Free Lecture: “Why Jews Must Engage in Dialogue with Non-Jewish Communities.” by Yakir Englander
Date & Time: October 9, 2026 11:00 AM
Location: Oklahoma City University, Goldstar Building, room: South 101
Free Lecture October 9, 11-11:50 in
(Oklahoma City University) Goldstar south 101:
“Why Jews Must Engage in Dialogue with Non-Jewish Communities.”
by Dr. Yakir Englander
Yakir Englander is the Senior Director of Leadership programs at the Israeli-American Council and founder of Sacred Roots, New Branches a private consulting practice. He also teaches at the Academy for Jewish Religion. Raised in Israel’s Hasidic community, Englander left Ultra-Orthodoxy and served in an elite IDF unit tasked with identifying human remains—an experience that profoundly shaped his worldview. He formerly served as volunteer director and Vice President of Kids4Peace, an interfaith youth movement in Jerusalem. Guided by the motto “Nothing human is strange to me,” he connects deeply across diverse backgrounds. A Fulbright scholar, Yakir has held visiting professorships at Harvard Divinity School, Northwestern, Rutgers, Hebrew University, and the Shalom Hartman Institute. His two books on body and sexuality have transformed discourse within Israeli religious societies. Today, he lives in an intentional community in Vermont, practices mystical spirituality, Daf Hayomi, and shamanic embodiment.