Lionel Blue
Rabbi Lionel Blue OBE | |
---|---|
Personal | |
Born | London, England | 6 February 1930
Died | 19 December 2016 London, England | (aged 86)
Religion | Judaism |
Nationality | British |
Denomination | Reform Judaism |
Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford University College London Leo Baeck College |
Occupation | Rabbi |
Residence | London |
Lionel Blue
Career
Blue was born in the
Blue read history at Balliol College, Oxford and Semitics at University College London.[2] He regained his faith while at Oxford, when he found some resolution to severe personal conflicts regarding his sexual orientation at a Quaker meeting. He also found Victor Gollancz's A Year of Grace helpful during this time, and finally became one of the first two students at Leo Baeck College for training rabbis in 1956.[5][6]
Blue was ordained as a rabbi in 1960.
Blue made his first radio broadcast in 1967 and was a regular contributor to
Blue was awarded honorary doctorates from the Open University and Durham University. In 1994, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).[2]
Personal life
Blue came out in 1980[3] while he was involved with sailboat designer Christopher "Kim" Holman, a relationship which lasted from 1962 to 1982.[8] He published Godly and Gay in 1981.
After his split with Holman, Blue met Jim Cummings through a personal ad in Gay Times. They remained together until Cummings's death in 2014.[9] He was involved with various gay charities, including the Jewish Gay and Lesbian Group, and Kairos in Soho.[10] [failed verification]
Illnesses and death
Blue was diagnosed with
Books
- To Heaven with Scribes and Pharisees (Darton, Longman and Todd,1975) ISBN 0232512892.
- A Backdoor to Heaven (Fount, 1985) ISBN 9780006269786.
- Kitchen Blues (ISIS Large Print, 1986) ISBN 9781850890850.
- Bolts from the Blue (Hodder & Stoughton, 1986) ISBN 9780340413715.
- Simply Divine - with Reverend John Eley (British Broadcasting Corporation, 1986) ISBN 9780563204596.
- Bedside Manna (Victor Gollancz, 1991) ISBN 9780575054417.
- Tales of Body and Soul (Coronet, 1995) ISBN 9780340649558.
- My Affair with Christianity (Hodder & Stoughton General, 1999) ISBN 9780340669075.
- Sun, Sand and Soul (Hodder & Stoughton General, 1999) ISBN 9780340669273.
- Kindred Spirits (Fount, 1999) ISBN 9780006278191.
- Hitchhiking to Heaven – Autobiography (Hodder & Stoughton General, 2004) ISBN 9780340786611.
- Best of Blue (Continuum, 2006) ISBN 9780826490452.
- The Godseeker's Guide (Continuum, 2010) ISBN 9781847064189.
References
- doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.111634. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b c d e f Bates, Stephen (19 December 2016). "Rabbi Lionel Blue obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- ^ a b "Rabbi Lionel Blue, the first openly gay British rabbi, dies at 86 | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". Jta.org. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Rabbi Lionel Blue dies aged 86". BBC News. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- ISBN 1-84706-418-3
- ^ Our History – Rabbi Leigh Edgware & District Reform Synagogue
- ^ "A Taste of Heaven". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ "The Life and Designs of Kim Holman" Classic Boat, January 2008; accessed August 20, 2019
- ^ Moss, Stephen (13 November 2010). "Rabbi Lionel Blue: 'I've become happy – quite souffle-ish'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
- ^ "centred – LGBTQ charity". kairosinsoho.org.uk.
- ^ "Rabbi Lionel Blue: 'Gays have quite a lot to learn from religious". 12 February 2011. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022.
- ^ Moss, Stephen (12 November 2010). "Rabbi Lionel Blue: 'I've become happy – quite souffle-ish'". The Guardian.
External links
- BBC Norfolk interview with Louise Priest, 25 October 2007
- Sue Lawley's castaway is Rabbi Lionel Blue – Desert Island Discs, 4 August 1989
- Blue's own radio obituary of himself – BBC Radio 4, 20 December 2016