YISCAH SMITH
Spirit, Gender and the Quest for Authentic Living

A 3-day residency with author, scholar and activist Yiscah Smith, sponsored by Congregation Ner Shalom, Congregation Beth Ami, and B'nai Israel Jewish Center.

Day 1

Forty Years in the Wilderness: My Journey to Authentic Living

Held at Congregation Ner Shalom, 85 La Plaza in Cotati.

In this session, Yiscah will recount her personal life story, based on her memoir, Forty Years in the Wilderness: My Journey to Authentic Living. Yiscah’s 40-year memoir details the joys and struggles of facing her own spirituality, gender identity, and commitment to living true to herself. The story she tells is one of a man, facing his truth, embracing the woman she was always meant to be, and returning to her faith with wholeness and authenticity. Yiscah will discuss sources of inspiration in the Jewish tradition for authentic living.

At Ner Shalom. Free of charge.

Yiscah Smith is a Jerusalem-based Jewish educator, spiritual activist and author. As someone who transitioned from a Chabad man to an observant woman, she is in constant dialogue with the question of authentic living and its spiritual dimension. Yiscah teaches at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and at the Conservative Yeshiva, both in Jerusalem. She produces podcasts on Jewish spirituality, and offers individual spiritual guidance for authentic living. More about Yiscah on her website.