Rabbi Michael Lerner was a political and social activist, as well as the founder of the progressive faith-based magazine, Tikkun.
- Died: August 28, 2024 (Who else died on August 28?)
- Details of death: Died in California at the age of 81.
- We invite you to share condolences for Rabbi Michael Lerner in our Guest Book.
Rabbi Michael Lerner’s legacy
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Michael Lerner earned degrees from Columbia University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Wright Institute in Berkeley on his road towards becoming an author and activist. He joined a free speech movement at Berkeley in the 1960s, and in 1970, after protesting the Chicago Seven trial, he became a target of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, despite never having engaged in violence or criminal activity. At one point, he was charged with inciting a riot as a result of his activism, but all charges were eventually dropped.
Lerner’s best known legacy is perhaps Tikkun, the magazine he launched in 1986. An interfaith publication with a focus on progressive beliefs and causes, Tikkun won numerous awards over its years in circulation, including Magazine of the Year: Overall Excellence award from the Religion Newswriters Association in both 2014 and 2015. The magazine, published quarterly, was shut down in April 2024 due to lack of funding.
Lerner authored nearly a dozen books, including “The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right,” “The Socialism of Fools: Anti-Semitism on the Left,” and “The Geneva Accord: And Other Strategies for Healing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” His views were not without their critics, sometimes generating controversy for his criticism of Israel.
He has been widely recognized and awarded for his influence, including being named one of the world’s top 100 visionaries by Utne Reader and being bestowed with the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders Prize from Morehouse College in Atlanta. Ordained as a rabbi in 1995, Lerner was spiritual leader of Beyt Tikkun synagogue in Berkeley and was on the Board of Rabbis of Northern California.
Notable quote
“This focus on money and power may do wonders in the marketplace, but it creates a tremendous crisis in our society. People who have spent all day learning how to sell themselves and to manipulate others are in no position to form lasting friendships or intimate relationships.” — excerpt from “The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right”
Tributes to Rabbi Michael Lerner
Full obituary: Jewish Telegraphic Agency
