Rabbi Elliot Kukla
Keynote Speaker: First Openly Transgender Rabbi & Disability Activist; Spiritual Care & Grief Support Practitioner
-
Travels From:
-
Speaking Fee:
-
Categories:
Rabbi Elliot Kukla Biography
Elliot Kukla is a rabbi, author, and activist. In 2006, he was the first openly transgender person to be ordained as a rabbi. He has been tending to grief, dying, and becoming (more) disabled since 2007, and has been engaged in justice work since 1996. His practice of radical spiritual care brings together these two streams of expertise with his lived experience of being a trans, non-binary, disabled, anti-zionist Jew.
Elliot offers individual and organizational spiritual care for grief and loss, in addition to speaking and writing for international audiences about the intersections of justice and care. He is the founder of the Collective Loss and Adaptation Project (CLAP), which honors the disenfranchised and suffocated grief of disabled people. He is also a core faculty member at SVARA: A traditionally radical yeshiva.
Elliot’s essays have been featured in Time Magazine, Teen Vogue, British Vogue, Them, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and many other places. His essays are included in numerous anthologies and university syllabi, and have been translated into Spanish, Korean, French and Japanese. His activism is frequently featured in the media.
Kukla’s writing has been used to lobby against the medical rationing of disabled people in the California state senate and to set policies for welcoming transgender people by all non-orthodox branches of Judaism. He has spoken to audiences around the world including keynoting for Etsy, the Jewish Museum of San Francisco, and the virtual version of "Crip Camp" (the Oscar-nominated film). In 2019 he was named one of the 50 most influential Jews of 2019 by The Forward. In 2022, he was even a New Yorker crossword clue (April 12, 7 across).
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Rabbi Elliot Kukla and other top speakers and celebrities.
Rabbi Elliot Kukla Speaking Topics
This current moment of anti-trans backlash is often framed as a clash between traditional religious values and new-fangled ideas about gender. However, gender creativity exists all over the world and through-out history within traditional religious texts and spiritual practices. In this session, I tell my own story as the first openly transgender rabbi ordained by a movement in Judaism. I have written prayers for sanctifying gender non-conforming lives that are used by all non-orthodox branches of Judaism. We will explore how to sanctify lifecycle moments that are unique to queer, trans and nonbinary people such as coming out, transitioning or moving to a less anti-queer city, as well as rituals for our everyday lives. This session leaves audiences with the spiritual tools to bring holiness to our lives and dispel stigma and shame.
Meet the genders beyond male and female in ancient Jewish holy books.
The current moment of anti-trans backlash is often framed as a clash between traditional religious values and newfangled ideas about gender. However, gender radicals exist within millennia-old sacred texts of Judaism. In this session, Rabbi Elliot tells his own story about how discovering the six genders beyond male and female in the Talmud inspired him to become the first openly transgender rabbi.
We will also learn about how Adam (the first human being) and Abraham and Sarah (the first monotheists) were gender radicals, according to the ancient rabbis. No knowledge of Hebrew, religious background, or particular beliefs are required or expected to participate in this class.
When we turn to the topic of disability access for our organizations or communities we tend to get stuck in the details. We worry about things like wheelchair ramps and ADA toilets. All these things are important but they are leaves on the tree on the access: relationship is the roots. You can take care of all those details and still not meet the needs of the people who actually want to access your community.
In this session, we will explore the thinking of contemporary disability justice activists like Mia Mingus, Alice Wong, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. You'll gain tools for thinking about how access intersects with your community's existing practices and values. This session helps audiences understand that access is not a checklist. Access is about connection. Access is love.
Rabbi Elliot offers hands-on labs on how to create new rituals to meet the needs of your community, including blessings and ceremonies to honor aging, deepening disability, gender transitions, the loss of homes, hopes, ways of life, and more.
Workplace burn-out is at an all-time high. 42% of workers in 2023 reported burn-out, which marks a new record. We are exhausted and need to do less. And yet so many of us feel guilty whenever we try to rest. Why is this?
In this session, we explore rest as a liberatory spiritual practice that can help us heal as individuals, strengthen loving relationships, and create a more sustainable future.
We will begin by discussing the racist and exploitative origins of the stigma surrounding the term "lazy". Next we will explore sources on rest from a variety of ancient and modern spiritual sources including the Torah on the sabbath, the Nap Bishop, and Chinese practitioners Tang Ping. Finally, we will begin to uncover how to integrate rest into our own lives and through concrete spiritual practices that can be used individually and within your organization. This session is based on my New York Times essay "The Most Valuable Thing I Can Teach My Kid is How to Be Lazy".
How do I book Rabbi Elliot Kukla to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Rabbi Elliot Kukla for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Rabbi Elliot Kukla, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Rabbi Elliot Kukla or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Rabbi Elliot Kukla for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Rabbi Elliot Kukla, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Rabbi Elliot Kukla are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Rabbi Elliot Kukla, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Rabbi Elliot Kukla speak about?
Rabbi Elliot Kukla is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Faith & Religion, LGBTQ, Disability, Diversity & Inclusion, Inspirational, Motivational, Mental Health, Political, Aging, Family & Parenting, Health & Wellness and Jewish Heritage.
Where does Rabbi Elliot Kukla travel from?
