Isa Aron, PhD, is professor of Jewish education at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion's Rhea Hirsch School of Education. Founder and former director of the Experiment in Congregational Education (ECE), she now serves as senior consultant. She holds a PhD in philosophy of education from the Universityof Chicago, and her writing on education and congregational renewal has appeared in such journals as the
American Journal of Education, Tikkun and the
Journal of Reform Judaism. She is also author of
Becoming a Congregation of Learners: Learning as a Key to Revitalizing Congregational Life and The
Self-renewing Congregation: Organizational Stragegies for Revitalizing Congregational Life. Isa Aron, PhD, is available to speak on the following topics:
- Synagogue Change (or Synagogue Renewal)
- Jewish Education
- Moral Education
Neil Gillman, rabbi and PhD, is professor of Jewish philosophy at The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where he has served as chair of the Department of Jewish Philosophy and dean of the Rabbinical School. He is author of Believing and Its Tensions: A Personal Conversation about God, Torah, Suffering and Death in Jewish Thought; The Death of Death: Resurrection and Immortality in Jewish Thought, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and a Publishers Weekly "Best Book of the Year"; The Way Into Encountering God in Judaism; The Jewish Approach to God: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Traces of God: Seeing God in Torah, History and Everyday Life (all Jewish Lights); and Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew, winner of the National Jewish Book Award.
Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, one of the leading rabbis of a new generation, is director of Kolel: The Adult Center for Liberal Jewish Learning, a full-time progressive adult Jewish learning center. Goldstein lectures frequently throughout North America. She is also editor of The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions; and The Women's Haftarah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Haftarah Portions, the 5 Megillot and Special Shabbatot; and author of the award-winning New Jewish Feminism: Probing the Past, Forging the Future and ReVisions: Seeing Torah through a Feminist Lens (all Jewish Lights).
Rabbi Elyse Goldstein is available to speak on the following topics:
- Women and Judaism
- Reform Judaism
- Jewish Parenting
- General Judaica
Arthur Green, PhD, is recognized as one of the world's preeminent authorities on Jewish thought and spirituality. He is the Irving Brudnick professor of philosophy and religion at Hebrew College and rector of the Rabbinical School, which he founded in 2004. Professor emeritus at Brandeis University, he also taught at the Universityof Pennsylvania and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where he served as dean and president.
Dr. Green is author of several books including Ehyeh: A Kabbalah for Tomorrow; Seek My Face: A Jewish Mystical Theology; Your Word Is Fire: The Hasidic Masters on Contemplative Prayer; and Tormented Master: The Life and Spiritual Quest of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav (all Jewish Lights). He is also author of Radical Judaism (Yale UniversityPress) and co-editor of Speaking Torah: Spiritual Teachings from around the Maggid's Table. He is long associated with the Havurah movement and a neo-Hasidic approach to Judaism.
Judy Greenfeld, second invested cantor at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills, California. She leads the New Emanuel minyan, a weekly progressive prayer service.
A world-renowned philosopher and social activist, Dr. David Hartman (z"l) is the founder and president emeritus of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Named after his late father, the Institute is dedicated to developing a new understanding of classical Judaism that provides moral and spiritual direction for Judaism's confrontation with modernity.
Presently professor emeritus at Hebrew Universityin Jerusalem, he received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University's theological seminary in New York City. He is the author of many award-winning books, including A Living Covenant: The Innovative Spirit in Traditional Judaism (Jewish Lights) and Maimonides: Torah and Philosophic Quest, both winners of the National Jewish Book Award; A Heart of Many Rooms: Celebrating the Many Voices within Judaism (Jewish Lights), finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and a Publishers Weekly "Best Book of the Year"; and Love and Terror in the God Encounter: The Theological Legacy of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (Jewish Lights).
Mark Hass has been on the staff of the Detroit News and the Miami Herald.
Rabbi Levi Meier, PhD, is chaplain of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He is a clinical psychologist and was one of the religious leaders who "screened" The Prince of Egypt for the DreamWorks Studio. He is also the author of Moses—The Prince, the Prophet: His Life, Legend & Message for our Lives and Ancient Secrets: Using the Stories of the Bible to Improve Our Everyday Lives (Jewish Lights).
