About Irwin Kula

Irwin Kula, the host of Simple Wisdom, is not your typical rabbi.  Known as both a provocative religious leader and a respected spiritual iconoclast, Kula has inspired thousands of people across the country using Jewish wisdom in a way that speaks to modern life.  As a cutting edge thinker and teacher, he brings together the insights of the past to the challenges of the present to help people live more richly and fully.           

Named by both Fast Company magazine and Religion and Ethics Newsweekly (PBS-TV), as one of the new leaders shaping the American spiritual landscape, Kula provides a broad vision of religious pluralism, honoring tradition through such contemporary channels as work, volunteerism, and philanthropy as forms of spiritual practice. 

“Today, religion is presented as either fundamentalist - closing boundaries and shutting down, or as New Age - self-concerned and ‘me’ focused.  But there is a third possibility,” says Kula.  “We can use our wisdom traditions more expansively for the greater good.”   

As host of a new 13 part series for public television called Simple Wisdom, Kula uses Jewish wisdom to explore the broad issues of life that are relevant to everyone.  Topics  include identity, spirituality, family, love, sex, money, work and death, among others.  “Each episode focuses on the tensions the issues create and how they affect us,” says Kula.  “By highlighting the tensions, we can start to gain insight and wisdom into our own behavior.”  Shows conclude with useful practices for daily life. 

As the President of CLAL - The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a leadership training institute, think tank and resource center, Kula is a much sought after speaker and commentator on public culture and religion in the public square.   Featured on Frontline (PBS) on the anniversary of 9/11, he has been a repeat guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show and is a popular analyst for the media.  A frequent lecturer, he delivered the closing address at the prestigious TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference on its tenth anniversary. 

Irwin Kula received his B.A. in Philosophy from Columbia University, his B.H.L., from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTSA), in New York City, and his M.A. in Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination from JTSA.  He has served as rabbi of congregations in St. Louis, MO; Queens, NY; and Jerusalem, Israel.  

A nationally recognized educator, Kula serves on the faculty of the Wexner Heritage Foundation.  He also serves as a consultant to both corporate and family foundations, as well as to federations, synagogues and agencies on issues of leadership development and institutional change.  The co-editor of The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices: CLAL’s Guide to Everyday & Holiday Rituals and Blessings (Jewish Lights, 2001), he is the co-founder of Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living in Chicago.

A renowned lecturer and inspiring speaker, Irwin is available for speaking engagements. For more information, please contact Ruth Bregman at 212-779-3300 (x 116) or by email at rbregman@clal.org.

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