Jericho Vincent | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leah Vincent February 5, 1982 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, Blogger, Journalist |
Jericho Vincent is an American author and speaker. They are best known for their books, Cut Me Loose and Legends of the Talmud.
Born Leah Vincent, they were raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They were kicked out of their ultra-Orthodox Jewish home at the age of 16. [1] They were a student at Brooklyn College from 2002 to 2007. They graduated from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government with a Master of Public Policy degree as a Pforzheimer Fellow in 2009. [2] [3]
In their 2014 memoir, Cut Me Loose: Sin and Salvation After My Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood, Vincent describes their own experience leaving the Haredi Jewish community, and how they came to lead a self-determined life.[ citation needed ] They were named one of Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36 in 2014. [4]
Vincent is an advocate for "reform" within the Haredi Jewish community. They have spoken out on issues of abuse in the religious community. [5]
Vincent is both a member and a board member of Footsteps, an organization that serves former Haredi Jews who seek to enter or explore the world beyond the Jewish communities in which they were raised. [6]
Their essays calling for reform have been published by HuffPost , Unpious, [7] and Zeek. [8] In July 2013, in partnership with Footsteps and the UJA-Federation of New York, Vincent co-ordinated and hosted an event with a panel of rabbis from across the spectrum of progressive Jewish communities; the title of the event was "Beyond Romanticization and Vilification". Vincent's speech and the ensuing panel discussion were broadcast by Shalom TV. [9] [ better source needed ]
In 2016, Vincent participated in a project called Real Women Real Stories founded by Matan Uziel. [10] [11]
Rav Jericho Vincent is the Rabbi of Temple Of The Stranger, [12] a radical Jewish Space based in New York City.
Vincent was thrown out of her ultra-orthodox family at the age of 16. [1]
In 2019, Vincent came out as non-binary, and changed their first name to "Jericho". [13]