Rabbi James L. Mirel has served as spiritual leader of Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue, Washington, for more than a decade. He is one of the most respected congregational rabbis in the United States, and has received awards and recognition for his work in Jewish and communal services. He has served as a religion columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and as a radio talk show host on the award-winning God Talk.
Rabbi Debra Orenstein is an acclaimed teacher, speaker and scholar-in-residence. Before repatriating back to New Jersey in 2010 to become spiritual leader of Congregation B'nai Israel in Emerson, she spent twenty years as an instructor at the American Jewish Universityand a pulpit rabbi in Los Angeles. Rabbi Orenstein is the author and editor of five books, including Lifecycles 1: Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal Milestones and Lifecycles 2: Jewish Women on Biblical Themes in Contemporary Life (Jewish Lights). A seventh generation rabbi, she is also an alumna of the first entering class to include women at The Jewish Theological Seminary. For downloadable teachings and scholar-in-residence information, please visit www.RabbiDebra.com.
Rabbi Debra Orenstein is available to speak on the following topics:
- Finding (More) Meaning in Jewish Ritual and Practice
- Unfolding Adventures in Lifecycle, Spirituality and Gender
- Reading the Bible with New Eyes: Feminist Interpretation
- Ways in to Jewish Spirituality
- Raising Spiritually Fulfilled Children: Generation Mentsch
Rabbi Jack Riemer, a well-known author and speaker, has conducted many workshops and seminars to help people learn about the inspiring tradition of ethical wills and to prepare their own. As head of the National Rabbinic Network, a support system for rabbis across all denominational lines, he gives sermon seminars to rabbis throughout the United States. He is editor of The World of the High Holy Days (Bernie Books) and Wrestling with the Angel (Schocken), coeditor of So That Your Values Live On: Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them, and contributed to May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism—Yizkor (both Jewish Lights).
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso,a parent, spiritual leader, and storyteller, is the awardwinning author of God's Paintbrush, In God's Name, God In Between and many other inspiring books for children of all faiths and backgrounds. The second woman to be ordained as a rabbi (1974) and the first rabbi to become a mother, she and her husband, Dennis, were the first rabbinical couple to jointly lead a congregation—Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis. They have two children, David and Debora, and three grandchildren. Sasso, who holds a doctorate in ministry, is active in the interfaith community, and has written and lectured on the renewal of spirituality and the discovery of the religious imagination in children of all faiths.Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is available to speak on the following topics:
- Nurturing the Spiritual Imagination of Children
- Tell Me a Story: Reading the Bible and the Religious Imagination of Children
- Filling in the Blanks: How Women Read the Bible
- Women and Judaism: A Personal Journey
- Midrash as a Tool for Spiritual Reflection
Rifat Sonsino, scholar and rabbi, is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, Massachusetts. Ordained at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, he holds a degree in law and a Ph.D. in Bible and ancient Near Eastern studies. He has served as editor of the Central Conference of American Rabbis Journal and is the co-author of Finding God—Ten Jewish Responses and What Happens after I Die? Jewish Views of Life after Death. He and his wife, Ines, have two children—Daniel and Deborah—and are the proud grandparents of Ariella.
Dr. Ron Wolfson, visionary educator and inspirational speaker, is Fingerhut Professor of Education at American Jewish Universityin Los Angeles and a cofounder of Synagogue 3000. He is author of Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community; The Seven Questions You're Asked in Heaven: Reviewing and Renewing Your Life on Earth; Be Like God: God's To-Do List for Kids; God's To-Do List: 103 Ways to Be an Angel and Do God's Work on Earth; Hanukkah, Passover and Shabbat, all Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs Art of Jewish Living family guides to spiritual celebrations; The Spirituality of Welcoming: How to Transform Your Congregation into a Sacred Community; A Time to Mourn, a Time to Comfort: A Guide to Jewish Bereavement and Comfort; and, with Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, What You Will See Inside a Synagogue (all Jewish Lights), a book for children ages 6 and up. He contributed to May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism—Yizkor, Who by Fire, Who by Water—Un'taneh Tokef, All These Vows—Kol Nidre, and We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism—Ashamnu and Al Chet (all Jewish Lights).
