Contrary to what many of us have learned, the God of ancient Israel was understood to be a dual-gendered, male-female deity, writes Rabbi Mark Sameth in his acclaimed book, The Name: A History of the Dual-Gendered Hebrew Name for God. In this one-night presentation, Rabbi Sameth leads us on a 4,000-year journey of discovery, tracing the “ineffable name” of God from its earliest-known inscription on a 14th-century BCE Egyptian monument as he investigates the phenomenon of gender-bending throughout the Hebrew Bible and invites us to consider its implications — for ourselves and for those we love who identify as women, non-binary, or LGBTQ+.

Rabbi Mark Sameth was named “one of America’s most inspiring rabbis” by the Forward. He is featured in the book God: 48 Famous and Fascinating Minds Talk about God by Jennifer Berne and R. O. Blechman, and his essays include “Our Father, Who Art Our Mother” (Religion Dispatches) and the Op-ed, “Is God Transgender?” (the New York Times). You can find links to these and other writings on his website, rabbimarksameth.com.