2026-04-30 –, (EG) Grimm Language: English
How do we meet each other's truths, hurts, and hopes despite deep differences, bridge divides, and imagine kinder, more peaceful realities for all?
"Meet Me in the Messy Middle" invites conversation with Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, local leaders, and guests on current events, the urgent need for face-to-face dialogue in times of conflict and division, and Jewish perspectives on moral repair and resilience.
A key theme in Rabbi Amichai's Sabbath Queen film and his work with Rabbis for Human Rights is the "both/and" approach, embracing fusion over binary thinking to navigate personal, religious, and political ruptures. Through stories—on screen, around the Sabbath table, or in listening circles—we open to diverse narratives, fostering respect, justice, and peace.
Social activist and storyteller, writer and community leader, Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie (he/him) is the Co-Founding Spiritual Leader of the Lab/Shul community in NYC and the creator of the ritual theater company Storahtelling, Inc. Israeli born, he’s been living in New York since 1998.
He is Co-Chair of the Board of Rabbis for Human RIghts, 2026 Inaugural Recipient of Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah Fellowship.
He received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 2016, the 39th generation of rabbis in his family — the first one to be openly queer.
Rabbi Amichai is the star of Sabbath Queen, Sandi DuBowski’s award-winning documentary film, 21 years in the making, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2024.