I need human help to enter verification code (office hours only)

Sign In Forgot Password
Home > US Speaker Series

US Speaker Series

21st Century Voices

A Premier Speaker Series for Today’s World

 

At University Synagogue, we believe Jewish spaces should be intellectually alive and culturally relevant. 21st Century Voices brings 6–10 world-class speakers each year to our Friday night services, creating an inclusive, thought-provoking environment for reflection and learning.

More than just a lecture series, it’s a vibrant forum for connection, curiosity, and inspiration — an intellectual destination drawing engaged audiences from across Southern California and beyond.

What Is 21st Century Voices?

University Synagogue in Irvine, CA is proud to present 21st Century Voices, a groundbreaking Friday night speaker series that brings bold Jewish thought into dialogue with the most pressing issues of our time.

This is not your typical synagogue programming — we're building a premier platform for cutting-edge ideas that bridge ancient Jewish wisdom with today’s complex cultural, political, and social challenges. From democracy and justice to identity, innovation, and the arts, 21st Century Voices invites some of the most compelling thinkers, creators, and changemakers of our time to share their insights and spark meaningful conversations across generations.

Topics That Spark Dialogue

Our speakers represent a wide range of fields, including:

  • Politics & Democracy
  • Social Justice & Philosophy
  • Arts, Culture & Identity
  • Comedy, Music & Entertainment
  • Innovation & Science
  • Health & Psychology
  • Emerging Voices
  • International Perspectives

Each topic is chosen to spark meaningful conversations across generations and backgrounds.

A Selection of University Synagogue Speakers Over the Years

David Min

US Congressman

Elizabeth Warren

US Senator

Katie Porter

US Representative

Adam McKay

Academy Award-Winning Director

Wayne Federman

Stand-Up Comedian, Actor, Professor and Author

University Synagogue has welcomed a diverse and inspiring group of speakers whose voices span Jewish thought, interfaith dialogue, politics, the arts, Holocaust remembrance, and the pursuit of justice. This curated archive celebrates the individuals who have educated, challenged, and enriched our community through meaningful conversation and storytelling. 

Click the categories below to view a select list of speakers by topic.

