Rabbi Albert Lewis z"l
Lecture Series
RABBI ALBERT LEWIS Z”L LECTURE SERIES:
The Rabbi Albert Lewis (z”l) Lectureship was established to honor Temple Isaiah’s founding rabbi, who led our congregation to become active in the Civil Rights movement, in efforts to end the Vietnam War, and many other causes. Through the Rabbi Albert Lewis Memorial Lectureship, Temple Isaiah welcomes distinguished leaders whose lives and work advance justice, strengthen democracy, and inspire us to repair our world.
UPCOMING LECTURES:
The Rabbi Albert Lewis Memorial Lecture with Professor Dan Schnur - Democracy Requires Us
The Rabbi Albert Lewis Memorial Lecture with Author Sarah Hurwitz: Finding Our Way Home A Conversation with Bestselling Author Sarah Hurwitz
The Rabbi Albert Lewis Memorial Lecture with Filmmaker Dan Partland - When Faith Becomes Power
A Screening and Conversation with Filmmaker Dan Partland
Religion has always shaped American public life. But what happens when political power begins to reshape religion?
Join Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Dan Partland for a screening of his acclaimed documentary, God & Country, co-produced by Michele and Rob Reiner. Dan will engage in conversation about Christian nationalism, religious freedom, and the responsibilities of faith communities in a democratic society.
At a moment when Americans are wrestling with questions of identity, belonging, and the health of our democracy, this timely conversation will explore how religious traditions can inspire justice, humility, and moral courage without becoming instruments of division or exclusion.
The Rabbi Albert Lewis Memorial Lecture with Father Greg Boyle - Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times
What would change if we truly believed that we belong to one another?
For more than three decades, Father Greg Boyle has transformed lives through Homeboy Industries, accompanying people leaving gangs and incarceration as they build new lives rooted in dignity, purpose, and hope. Along the way, he has developed a radical vision of kinship: a way of seeing one another that refuses to divide the world into the deserving and the undeserving, the worthy and the disposable, the “us” and the “them.”
The bestselling author of Tattoos on the Heart, Barking to the Choir, The Whole Language, and Cherished Belonging, Father Boyle brings stories, humor, wisdom, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of compassion. His work challenges us to ask what justice looks like when it begins not with fixing or saving others, but with recognizing our fundamental belonging to one another.
Join us for an evening of conversation about compassion, courage, forgiveness, and the possibility of building a world in which everyone knows: You belong here.
PAST LECTURES:
GUEST SPEAKER, BILL MCKIBBEN, AUTHOR, JOURNALIST AND FOUNDER OF 350.ORG
Q&A begins at 1:05
Bill McKibben shows us again why “Foreign Policy named him to their inaugural list of the world’s 100 most valuable global thinkers.” He poignantly presented the results of time lost, embraced the political tools we have to influence decision-makers, but said that was not enough. He is now working to develop enhanced financial strategies for all of us to use to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and to keep the carbon in the ground where it needs to stay.
GUEST SPEAKER, SUE DUNLAP, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD, LA
PROTECTING ACCESS TO WOMEN’S HEALTH, 46 YEARS AFTER ROE V. WADE
Planned Parenthood Los Angeles serves women, men, families, and communities all across Los Angeles. Founded in 1965, it diligently, and comprehensively, delivers high quality, convenient and affordable patient services, education and advocacy. The organization serves immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ communities and people of all faiths. Join us as we learn about this remarkable organization and its work providing healthcare and support for all who need.
ABOUT SUE DUNLAP
Susan Dunlap is the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles (PPLA). PPLA’s 19 health centers provide comprehensive, reproductive and sexual health care services through 250,000 patient visits each year. In addition to its clinical work, PPLA also provides sex education to schools and communities throughout Los Angeles County. Dunlap’s twenty-year career with Planned Parenthood has included work with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) leading advocacy efforts in battleground states across the country, as well as with Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) as a registered lobbyist ensuring that California’s public policy framework guarantees reproductive health and justice for all Californians. Dunlap also serves on the Board of Directors of Equality California and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
GUEST SPEAKER, TOM STEYER
In 2010, Steyer, the founder of Farallon Capital and cofounder of Beneficial State Bank, and his wife signed The Giving Pledge to donate half of their fortune to charity during their lifetime. He has become a leading figure in environmental causes, being among the top donors of the 2014 election cycle, and an environmental advisor to the Obama administration. Steyer is on the board of Next Generation, a non-profit that intends to tackle children’s issues and the environment. Steyer is NextGen America founder.
“Tom Steyer is a business leader and philanthropist who believes we have a moral responsibility to give back and help ensure that every family shares the benefits of economic opportunity, education, and a healthy climate.”– nextgenclimate.org
“Today, we are seeing clean energy compete head-to-head with fossil fuels — and win. But it isn’t enough. As a nation we must accelerate this transition to a clean energy economy to win the global race for clean energy jobs and protect our economy from the devastating impacts of climate change” – Tom Steyer