From 'Rocky Horror' to rabbi

John Sinclair conceived the idea of the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show about 30 years ago. Today, though, Sinclair is anything but a "sweet transvestite." Sinclair, who has since become a rabbi and now goes by the name of "Yaakov Asher," discussed his career transformation from producer and actor to rabbi and inspirational speaker before a crowd of about 20 students at Vance Hall on Thursday. Decades ago, while working as an actor in London and Hollywood, Sinclair said he never would have imagined himself as a rabbi. While working on the musical Hair in England, he and a friend came up with the idea of staging a "a science-fiction rock-and-roll musical." He made a deal with his friend that he would produce the stage musical if his friend agreed to write it. The result was the ever popular Rocky Horror Picture Show, which routinely draws devoted fans -- many of whom come dressed as their favorite characters from the film and bring assorted props -- to midnight screenings of the film in select theaters around the country. Before the production of the film in 1975, Sinclair opened up the first 24- track studio in New York, where Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody became the "magic hit." By 1976, with The Rocky Horror Picture Show still bringing in loads of money and four platinum music albums under his belt, Sinclair said he was enjoying an extravagant life. But he was far from content. "Is that all there is? Is this what people go crazy for?" Sinclair rhetorically asked the audience. It was about this time in the mid-1970s that Sinclair read The Shell, a Yiddish novel that relates the story of one man's return to his Jewish roots. The book, Sinclair said, would ultimately inspire him to inspect his own spirituality and return to Judaism. From then on, Sinclair said, he has pursued Judaism passionately, learning more about its religious tenets and practicing the beliefs that he had left behind in his childhood. Choosing God over Hollywood was by then an easy decision for Sinclair, who said he feels more fulfilled now than ever before. "People think that they're going to be happy by having material success, but I'm much happier now," Sinclair said. "I have a real feeling of contentment through the Torah and how the Torah tells us to live." Having experienced life from two radically different perspectives, Sinclair said he now desires to share his experiences with others. After the talk, several audience members said they attended because they had heard Sinclair was a charismatic speaker with an interesting story to tell. "He was inspirational," College freshman Risa Small said. "I really enjoyed how he would act his stories out. He's very talented." "He said things very humbly. He was open-minded and not at all preachy," College freshman Beno Freedman said. "That's not always the case with these things. His story was interesting, even in a non-religious way." The event was organized through the Hillel Outreach committee. College senior Matthew Wieder, who organized the talk, said, "It is of utmost importance that the 7,000 Jews on campus realize that no matter how far removed from Judaism they may be, as was the case with Rabbi Sinclair, it is never too late to learn more about their religion."

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