Religion & Jewish Thought
  • Rabbi Barbara Aiello – “The Secret Jews of Italy”
  • Rabbi Arik Ascherman – Rabbis for Human Rights
  • Rabbi Anne Brener – “Mourning And Mitzvah”
  • Rabbi Irving Greenberg – “The Triumph of Life”
  • Rabbi Steve Greenberg – “Gayness and God”
  • Rabbi Capers Funnye – “The Black Jewish History of America”
  • Rabbi Reuven Firestone – “What Does Islam Really Say about Judaism and Christianity?”
  • Rabbi Ariel Picard – “Abrahamic Voices of Peace from the Holy Land”
  • Rabbi Uri Regev – “The Dangers of Jewish Fundamentalism to Israeli Democracy”
  • Rabbi Rami Shapiro – “Shiviti: Living in the Presence of God”
  • Rabbi Michael Strassfeld – “Embracing Judaism As A Spiritual Practice”
  • Rabbi Joseph Telushkin – “The Sky Is Not Falling”
  • Rabbi Marvin Tokayer – “The Exotic Jews of China, Japan and India”
  • Rabbi Sid Schwarz – “Jewish Megatrends”
  • Dr. Marcia Falk – “The Book of Blessings”
  • Dr. Sharon Keller – “Women of The Bible”
  • Dr. Aviva Zornberg – “Genesis: The Beginning of Desire”
  • Dr. Hartley Lachter – “Was Maimonides A Radical?”
  • Dr. Judea Pearl – on Daniel Pearl’s legacy
  • Dr. Shalom Paul – “The Garden of Eden: Myth and Reality”
  • Professor Rachel Elior – “Demystifying Jewish Mysticism”
  • Professor Reuven Kimelman – “The Sabbath, Sexuality and Salvation”
  • Professor Steven Katz – “The Messianic Idea in Judaism”
  • Professor Norman Cohen – “Hineini”
  • Tirzah Firestone – “The Receiving”
  • Dr. Michael Lerner – “Jewish Renewal”
Politics, Diplomacy & Activism
  • Senator Elizabeth Warren – “The Future of America”
  • Michael Dukakis – “America’s Next Four Years And Beyond”
  • Ambassador Sven Alkalaj – Judaism in Bosnia
  • Ambassador Phil Wilcox – “Can Obama Make Peace?”
  • Ambassador Thomas Borer – “The Swiss Role in the Theft of Jewish Property”
  • Ambassador Nabil Fahmy – “Prospects for Peace in the Middle East”
  • Ambassador Bradley Gordon – “Historic Jewish Connection to the Land of Israel”
  • Peter Edelman – “Searching For America’s Heart”
  • Stuart Eizenstat – “Imperfect Justice”
  • Gidi Grinstein – “Making Peace Between Israel and Its Neighbors”
  • Ron Young – “Bringing Peace to the Middle East”
  • Dr. Sadullah Khan – “Islam in America and the World”
  • Dr. Zachary Karabell – “Peace Be Upon You”
  • Naomi Chazan – Former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset
  • Gary Hart – “Are There Any Truly Just People Today?”
  • Frank Luntz – “What Americans Really Want… Really”
  • Rev. Jim Wallis – “God’s Politics”
  • Dr. Norm Ornstein – “The Broken Branch” and others
  • Dr. Tony Campolo – “A Citizen’s Guide to Faith and Politics”
  • Tom Campbell – “Is Progress Possible Across Ideological Lines?”
  • Professor Raphael Sonenshein – “President Obama and the Jewish Agenda”
  • Dr. Jack Miles – “The Biography of God”
Arts, Media & Entertainment
  • Lalo Alcaraz – Comic Artist
  • Craig Taubman – Hanukkah Concert
  • Peter Yarrow – of Peter, Paul and Mary
  • James Schamus – “My Wife Is A Terrorist”
  • Annie Korzen – Actress, Comedian and Writer
  • Joel Stein – “Writing Jewish”
  • Yale Strom – “Klezmer Music – Its History and Culture”
  • Tom Dugan – “The Nazi Hunter – Simon Wiesenthal”
  • Alula Tzaddik – Ethiopian Jewish Singer
  • Linden Waddell – “The Songs of Allan Sherman”
  • The Piven Family – “An Evening Of Jewish Stories”
  • Martin Landau – Actor
  • Tommy Lasorda – Dodgers Manager
  • Anthony Russell – Yiddish Singer
  • Howard Gordon – “Homeland” and “24”
  • John Gray – “Why Mars and Venus Collide”
  • Faye Kellerman – Author
  • Thomas Keneally – “Schindler’s List”
  • Jonathan Safran Foer – “Everything Is Illuminated”
  • Jane Ziegelman – “97 Orchard”
  • Josh Kun – “The Jewish Past Through Vinyl”
  • Joel Kotkin – On the Jewish community and Trump
  • Elizabeth Bettina – “It Happened in Italy”
  • Leonard Saxe – “Intermarriage and Inclusion”
  • Arthur Benjamin – “Mathemagics”
Holocaust, History & Human Rights
  • Marthe Cohn – “A Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany”
