Disability and the Politics of Healing

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Julia Watts Belser

EVENT Co-sponsored by:

ABOUT THE EVENT:

The lame shall leap and the mute shall sing?  In a famous passage from Hebrew Bible, the prophet Isaiah imagines the world to come as a world where human bodies are transformed. But what are the social and political implications of these images of heavenly healing, and how do they resonate with contemporary calls for disability pride and disability justice?   In this talk, we’ll bring ancient Jewish sources into conversation with contemporary voices from disability communities—and grapple together with questions of disability, difference, and the politics of healing.

This virtual event will provide CART captioning. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Julia Watts Belser (she/her) is a scholar, rabbi, activist, and spiritual teacher.  She is associate professor of Jewish Studies at Georgetown University and core faculty in Georgetown’s Disability Studies program, where she brings Jewish texts into conversation with queer, disability, and feminist ethics.  Her most recent scholarly book is Rabbinic Tales of Destruction: Gender, Sex, and Disability in the Ruins of Jerusalem.  A passionate advocate for disability and gender justice, she co-authored the Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities, developed in collaboration with disability activists from 42 countries, to help challenge the root causes of poverty, gender violence, and disability discrimination.  She also directs an initiative on disability, climate change, and environmental justice—and she’s a passionate wheelchair hiker and lover of wild places.