Jewish Thought Leaders

Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Ilya Kaminsky, the Russian-Jewish poet will read selections of his work. The evening will also include a reading by local poet Heather Altfeld.

A vibrant conversation with one of the most visionary thinkers in Israel. As former speaker of the Knesset, Avraham Burg witnessed firsthand many of the most dramatic and critical moments in Israeli history. He offers a deeply personal and unique reflection on his county’s history, Zionism, and Jewish identity in the modern world. His insights came at a particularly poignant moment in time: on the eve of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) and closely following the elections in Israel. 

Rabbi David Ingber, founder of the vibrant New York-based Renewal community Romemu sits down with Spirit Rock co-founder and friend Sylvia Boorstein, to explore the meditative mindfulness that lies at the core of their respective practices and teachings.

In honor of Yom Ha'atzmaut and Israel's 70th anniversary, a diverse collection of Marin County’s Jewish community shared personal stories of their experiences in Israel, formatted in the style of The Moth. The program was a collaboration of Congregations Rodef Sholom and Kol Shofar, Brandeis Marin Day School and the Osher Marin JCC.

Dr Daniel Gordis, senior vice president and the Koret Distringuished Fellow at Shalem College in College, writes a regular column for the Jerusalem Post and is a regular contributor to the New York Times. In this episode, he discusses Israel’s Dilemma: “the Occupation”, the Jewish Soul and Security and his most recent book, Israel: A concise history of a nation reborn.

Renowned for his absurdist short stories, Etgar Keret is one of Israel's literary titans and an award-winning filmmaker to boot. Holding a conversation with him surely requires a sharp brain and nerves of steel. That's where Ayelet Waldman comes in. The outspoken Berkeley author and activist will speak with Keret on the Marin JCC stage about "dark and surreal" themes in his work.

Ambassador Dennis Ross on Doomed to Succeed: The U.S.- Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama When it comes to Israel, U.S. policy has always emphasized the unbreakable bond between the two countries and our ironclad commitment to Israel's security. Today our ties to Israel are close—so close that when there are differences, they tend to make the news. But it was not always this way.

Distracted driving is now a leading cause of highway crashes, accounting for over 5,000 traffic fatalities and nearly a half a million serious injuries each year. In this episode, NY Times Pulitzer prize winning journalist Matt Richtel, author of A Deadly Wandering, discusses the dangers of distracted driving and is then joined, for a panel discussion, by Rabbi Chai Levy, Dr. Peg Sandel, and Larry Yermack.

Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, explores how American Jews and Muslims can talk about Israel, peaceably, with Wajahat Ali, journalist, play write, & talk show host.

The Future of Democracy in Israel is the topic of this presentation and discussion by Yossi Klein HaLevi, senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and co-director of the Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative.

Jazz and blues vocalist Pamela Rose has developed a captivating showpiece entitled “Wild Women of Song” celebrating the lives, times and music of the women songwriters of Tin Pan Alley. This presentation focuses on the women songwriters of this era who happened to be Jewish.

Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, founder of ZION: Am Eretz Israeli Congregation in Jerusalem, is considered by many to be a modern day prophet. Her work in building a community in Israel dedicated to the highest ideals of Judaism and the promise of a nation that reflects those ideals is a magnet for people from all backgrounds. In this episode of Jewish Thought Leaders, Rabbi Elad-Appelbaum teaches a Bay Area community about her work and the Zion that can be.

Scattered Among the Nations is a nonprofit organization that educates people about Jewish diversity. Photojournalist and Scattered Among the Nations president Bryan Schwartz profiles some of the world’s most isolated and dynamic Jewish communities and he speaks of his work – the book and the exhibits – on this episode.

In February of 2015 the Osher Marin JCC presented a solo exhibition of works by San Francisco watercolor artist and philanthropist, Chris Hellman. At the opening reception her daughter, Dr. Tricia Gibbs, spoke about her mother's paintings and the challenges of Alzheimer's after which Dr. Bruce Miller MD, Neurologist and Clinical Director of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, presented on the relationships between art and the brain.