  • Thomas Keneally – “Schindler’s List”
  • Leon Leyson – Youngest Schindler’s List survivor
  • Wendy Lower – “Hitler’s Furies”
  • Sharon Rennert – “Defiance” and Tuvia Bielski
  • Gerda & Kurt Klein – Holocaust stories
  • Chris Nicola – “The Secret of Priest's Grotto”
  • Samuel Oliner – “Acts of Courage”
  • Irene Opdyke – Righteous Rescuer
  • Chemi Shalev – “Israel: Democracy & Religious Liberalism”
  • Tibor Rubin – Medal of Honor
  • Arnold Weiss – “A Visit with Viktor Frankl”
  • Bernd Wollschlaeger – “A German Life”
  • Trudy Alexy – “The Mezuzah In the Madonna’s Foot”
  • Michael Bazyler & Richard Fybel – “From Legal Barbarism to Nuremberg”
  • Gal Beckerman – “When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone”
  • Danielle Berrin – “Hollywood Jews”
  • Ken Blady – “Jews and Medicine”
  • Laura Hillman – “I Will Plant You A Lilac Tree”
  • Stephen Glass – “Shattered Glass”
  • Roger Cohen – “The Arab Spring: Israel In A Transformed Middle East”
  • Mike & Mitchell Flint – “Angels In The Sky”
  • Dennis Fritz – “Journey Toward Justice”
  • Maurice Friedman – On Martin Buber and Hasidism
  • Gil Garcetti – “Therefore, Choose Life”
  • David Jacobsen – On being a hostage in Lebanon
  • Elizabeth Loftus – “Holocaust Memories: Pain and Truth”
  • Doug Suisman – Architect of a future Palestinian state
  • Daniel Siedemann – “Jerusalem: The Key to Peace”
Science, Ethics & Society
  • Professor Eli Berman – “Radical, Religious and Violent: Economics and Terrorism”
  • Dr. Jerry D. Campbell – “Creating The World’s First Jewish/Christian/Muslim Seminary”
  • Dr. Eric Handler – “The Invisible Problem: Orange County Homelessness”
  • UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman & Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky – “Free Speech On Campus”
  • Professor Kristen Monroe – “Nurturing Altruism” and “Righteous Holocaust Rescuers”
  • Dr. Michael Newdow – “Challenging ‘Under God’ In the Pledge”
  • Dr. Daniel Siegel – “Mindsight and the Biology of Morality”
  • Michael Shermer – “The Science of Good and Evil”
  • Sam Harris – “The End of Faith”
  • Cliff May – “Terrorism, Totalitarianism and The War of Ideas”
  • Dr. Stephen Morse – “Bio-Terrorism: Myth and Reality”
  • Gal Luft & Anne Korin – Energy Security Advocacy
  • Dr. Jack Miles – “Judaism In The Norton Anthology of World Religions”
  • Peter Goldmark – “Time to Get It Right: Climate, Energy and Security”
  • Jonathan Shapiro – “Liars, Lawyers and the Art of Storytelling”
  • Rev. Mark Whitlock – MLK Shabbat and “Black Lives And All Lives Matter”
  • Professor Edmund Leites – “Judaism And Psychoanalysis”
  • Professor Thomas E. Levy – “Archaeology Illuminates The Bible”
  • Dr. Howard Gillman – Chancellor of UCI
  • Daniele Struppa – “Elie Wiesel”
  • Professor Deborah Dash Moore – “GI Jews”
  • Clive Lawton – “The Truth About Europe And The Jews”
  • Andrew Lustig – Poet, “I Am Jewish”
  • Dr. Mel Scult – “The Radical Judaism of Mordecai Kaplan”
  • Dr. Miriam Piven Cotler, Medical Ethicist – “Maximizing The Quality of Our Lives As We Get Older:  What’s Important to Us?”

PARTNER WITH US

Are you a speaker, artist, or thought leader with a compelling story to share?

Join 21st Century Voices to connect with a vibrant community eager for meaningful dialogue. Our collaborative planning process ensures your message resonates, and you’ll be part of a growing movement redefining what synagogue-based programming can be.

Learn More

FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Whether you’re a lifelong learner, a seeker of wisdom, or simply curious to hear today’s most compelling voices, we invite you to join us.

Our events are open to all—whether you attend in person or online—and offer opportunities to engage in thought-provoking conversations. Stay tuned for upcoming events, speaker announcements, and chances to be part of a community that values curiosity, courage, and connection.

View Our Calendar
Mon, July 28 2025 3 Av 5785