Lionel Blue
Lionel Blue (born February 6, 1930 in London , † December 19, 2016 ) was a British rabbi , author , journalist and television presenter. He was the first openly homosexual rabbi in the United Kingdom.
Life
Blue was born in 1930 in the East End of London, the son of a tailor.
After graduating from high school, Blue studied History at the University of Oxford and Semitic Languages at the University of London . He then began training as a rabbi at Leo Baeck College . In 1960 he was ordained a rabbi.
Blue was best known in the UK for his long and respectful work with the media. For over 25 years he made regular contributions to the morning program of BBC 4 (radio) for the weekday, short religious program Thought for the Day . Blue was also widely recognized as a journalist, cook and author.
rabbi
Between 1960 and 1963 he was rabbi of the Settlement Synagogue and the New Synagogue in Middlesex . Blue belonged to Reform Judaism . He became European Director of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), which has more than 1.5 million members worldwide. In 1957 he began a long career as a lecturer at Leo Baeck College in London.
Private life
Blue was the first British rabbi to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality in the 1981 publication Godly and Gay . He had been openly gay in his private life since the 1960s. Blue was a guest speaker for the Jewish Gay Lesbian Group . He also supported the Kairos organization . In 1981 he met his significant other, Jim, through a partnership ad in the Gay Times newspaper .
Radio career
Blue was a regular spokesperson for Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 for over 25 years . On the occasion of the 350th anniversary of Jewish life in Great Britain, the BBC published a picture series with audio commentary on its website in September 2006, in which Blue undertakes a journey back to his childhood in the East End of London .
Works
- A Backdoor to Heaven (Fount, 1985)
- Kitchen Blues (ISIS Large Print, 1986)
- Bolt from the Blue (Hodder & Stoughton, 1986)
- Tales of Body and Soul (Coronet, 1995)
- My Affair with Christianity (Hodder & Stoughton General, 1999)
- Sun, Sand and Soul (Hodder & Stoughton General, 1999)
- Kindred Spirits (Fount, 1999). Autobiography
- Hitchhiking to Heaven (Hodder & Stoughton General, 2004). Autobiography
Quote
“I don't believe death is the end. This world is like a corridor, like a departure lounge in an airport. You make yourself comfortable and get to know people - then your number comes up and you're called. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rabbi Lionel Blue dies aged 86 . BBC News , December 19, 2016 (English).
- ↑ Audio slideshow: Rabbi Lionel Blue. (Photo series with audio commentary) BBC News , September 12, 2006, accessed December 19, 2016 .
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Blue, Lionel |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British rabbi and author |
DATE OF BIRTH | February 6, 1930 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
DATE OF DEATH | 19th December 2016 |