Rabbi Lionel Blue was born in the East End of London on 6 February, 1930, the
only son of a master tailor. Blue was discharged from the army after a nervous
breakdown brought on by anxiety over his homosexuality. Blue read history at
Oxford and Semitics at London University before being ordained as a rabbi in
1960. Between 1960 and 1963, he was the minister of the Settlement Synagogue and
Middlesex New Synagogue. He then became the European Director of the World Union
for Progressive Judaism. In 1967, he began a long-term engagement as lecturer at
Leo Baeck College in London. Blue was the first British rabbi to publicly
declare his homosexuality and published Godly and Gay in 1981.
Rabbi Lionel blue has become widely known in the U.K. as a broadcaster,
journalist, cook and author. His combination of wit, humor, humility and
compassion has appealed to and entertained persons from diverse religious and
spiritual backgrounds. For more than 25 years Blue has been a regular
contributor to BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day. His many books
include: A Backdoor to Heaven (Fount, 1985); Kitchen Blues
(ISIS Large Print, 1986); Bolt from the Blue (Hodder & Stoughton,
1986); Tales of Body and Soul (Coronet, 1995); My Affair with
Christianity (Hodder & Stoughton General, 1999) Sun, Sand and
Soul (Hodder & Stoughton General, 1999) and Kindred Spirits
(Fount, 1999). His autobiography, Hitchhiking to Heaven, was published
by Hodder & Stoughton General in 2004.
Blue's autobiography tells of his three long-term male partners. He met his
current partner Jim in 1981 by answering a personal advertisement in Gay
Times.
(This biographical statement written by Mark Bowman from several Internet sources,
including: http://myweb.lsbu.ac.uk/~stafflag/lionelblue.html;
www.gordonpoole.com/speakers/rabbilionelblue.htm;
and www.timesonline.co.uk)