2025 SPEAKERS
Keynote speaker: Rodger kamenetz
Rodger Kamenetz is the author of fifteen books of poetry and prose. His best known is The Jew in the Lotus, the story of rabbis making a holy pilgrimage through India to meet with the Dalai Lama. His account of their historic dialogue became an international bestseller, prompting a reevaluation of Judaism in the light of Buddhist thought. The New York Times has called it a “revered text.” A sequel, Stalking Elijah, won him the National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought. Kamenetz’s eight books of poetry include most recently Yonder , Dream Logic and The Missing Jew: Poems 1976-2022.
When The History of Last Night’s Dream appeared in 2007, Oprah Winfrey interviewed him on her Soul Series program. He is the founder of Natural Dreamwork, a unique approach to finding spiritual direction dreams. He leads a world wide group of practitioners.
Kamenetz is Professor Emeritus of English and Religious Studies at LSU, where he taught poetry and non-fiction writing. He founded LSU’s MFA in Creative Writing and the Jewish Studies Minor and where he held the Sternberg Honors Chair. He lives in New Orleans with his wife novelist and painter Moira Crone. His website is www.kamenetz.com
Keynote: The Sacred Encounter and Primary Imagination
Friday, February 21st
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According to the poet W.H. Auden, experiences of sacred encounter can only take place in primary imagination. Imagination is essential to good interfaith dialogue as illustrated in an exchange I witnessed between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Rabbi Zalman Schachter. Imagination of beauty in art and nature develops empathy and imagination in dreams brings us to encounters with the sacred.
Plenary Panel 2025:
The art of Creative Conversations
Roman Williams
Roman Williams is the founder of Interfaith Photovoice, a social enterprise that combines photography and sociology for intergroup and interfaith engagement. He holds a Ph.D. in the sociology of religion from Boston University and a Th.M. focused on global religions from Gordon-Conwell Seminary. Roman experienced a shift in his personal and professional interests while serving as a sociology professor at Calvin University (2012–2020). The pandemic gave him the opportunity to step out of higher education and into his own consulting practice focused on belief, belonging, and human flourishing through arts-based participatory action approaches to community change. His recent book, Sacred Snaps: Photovoice for Interfaith Engagement (co-authored with Cathy Holtmann and Bill Sachs), invites others into this work.
Josue Vega
Raised in the United States with Puerto Rican heritage, Josue embraced Islam in his teenage years. This newfound faith sparked his interest in calligraphy and the vast world of Islamic art, opening doors to diverse artistic expression.
He found himself captivated by the visual power of Arabic calligraphy. Its bold, flowing lines intertwined with intricate symmetry, all set against a backdrop of vibrant colors and patterns, held a mesmerizing beauty.  Beyond the aesthetics, however, Josue discovered a deeper significance. The spiritual messages woven into this art form resonated with him, influencing his daily life.
Now residing in northern Texas with his wife and four children, Josue continues to hone his craft and share his passion for Islamic art. Whether displayed in a home as a source of spiritual reflection or serving as a charitable contribution through its creation, his work aspires to illuminate a corner of the world, one piece at a time.
Hannah Podhorzer
Hannah Podhorzer (she/her) is a '19 alum of Elon, where she studied Public Health, Communication Design, and African and African-American studies. On any given day, you could likely find her at the front desk of The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life at Elon, laughing, making art, or engaging in conversations with treasured peers and staff. While there, she had the privilege of serving as a Multifaith Engagement Intern, and also as Creative Director of The Ripple Conference, one of her most cherished collegiate experiences. In her professional life, today, Hannah works in communications in mental healthcare, and outside of work, enjoys going to her printmaking class, writing and photography, and co-facilitating her synagogue's Rosh Chodesh group. She lives in Chicago, which is a wonderful playground for all kinds of art, multifaith and multicultural engagement!