Speaker Engagements.

Julian is an internationally acclaimed speaker and lecturer who blends knowledge, dynamism and humour in an inspirational combination.

Taught on more than 25 college campuses worldwide including Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia, Princeton, Harvard, NYU, University of Chicago and McGill.

Served as Guest Speaker or Scholar in Residence at Leading Synagogues in the UK and US, including Fifth Avenue Synagogue, New York, Anshei Shalom B'nei Israel in Chicago and Marble Arch, Hampstead Garden Suburb and Golders Green synagogues, in London.

Lectured in countless adult education programmes, including Limmud, Pardes, Melitz and the London School of Jewish Studies.

Spoken frequently on radio, including the BBC Today program and the BBC World Service News Hour.

"What if They Save the Planet Without Us?" Global warming is today the most urgent threat to the future of humanity. An international consensus has formed around the need for action now. Jews are 0.002% of the earth's population. Even if we all trade in our SUV's tomorrow it will barely make a dent on the problem. What then do have to contribute to the world's most pressing moral challenge?

"From Abracadabra to Chutzpa: the Journey of Jewish Words into English Today." With schlepp, shtick, spiel and chutzpa now in mainstream usage, Jewish words are an indispensable part of today's English. What does this tell us about the place of Jews in British and American culture? An entertaining, irreverent and sometimes thought-provoking tour of Jewish English based on Julian's book, "Let's Schmooze."

"Holy Imagination: Rav Kook on Writers and Writing and Revelation." While the arts are increasingly seen as a key to involvement for the communally apathetic generations x and y, traditional Jewish thinkers appear uninterested in (if not downright hostile to) the creative arts. An exception is the great Kabbalist and philosopher, Rabbi A.I. Kook. This talk explores his unique thought and shows how it can provide a profound model for engagement between Judaism and the arts. May be booked as a single lecture or a series of up to six talks.

Talmud as Literature. The Babylonian Talmud is a massively influential work in the past and present of Judaism, arguably even more so than the Bible. Yet, for many it is closed book, or synonymous with hair-splitting irrelevance. Drawing on and extending insights of the French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, we will show how reading Talmud with some simple literary tools can yield stunningly relevant and beautiful insights. Single lecture or multi-part series.