Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks will deliver “Dignifying Difference: The Next Generation of Multifaith Leadership,” the Inaugural Fritzi Weitzmann Owens Memorial Lecture, on Wed., Jan. 29, 6 p.m. at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
The event, sponsored by the Of Many Institute for Multifaith Leadership, will include an introduction by NYU President John Sexton and a Q & A session moderated by NYU Vice Provost for Global Student Leadership Initiatives Melody Barnes.
Rabbi Lord Sacks was appointed to a dual professorship at NYU and Yeshiva University (YU) in 2013. A world-renowned scholar, philosopher, religious leader, a prolific author, and a leading moral voice, Sacks served as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from September 1991 until September 2013, only the sixth incumbent of the position since it was formalized in 1845. During his tenure, Anglo-Jewry was reinvigorated through a series of innovative communal projects in the fields of education, cultural creativity and leadership development, together with a call for a renewed commitment to the ethical dimension of Judaism.
In 2005, Sacks was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen and made a Life Peer, taking his seat in October 2009 at the House of Lords, where he sits on the cross benches as Baron Sacks of Aldgate in the City of London. He is a frequent contributor to radio, television, and press both in the UK and around the world, and has authored 25 books, a number of which have received literary prizes, including the Grawemeyer Prize for Religion in 2004 for The Dignity of Difference and a National Jewish Book Award in 2000 for A Letter in the Scroll. His Covenant & Conversation: Genesis was also awarded a National Jewish Book Award in 2009.
The event is free with a valid NYU ID; tickets for the general public are $25. For ticket information, please visit: http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/sacks or visit the Skirball box office (566 LaGuardia Place) or call 212.352.3101/866.811.4111.
Reporters wishing to attend must RSVP to Yael Shy, Of Many Institute for Multifaith Leadership, at 212.998.2266 or yael.shy@nyu.edu.
Subway lines: A, B, C, D, E, F, M (W. 4th St.); 1 (Christopher St.); N, R (8th St.); 6 (Astor Place, Bleecker Street).
NYU Skirball Center
The Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is the premier venue for the presentation of cultural and performing arts events for New York University and lower Manhattan. Led by executive producer Jay Oliva (President Emeritus, NYU) and senior director Michael Harrington, the programs of the Skirball Center reflect NYU's mission as an international center of scholarship, defined by excellence and innovation and shaped by an intellectually rich and diverse environment. A vital aspect of the Center's mission is to build young adult audiences for the future of live performance. For more, go to: www.nyuskirball.org.