The film Girl Rising journeys around the globe to witness the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change the world. After a viewing of the film we hosted a discussion panel with Ruth Messinger, President of the American Jewish World Service, Nahid Angha, Ph.D., a Sufi scholar, women's rights activist, and accomplished author, and Manisha Gupte co-founder of MASUM, an Indian women’s organization working to promote the rights of women and girls.

In a conversation that covers Jewish life, in Budapest before the wars, the Hungarian Gold Train, motherhood and leaving the practice of law, bestselling author Ayelet Waldman discusses her newest novel, Love and Treasure.

Middle East Strategic Intelligence Analyst Avi Melamed speaks about the current affairs of the Arab and Muslim world and their impact on Israel and the region.

America's history of religious intolerance is shown in a talk be Wesleyan University Religious Studies Professor Peter Gottschalk.

In his bestselling and groundbreaking book, "My Promised Land - The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel", Ari Shavit explores Israel's last century through observation and reflection. Hear Ari's story in this episode, and his thoughts on how we in the United States can strengthen ties to the Jewish homeland.

Lehrhaus Judaica Senior Educator Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prussan speaks about philosopher Martin Buber and his role in advancing transformative dialogue at the Lehrhaus started by Franz Rosenzweig in Germany in 1920.

Fred Rosenbaum, founding director of Lehrhaus Judaica and author of 7 books, speaks about philosopher/educator Franz Rosenzweig whose original school without walls inspired Fred to launch a similar school focused on dialogue in the SF Bay Area in 1974.

Anita Diamant’s first novel, the red tent, was a game changer for so many readers worldwide. In this episode of “Jewish Thought Leaders” Joanne Greene interviews Anita Diamant on her novels, her Jewish guidebooks, and the work she’s done re-imagining the ancient Jewish ritual bath or mikvah.

Director Steve Pressman discusses the making of his documentary 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr and Mrs Kraus, narrated by Alan Alda, and produced by HBO films. Learn why Pressman was moved to tell the incredible story of the Krauses.

ARAB LABOR is an Israeli television comedy series now in its fourth season. It was created by Sayed Kashua, an Israeli born Palestinian journalist and has been groundbreaking in its comic depiction of Jews and Arabs in Israel today. Dr. Donny Inbar, Director of Arts and Culture at the Israel Center of the San Francisco-based Jewish Community federation, discusses the history and impact of ARAB LABOR in this episode of Jewish Thought Leaders.

For decades, Israeli multi-platinum recording artist David Broza has been making music and advocating for peace. Now, he’s taken it to a new level with a CD entitled East Jerusalem/West Jerusalem that he recorded on the Palestinian side of Jerusalem with both Israeli and Palestinian musicians. Hear a couple of songs from the new CD which features 14 inspiring recordings.

Israeli multi-platinum recording artist David Broza shares stories of his project to record songs on the Palestinian side of Jerusalem with musicians from both Palestine and Israel. The result is an exceptional new CD entitled East Jerusalem/West Jerusalem.

In the spirit of Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking and Chelsea Handler’s Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang Bang, comes Marion Grodin’s hilarious memoir of a Hollywood childhood, teen years of drugs and sex, and sober adult life on the stand-up comedy circuit. As Charles Grodin’s daughter, & a survivor of cancer, divorce and a Häagen-Dazs addiction, Marion knows and shows that laughter is truly the best medicine. *WARNING, this episode contains EXPLICIT CONTENT*

In the midst of one of the worst genocides of our time, a group of Jews, Catholics and Muslims – Serbs, Croats and Bosnians – joined forces to provide humanitarian relief to anyone in need in Sarajevo. Journalist Ed Serotta, director of Centropa, describes “La Benovolencia” the extraordinary community that he witnessed in action, and covered, during the Bosnian War.

