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:

We are grateful to Rodger Kamenetz for sharing his insights with us. Please enjoy the conversation recording.

Rodger Kamenetz is an award-winning poet, author, and teacher. Of his 13 books, his best known is The Jew in the Lotus, the story of rabbis making a holy pilgrimage through India to meet with the Dalai Lama. His account of their historic dialogue became an international bestseller, prompting a reevaluation of Judaism in the light of Buddhist thought. Now in its 37th printing overall, The Jew in the Lotus is a staple of college religion courses. The New York Times called it a “revered text.” A PBS documentary followed, and a sequel, Stalking Elijah, was awarded the National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought.

If you would like a copy of Rodger’s book, you can purchase it here.

If you would like to continue studying with Rodger, learn more and register for his upcoming course, Seeing into the Life of Things

We are grateful to Jane Eisner for sharing her insights with us. Please enjoy the conversation recording.

Jane Eisner has spent her career breaking barriers in journalism. The first woman to edit Wesleyan University’s student paper, she went on to hold senior roles at the Philadelphia Inquirer for 25 years before becoming the first female editor-in-chief of the Forward, where she expanded readership and earned multiple awards. Eisner has also reported for leading outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, taught at Penn and Columbia, and written Taking Back the Vote: Getting American Youth Involved in Our Democracy (2004). She recently completed an interpretive biography of Carole King for Yale’s Jewish Lives series, where she explores the legendary musician’s extraordinary career, personal struggles, and cultural impact. Today, she serves as writer-at-large for the Forward and consults for the independent news site Shtetl.

If you would like a copy of Jane’s book, you can purchase it here.