of this amazing anthology.
New book: Queer understanding of theology and scripture are explored in “Mapping New Terrain in Queer Religious Scholarship: Essays in Honor of John Eastburn Boswell” by Bernie Schlager (editor) of Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion (CLGS). #FaithfullyLGBT www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6GY783...
Mapping New Terrain in Queer Religious Scholarship: Essays in Honor of John Eastburn Boswell (Gender, Theology and Spirituality)
Mapping New Terrain in Queer Religious Scholarship: Essays in Honor of John Eastburn Boswell (Gender, Theology and Spirituality) - Kindle edition by Schlager, Bernard S.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Mapping New Terrain in Queer Religious Scholarship: Essays in Honor of John Eastburn Boswell (Gender, Theology and Spirituality).
www.amazon.com
April 9, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Honored to be part of this amazing anthology.
Letting go of anxiety and embracing grief -- a reflection on the last few months, entitled The Glass is Already Broken
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
The Glass is Already Broken
What happens when you accept that the worst might happen?
open.substack.com
April 3, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Letting go of anxiety and embracing grief -- a reflection on the last few months, entitled The Glass is Already Broken
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymicha...
Mr. Beast meets Citizen Kane.
Elon Musk advertises his blatantly corrupt attempt to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court:
March 28, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Mr. Beast meets Citizen Kane.
Reposted by Jay Michaelson
Right-wing YouTuber Tim Pool has made it to the White House pool — someone from his “Timcast” channel will be part of today’s pool duty covering the president.
Last year, DOJ revealed Pool was receiving millions of dollars from the Russian gov. Pool says he didn’t know where it was coming from.
Last year, DOJ revealed Pool was receiving millions of dollars from the Russian gov. Pool says he didn’t know where it was coming from.
March 28, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Right-wing YouTuber Tim Pool has made it to the White House pool — someone from his “Timcast” channel will be part of today’s pool duty covering the president.
Last year, DOJ revealed Pool was receiving millions of dollars from the Russian gov. Pool says he didn’t know where it was coming from.
Last year, DOJ revealed Pool was receiving millions of dollars from the Russian gov. Pool says he didn’t know where it was coming from.
Reposted by Jay Michaelson
What does the future hold for gay marriage in the US and what would Rabbi @jaymichaelson.bsky.social say to the MAGA gays?
"We will lose most of the rights which we worked hard to get, even if we retain marriage in some form or fashion," Rabbi Dr. Michaelson predicts.
"We will lose most of the rights which we worked hard to get, even if we retain marriage in some form or fashion," Rabbi Dr. Michaelson predicts.
March 26, 2025 at 11:49 PM
What does the future hold for gay marriage in the US and what would Rabbi @jaymichaelson.bsky.social say to the MAGA gays?
"We will lose most of the rights which we worked hard to get, even if we retain marriage in some form or fashion," Rabbi Dr. Michaelson predicts.
"We will lose most of the rights which we worked hard to get, even if we retain marriage in some form or fashion," Rabbi Dr. Michaelson predicts.
Here's a vaguely optimistic perspective — as long as “optimism” includes economic devastation, massive human rights abuses, and clear violations of the constitution. I call it “Waiting for Midnight.”
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/waiting-fo...
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/waiting-fo...
Waiting for Midnight: A Quasi-Optimistic Take
Things are yet not as bad as they need to be. But we're getting there.
jaymichaelson.substack.com
March 28, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Here's a vaguely optimistic perspective — as long as “optimism” includes economic devastation, massive human rights abuses, and clear violations of the constitution. I call it “Waiting for Midnight.”
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/waiting-fo...
jaymichaelson.substack.com/p/waiting-fo...
Reposted by Jay Michaelson
Rabbi Dr. @jaymichaelson.bsky.social returns to The State of Belief this week for a deep dive into the rule of law and the chaos of MAGA, including the weaponization of antisemitism accusations and the rise of the "woke right."
The Rule of Law and the Chaos of MAGA: Jay Michaelson
The State of Belief Host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is joined by Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson to discuss the role of the courts as a check on the powers claimed by the executive, tools for resilience,...
stateofbelief.com
March 23, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Rabbi Dr. @jaymichaelson.bsky.social returns to The State of Belief this week for a deep dive into the rule of law and the chaos of MAGA, including the weaponization of antisemitism accusations and the rise of the "woke right."
Trump admin official admits there's no due process. No due process at all. They "determined" these people were terrorists and deported them without trial of any kind.
www.instagram.com/reel/DHjg9G0...
www.instagram.com/reel/DHjg9G0...
March 24, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Trump admin official admits there's no due process. No due process at all. They "determined" these people were terrorists and deported them without trial of any kind.
www.instagram.com/reel/DHjg9G0...
www.instagram.com/reel/DHjg9G0...
Reposted by Jay Michaelson
New, from @pamherd.bsky.social at Can We Still Govern:
NIH grants are being screened for forbidden words.
Breakthrough techniques (like mRNA) are now off the table.
Do you want scientific funding awards to be determined by political appointees or scientists?
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/politicizi...
NIH grants are being screened for forbidden words.
Breakthrough techniques (like mRNA) are now off the table.
Do you want scientific funding awards to be determined by political appointees or scientists?
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/politicizi...
Politicizing Science: The National Institutes for Health
A merit-based and competitive process will be politicized - or eliminated
donmoynihan.substack.com
March 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM
New, from @pamherd.bsky.social at Can We Still Govern:
NIH grants are being screened for forbidden words.
Breakthrough techniques (like mRNA) are now off the table.
Do you want scientific funding awards to be determined by political appointees or scientists?
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/politicizi...
NIH grants are being screened for forbidden words.
Breakthrough techniques (like mRNA) are now off the table.
Do you want scientific funding awards to be determined by political appointees or scientists?
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/politicizi...
Letter to a Trump-Supporting Technologist
Why the costs of Trump outweigh the benefits
open.substack.com
March 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Jay Michaelson
"A new bill filed in the Texas House would prevent students from behaving like anything other than a human being at schools in the state."
Well there go the theater and band programs
www.kvue.com/article/news...
Well there go the theater and band programs
www.kvue.com/article/news...
FURRIES Act filed by Texas lawmakers targets non-human student behavior in schools
The bill aims to ban students from non-human behavior with exceptions for days designated for costumes like Halloween.
www.kvue.com
March 14, 2025 at 3:58 PM
"A new bill filed in the Texas House would prevent students from behaving like anything other than a human being at schools in the state."
Well there go the theater and band programs
www.kvue.com/article/news...
Well there go the theater and band programs
www.kvue.com/article/news...
"The symposium was called Psychedelics and Monotheistic Religions: Sacramental Practice and Legal Recognition, and responded to the dramatic increase, in recent years, of psychedelic use in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities...."
Read more at jaymichaelson.substack.com
Read more at jaymichaelson.substack.com
March 14, 2025 at 4:05 PM
"The symposium was called Psychedelics and Monotheistic Religions: Sacramental Practice and Legal Recognition, and responded to the dramatic increase, in recent years, of psychedelic use in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities...."
Read more at jaymichaelson.substack.com
Read more at jaymichaelson.substack.com
Understatement of the year: these are challenging times. Over at Dan Harris's 10% Happier podcast, I shared the meditative practice of recalling and re-embodying past altered states of consciousness (whether psychedelic or not) to experience them anew.. now.
www.danharris.com/p/reliving-a...
www.danharris.com/p/reliving-a...
Meditation: Reliving altered states
By Jay Michaelson
www.danharris.com
February 24, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Understatement of the year: these are challenging times. Over at Dan Harris's 10% Happier podcast, I shared the meditative practice of recalling and re-embodying past altered states of consciousness (whether psychedelic or not) to experience them anew.. now.
www.danharris.com/p/reliving-a...
www.danharris.com/p/reliving-a...
It's good to talk with the folks at @judaismunbound.bsky.social about the insane hall of funhouse mirrors that is the American Jewish community right now.
www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/epis...
www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/epis...
Israel-Palestine Echo Chambers: Judaism Unbound Episode 471 - Jay Michaelson — Judaism Unbound
Jay Michaelson , an award-winning journalist, professor, rabbi, and author, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring centrism and radicalism, misinformation that circulates f...
www.judaismunbound.com
February 24, 2025 at 3:45 AM
It's good to talk with the folks at @judaismunbound.bsky.social about the insane hall of funhouse mirrors that is the American Jewish community right now.
www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/epis...
www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/epis...