Dr. Jay Michaelson is the Programming Steward of New York Insight. He works as a writer, journalist, professor, and meditation teacher. He has taught meditation for twenty years in Buddhist, Jewish, and secular mindfulness contexts, and his books include Evolving Dharma: Meditation, Buddhism, and the Next Generation of Enlightenment and The Gate of Tears: Sadness and the Spiritual Path.
For four years, Jay was an editor, teacher, and podcast host at the Ten Percent Happier meditation startup, and he was a member of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies Board of Directors for six years. Jay is authorized to teach jhana in the lineage of Ayya Khema by his teacher, Leigh Brasington. He is also an ordained rabbi, and has written several books on Jewish spirituality.
In the media world, Jay is a regular commentator on CNN, and a contributor to Rolling Stone, The Forward, and The Daily Beast. From 2003-2013, Jay worked as a professional LGBTQ activist and is the author of the bestselling God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality. He holds a Ph.D. from Hebrew University and a J.D. from Yale Law School.