Cal State San Bernardino will host the eighth annual Rabbi Hillel Cohn Endowed Lecture on Tuesday, March 24, from 6-7 p.m. in the Santos Manuel Student Union South Theatre. The event is free and open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance.

This year’s featured speaker is Sharon Brous, founding and senior rabbi of IKAR, a trailblazing Jewish community based in Los Angeles, and author of “The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World,” a national bestseller.

Rabbi Sharon Brous
Rabbi Sharon Brous

Brous has offered invocations and blessings at several national events, including the 2024 Democratic National Convention, the Hanukkah candle lighting with the U.S. vice president and second gentleman in 2023, and the White House Passover Seder in 2021. She also participated in the Inaugural National Prayer Service in 2021 and previously offered a blessing during 2013 inauguration events.

Recognized as one of the most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek/The Daily Beast and cited by The Forward and The Jerusalem Post as among the most influential Jews alive today, Brous’ writing has appeared in major national publications, including The New York Times. Her 2016 TED Talk, “It’s time to reclaim religion,” has received more than 1.5 million views.

“The Rabbi Hillel Cohn Endowed Lecture provides our campus and community with the opportunity to engage thoughtfully with issues of faith, justice and civic life,” said Christina Hassija, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “We are honored to welcome Rabbi Brous, whose leadership and voice continue to inspire meaningful dialogue across communities.”

Brous is part of the inaugural cohort of Auburn Seminary’s Senior Fellows program and serves on the faculty of REBOOT. She is also a member of the International Council of the New Israel Fund and serves on the national steering committee for the Poor People’s Campaign.

A graduate of Columbia University, where she earned both her undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in human rights, Brous was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.