“Red States, Blue States, and the Jewish State”. That’s the title of this talk by Gil Hoffman, chief political correspondent and analyst for the Jerusalem Post. Hoffman is well-connected to both Israeli and Palestinian leaders and has interviewed every major figure across the Israeli political spectrum. He’s called “the most optimistic man in Israel” by Israeli television and here he shares his insights on the current state of politics in Israel.

Son of a French Holocuast survivor, Alan Kaufman drank to fill the huge hole in his heart, wrecking himself and everyone in his path. His memoir, Drunken Angel, is one of the first by a Second Generation Holocaust writer to address how alcoholism, his Jewish lineage and the Holocaust intersect. Hear his riveting conversation with Joanne Greene.

Consul General Dr. Andy David. Dr. David has served overseas positions in Azerbaijan, Hong Kong and Chicago, as well as domestic positions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including most recently Deputy Spokesman and policy advisor.

Long Description: Rabbi Lawrence Kushner says that the artist’s task is to reveal the radiance that God hid after realizing that human beings might abuse their infinite awareness. Here he speaks about Street-Light, the urban impressionism he creates in his paintings of the streets of San Francisco.

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, the first Palestinian doctor to receive a staff position at an Israeli hospital, tragically lost 3 daughters to Israeli tank fire during the Gaza war. He has since written the book I Shall Not Hate & formed the Daughters for Life Foundation, providing scholarships to young women of all backgrounds in the middle east. In this talk, Agents of Change: Dialoguing Across Differences, Dr. Abuelaish discusses the power of understanding and action to inspire hope to end conflict around the world.

This episode of Jewish Thought Leaders focuses on fair trade as a Jewish value and features Ilana Schatz, director of Fair Trade Judaica, Ellen Friedland, writer/producer of the documentary Delicious Peace Grows in a Ugandan Coffee Bean, Curt Fissel, director of the film, and Paul Katzeff, of Thanksgiving Coffee which distributes the coffee made by the interfaith Ugandan coffee co-op.

Lehrhaus Judaica and the Osher Marin JCC partnered for a half-day conference on March 17, 2013, titled Free Ranging Communities: Jewish Life in Marin and Hollywood. The conference at the Osher Marin JCC included Prof. Marc Dollinger in conversation with two of the founders of the Marin County Jewish commuity; Rabbi Michael Barenbaum and Elliot Levin.

Emmy-nominated actress Mayim Bialik (think “Big Bang Theory” and “Blossom”) also happens to be a neuroscientist and, oh yes, an observant Jew. In this interview, conducted by Maya Bernstein, director of education and leadership initiatives at Upstart Bay Area, Bialik discusses the delicate balancing actof being a mother, actress and observant Jew in Hollywood.

Filmed over a seven-year period, "My So Called Enemy" follows six Palestinian and Israeli teenage girls committed to mutual understanding and a just solution to the conflict that continues to rage in their homeland, after participating in a U.S. women's leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace where they got to know their "enemies" as human beings. Filmmaker Lisa Gossels shares her experiences in an interview with Joanne Greene.

University of Washington Jewish Studies Professor Noam Pianko, author of The Jewish People: Boundaries Beyond Borders delivers a talk entitled “Israeli Nation or Jewish People? Zionism and the Transformation of Jewish Identity”. Many of the assumptions about what it means to be a Jew today have been shaped by modern theories of nationalism and Zionism. This lecture explores how modern political thought transformed popular and scholar conceptions of the Jewish people.

We all know what anxiety feels like but far fewer of us understand how debilitating a full blown anxiety disorder can be. In this episode of Jewish Thought Leaders, Daniel Smith speaks about and reads from his memoir Monkey Mind; Dr. Dan Kalb enlightens us on the often successful treatment provided by Cognitive Behavior Therapy; and Dr. Raja Hornstein focuses on analysis and meditation to treat anxiety.

