Prominent Rabbi Irwin Kula's new play "The Gospel According to Jerry" will premiere at the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company April 16-May 8.

Kula has been listed four years in a row in Newsweek as one of America's "Top Ten" rabbis. Author of "Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life," he has written and spoken about everything from the controversial new film Miral (he was a panelist at the United Nations showing with Julian Schnabel) to the role of faith in politics, to the Middle East crisis, to the changing nature of religion in America.

An internationally sought-after speaker, Kula has led a Passover Seder in Bhutan; consulted with government officials in Rwanda; helped build cultural and interfaith bridges in Qatar; and met with leaders as diverse as the Dalai Lama and Queen Noor. Across the U.S., he works with religious as well as business and community leaders, corporate and family foundations, and religious and philanthropic institutions to promote leadership development and institutional change.

Kula will be coming to the Twin Cities as part of the theatre company's Doorways programming for the premiere of his play. He will be a panelist for two Doorways programs on "Racism and Tolerance" and "What is Spirituality?"

All performances are at MJTC's theater home, Hillcrest Center in Saint Paul. For ticket reservations call 651-647-4315.

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company is a non-profit organization now in its 16th year of presenting professional productions rooted in the Jewish experience. For more information, visit www.mnjewishtheatre.org.