Rabbi Elliot Kukla generally travels from Oakland, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Rabbi Elliot Kukla?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Rabbi Elliot Kukla for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Rabbi Elliot Kukla for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Rabbi Elliot Kukla or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Rabbi Elliot Kukla is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Faith & Religion, LGBTQ and Disability. The estimated speaking fee range to book Rabbi Elliot Kukla for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Rabbi Elliot Kukla generally travels from Oakland, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Kylar Broadus, Nicholas Pratley and Rhea Debussy. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Rabbi Elliot Kukla for an upcoming event.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Rabbi Elliot Kukla Speaking Topics
-
Sanctifying Queer, Trans, and Nonbinary Lifecycles
This current moment of anti-trans backlash is often framed as a clash between traditional religious values and new-fangled ideas about gender. However, gender creativity exists all over the world and through-out history within traditional religious texts and spiritual practices. In this session, I tell my own story as the first openly transgender rabbi ordained by a movement in Judaism. I have written prayers for sanctifying gender non-conforming lives that are used by all non-orthodox branches of Judaism. We will explore how to sanctify lifecycle moments that are unique to queer, trans and nonbinary people such as coming out, transitioning or moving to a less anti-queer city, as well as rituals for our everyday lives. This session leaves audiences with the spiritual tools to bring holiness to our lives and dispel stigma and shame.
-
TransTextual
Meet the genders beyond male and female in ancient Jewish holy books.
The current moment of anti-trans backlash is often framed as a clash between traditional religious values and newfangled ideas about gender. However, gender radicals exist within millennia-old sacred texts of Judaism. In this session, Rabbi Elliot tells his own story about how discovering the six genders beyond male and female in the Talmud inspired him to become the first openly transgender rabbi.
We will also learn about how Adam (the first human being) and Abraham and Sarah (the first monotheists) were gender radicals, according to the ancient rabbis. No knowledge of Hebrew, religious background, or particular beliefs are required or expected to participate in this class.
-
The Spirituality of Access
When we turn to the topic of disability access for our organizations or communities we tend to get stuck in the details. We worry about things like wheelchair ramps and ADA toilets. All these things are important but they are leaves on the tree on the access: relationship is the roots. You can take care of all those details and still not meet the needs of the people who actually want to access your community.
In this session, we will explore the thinking of contemporary disability justice activists like Mia Mingus, Alice Wong, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. You'll gain tools for thinking about how access intersects with your community's existing practices and values. This session helps audiences understand that access is not a checklist. Access is about connection. Access is love.
-
Ritual Labs
Rabbi Elliot offers hands-on labs on how to create new rituals to meet the needs of your community, including blessings and ceremonies to honor aging, deepening disability, gender transitions, the loss of homes, hopes, ways of life, and more.
-
Laziness as a Spiritual Practice
Workplace burn-out is at an all-time high. 42% of workers in 2023 reported burn-out, which marks a new record. We are exhausted and need to do less. And yet so many of us feel guilty whenever we try to rest. Why is this?
In this session, we explore rest as a liberatory spiritual practice that can help us heal as individuals, strengthen loving relationships, and create a more sustainable future.
We will begin by discussing the racist and exploitative origins of the stigma surrounding the term "lazy". Next we will explore sources on rest from a variety of ancient and modern spiritual sources including the Torah on the sabbath, the Nap Bishop, and Chinese practitioners Tang Ping. Finally, we will begin to uncover how to integrate rest into our own lives and through concrete spiritual practices that can be used individually and within your organization. This session is based on my New York Times essay "The Most Valuable Thing I Can Teach My Kid is How to Be Lazy".
VIDEO
Rabbi Elliot Kukla Videos
FAQS
-
How do I book Rabbi Elliot Kukla to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Rabbi Elliot Kukla for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Rabbi Elliot Kukla, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Rabbi Elliot Kukla or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Rabbi Elliot Kukla for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Rabbi Elliot Kukla, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Rabbi Elliot Kukla are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Rabbi Elliot Kukla, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Rabbi Elliot Kukla speak about?
Rabbi Elliot Kukla is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Faith & Religion, LGBTQ, Disability, Diversity & Inclusion, Inspirational, Motivational, Mental Health, Political, Aging, Family & Parenting, Health & Wellness and Jewish Heritage. -
Where does Rabbi Elliot Kukla travel from?
Rabbi Elliot Kukla generally travels from Oakland, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. -
Who is the agent for Rabbi Elliot Kukla?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Rabbi Elliot Kukla for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Rabbi Elliot Kukla for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Rabbi Elliot Kukla or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
BOOK RABBI ELLIOT KUKLA
We are happy to assist you with your interest in booking a speaker or celebrity for your event, your organization, and the type of talent you would like to secure, and an agent will be in touch shortly.
Fill out the form below to or call us at 1-800-698-2536 if need immediate assistance.
We respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. Under special circumstances, it may take up to 24 hours.
We are happy to help! Call us to speak with a booking agent about your event or specific speaker request.
Gauge Interest and check availability for appearances, speaking engagements, or corporate events.
Provide you with speaking fee to book Rabbi Elliot Kukla or other celebrity appearance fees
Give you personal recommendations for the best keynote speakers or celebrities
Assist you with any questions you have throughout the talent booking process
This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