The Jewish Calendar may not sound like a dynamic topic but in the hands of Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR, Los Angeles, it comes alive. Our lives have a rhythm and the ancient Jewish calendar and the festivals and holidays that it includes, provides a brilliant blueprint through which we can bring meaning and purpose to our lives.

In conjunction with the exhibit opening of “Traces of Memory: A Contemporary Look at the Jewish Past in Poland,” the director of the Galicia Jewish Museum, Jakub Nowakowsky, talks about the exhibit, the museum, and Jewish life in Poland: past, revival and future.

Hear a talk by one of our most trusted spiritual advisors, Rabbi Harold Kushner, about his latest book, The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happen to a Good Person. Rabbi Kushner is the author of 13 books including the bestselling, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, and When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough, and has been chosen by the Roman Catholic Organization as one of 50 people who have made the world a better place in the past half century.

Artist Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik discusses his new work in Papercutting which explores the stories and traditions of the Jewish people through the twin lenses of papercutting and pop culture storytelling techniques. Brynjegard-Bialik layers meaning into his work by meticulously positioning cut-up pieces of comic books, maps, and holy books destined for ritual burial beneath delicately sliced paper. The result is visual biblical commentary, what he calls “paper midrash.”

In the early part of the 20th century, Eastern European Jews flocked to the Northern California town of Petaluma to become chicken farmers. It was a unique community that thrived for decades. In this episode of Jewish Thought Leaders, we hear a panel discussion featuring Ken Kahn, author of Comrades and Chicken Ranchers: The Story of a California Jewish Community; Bonnie Burt and Judy Montell, co-director/producers of the documentary A Home on the Range; and three members of the original community – Lily Krulevitch, Sylvia Schwartz and Barry Nitchberg.

Hearing about the current demographics of Marin County, California’s Jewish community is akin to a glimpse into the future. Professor Marc Dollinger, who holds the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University, shares the history and evolution of Marin’s Jewish community and puts the data into perspective.

Rabbi Bradley Artson, currently holds the Dean’s Chair of the Zeigler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University in LA, where he is vice president. As an ordained conservative rabbi, he also holds a ph.d. in Jewish Theology from Hebrew Union College and is the author of 10 books include The Bedside Torah. Here he speaks on “Life as a Calling”.

Rabbi Bradley Artson, currently holds the Dean’s Chair of the Zeigler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University in LA, where he is vice president. As an ordained conservative rabbi, he also holds a ph.d. in Jewish Theology from Hebrew Union College and is the author of 10 books include The Bedside Torah. Here he answers audience questions after speaking on “Life as a Calling”.

The poetry of the Kabbalah was composed on three continents over a period of some 1500 years. Thanks to poet/translator Peter Cole, we now have a substantial body of poetry from the Jewish mystical tradition in English. Hear a talk and readings by Peter Cole, author of, among other books The Poetry of Kabbalah: Mystical Verse from the Jewish Tradition.

For more than 20 years, the city of Krakow, Poland, has hosted a Jewish Culture Festival. In Part One of this interview with the founder and director of the festival, Janusz Makuch, you’ll learn how and why he started this enterprise in a city under communist rule, where the vast majority of citizens were nonJews.

New York Times best-selling authors and journalists Cokie and Steve Roberts share their Passover traditions and describe the evolution of their interfaith Haggadah which has now been published. In the book and in this talk, they chronicle their marriage and family life – with humor and great anecdotes – and discuss the importance of Passover as a holiday that brings family together to celebrate freedom.

It makes sense that a museum depicting a thousand years of Jewish history would be based where the story took place but, somehow, it’s been tough to convince Americans to help fund the Museum of the History of Polish Jews being built in Warsaw. In this episode, NYU cultural anthropologist and museologist Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett discusses Yiddish culture and the core exhibit she’s developing for the museum that will open in the spring of 2013 in Warsaw.