Dr. Ron Wolfson is available to speak on the following topics:
- Building Good Tents: Envisioning the Synagogue of the Future
- God's To-Do List
- The Seven Questions You're Asked in Heaven
- Blessings and Kisses: The Power of the Jewish Family
- A Time to Mourn, a Time to Comfort
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Rabbi David Zeller, storyteller, teacher and musician, is a pioneer in Jewish spirituality and transpersonal psychology. He helped establish the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology; the Network of Conscious Judaism; Yakar: Center for Tradition and Creativity; and Shevet: Center for Jewish Spirituality and Meditation. He has produced five recordings of meditative and healing music. He travels extensively throughout the United States and Europe several times each year to teach and perform. Learn more about David Zeller, his stories and his music at www.davidzeller.org.
Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman founded the Task Force on Alcoholism of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York. While he was rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City, his congregation sponsored the first Alcoholics Anonymous group to meet in a synagogue. Formerly president of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, he is now rabbi of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons (NY).
Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, named one of the fifty leading rabbis in North America by Newsweek, is well known for his inspiring books that bring the Jewish wisdom tradition into everyday life. He is executive director of the Jewish Outreach Institute, and is author of many books on Jewish spirituality, healing and Jewish religious practice, including Making a Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide to Opportunities, Challenges and Resources; Introducing My Faith and My Community: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide; Jewish Paths toward Healing and Wholeness: A Personal Guide to Dealing with Suffering; Grief in Our Seasons: A Mourner's Kaddish Companion; Twelve Jewish Steps to Recovery: A Personal Guide to Turning from Alcoholism & Other Addictions—Drugs, Food, Gambling, Sex...; Facing Cancer as a Family; Life's Daily Blessings: Inspiring Reflections on Gratitude for Every Day, Based on Jewish Wisdom; 100 Blessings Every Day: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Affirmations, Exercises for Personal Growth and Renewal Reflecting Seasons of the Jewish Year; and Recovery from Codependance: A Jewish Twelve Step Guide to Healing Your Soul. He is also co-author of Grandparenting Interfaith Grandchildren; Jewish Holidays: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Jewish Ritual: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Renewed Each Day, Vol. One—Genesis and Exodus: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations; Renewed Each Day, Vol. Two—Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations Based on the Bible and co-editor of The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal(all Jewish Lights).Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky is available to speak on the following topics:
- The Jewish Twelve Step Path to Healing and Recovery
- Sparks Beneath the Surface: A Spiritual Read on the Torah
- Welcoming the Stranger in Our Midst
- How to Nurture Jewish Grandchildren Being Raised in an Interfaith Family
- Optimism for a Jewish Future
Stuart Matlins is founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of Jewish Lights Publishing and SkyLight Paths Publishing. Both imprints focus on religion and spirituality from a broad non-denominational perspective. He is author or editor of several books, including the best-selling How to Be a Perfect Stranger, 5th Edition: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook (SkyLight Paths); The Jewish Lights Spirituality Handbook: A Guide to Understanding, Exploring & Living a Spiritual Life (Jewish Lights); The Perfect Stranger's Guide to Wedding Ceremonies: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies; and The Perfect Stranger's Guide to Funerals and Grieving Practices: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People’s Religious Ceremonies (both SkyLight Paths).
Stuart was the 2006 recipient of the American Jewish Distinguished Service Award, an annual presentation of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. He was a member of the First Catholic/Jewish Lay Conference at the Vatican in October 2007, an event under the auspices of the Interreligious Information Center.
Among his many speaking appearances, Stuart has been the scholar-in-residence or guest lecturer at the National Funeral Director’s Association convention, Temple Isaiah (Palm Springs, CA), The Jewish Center of the Hamptons (East Hampton, NY), Temple Sholom (Plainfield, NJ), Israel Congregation (Manchester, NH) and at the annual gatherings of the Jewish Community Centers Association and the Jewish Outreach Institute. He also has been a featured speaker or panel member at many Book Expo America conventions, and at the biennial Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College, as well as at churches and other conferences.
Before publishing took over his life, he was a management consultant for over thirty years as a managing partner with Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. and then heading his own consulting firm.
He is the co-founder of an innovative synagogue in Woodstock, Vermont, with his wife, Antoinette Matlins, and served as lay spiritual leader for nineteen of its twenty-one years. He has served for almost twenty years on the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, and was chair of the Board of Overseers of its New York School.
He is listed in Who’s Who in America.
