We are grateful to Rabbi Angela Buchdahl for speaking to us about her new book, Heart of a Stranger. Please enjoy the conversation recording below.

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl is a pioneering Reform rabbi and cantor and one of the most influential Jewish leaders in America today. She became the first Asian American to be ordained as both a cantor and a rabbi in North America when she was invested as a cantor in 1999 and ordained in 2001 by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. As Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue, she is nationally recognized for innovative worship that reaches large in-person congregations and a global livestream audience. She has been featured on the Today Show, NPR, and PBS, and was named one of Newsweek’s “America’s 50 Most Influential Rabbis.”

Her memoir, Heart of a Stranger, released in October 2025, became an instant New York Times bestseller. In it, she weaves personal narrative and Jewish teaching to explore identity, belonging, and the moral call to encounter the stranger with courage and compassion in a divided world.

We are grateful to Sarah Hurwitz for speaking to us about her new book, As a Jew. Please enjoy the conversation recording below. We have two versions of the recording available, with and without ASL interpretation, thanks to Lisa Pershan.

For nearly 15 years, Sarah Hurwitz built a career finding just the right words. She served as a White House speechwriter from 2009 to 2017, first as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. Sarah worked with Mrs. Obama to craft widely-acclaimed addresses and traveled with her across America and to five continents.

Sarah’s first book, Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There), chronicled her rediscovery of Judaism with the same clarity and insight that defined her political writing. The book was named a finalist for two National Jewish Book Awards and for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.

If you would like a copy of Sarah’s latest book, As a Jew, you can purchase it here.

What a night! An Evening of Light was joyful, spiritual, and full of connection. Together, in the sanctuary at B’nai Jeshurun and across the country via livestream, we celebrated 25 years of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, welcomed Hanukkah, and honored Dorian Goldman and Marvin Israelow for their extraordinary leadership and generosity.

The music, the reflections, and the energy in the room reminded us why this community matters — and how deeply we’re all connected by our shared pursuit of mindfulness, compassion, and light.

We invite you to watch the recording below: