Who Stood at Sinai? Sights, Sounds, and the Deaf Experience

Jewish tradition teaches that “All Israel stood at Sinai”—but did they? Specifically, were Deaf people present at Mount Sinai when Torah was revealed?

This session dives into rabbinic debates about not only what was revealed at Sinai but who was present to receive it. Through traditional texts, we’ll uncover competing visions of revelation: Was Torah revealed through sound, sight, or something else? And what are we to make of sources that exclude certain bodies or experiences—particularly Deaf individuals and others with disabilities—from that foundational moment in Jewish tradition? By bringing Deafness into conversation with classical texts, we’ll push on the boundaries of revelation itself and ask: if Torah is truly for everyone, how must we rethink Sinai?

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Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh is a native New Yorker who loves mountains. He is the Rabbi of Congregation Kerem Shalom in Concord MA and is committed to creating an inclusive, caring community with intellectual honesty and spiritual depth. Honored as one of The Forward’s “most inspiring rabbis,” Rabbi Leigh is a Truth seeker, a passionate snowboarder and a former leading actor with the Tony award-winning National Theater of the Deaf. He was featured in the televised, Emmy-nominated documentary A Place For All: Faith And Community For People With Disabilities. He has performed on stage with rock and roll bands, Jane’s Addiction and Twisted Sister! Tablet Magazine listed him as one of “Fifteen American Rabbis You Haven’t Heard Of But Should.”

Rabbi Leigh also serves on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis, the Steering Committee of T'ruah Massachusetts and on the Governance Board of the RRA. Rabbi Leigh also serves as rabbinic advisor to the Jewish Deaf Congress and served on the Mayor’s Commission on Disability in Newton MA. Rabbi Leigh was selected to be one of the first fellows of “Rabbis Without Borders."

Rabbi Leigh co-authored the chapter on Religion and Deaf Identity in the Book, Deaf Identities: Exploring New Frontiers and the chapter on working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in the book, A Different Spirit. Rabbi Leigh also served as a consultant for the Oscar-nominated documentary Sound and Fury and for “Hands On,” an organization that provides sign-language interpreting services for Broadway and off-Broadway productions. He worked with RitualWell.org to create on-line videos of ASL translations of Jewish songs and prayers. He introduces ASL translations to his congregation, formed an ASL choir, and he has been a speaker for the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, and other organizations where he has taught on issues related to Deafness and disability access.