MakomDC Scholar

Yiscah Smith
Cultivating the spiritual practice of “Loving Peace and Pursuing Peace” 

Yiscah will share an excerpt from her recently published book, Planting Seeds of the Divine: Torah Commentaries to Cultivate Your Spiritual Practice. She will address the idea that the Israelite nation’s mandate includes being in service to humanity. By “loving peace and pursuing peace” the hope is to advance the world to a spiritually infused awareness of the Divine Presence in our midst. She will also share, as the theme of her book, her vision for a fresh and vibrant Jewish identity in the current digital age. 

Yiscah Smith is a thought leader, spiritual activist and author who addresses the spiritual practice of encountering the Divine spark within and beyond. She relies on Jewish spiritual teachings and contemplative practices to inspire her students and audiences, acting as a compass, gently guiding them to their unique inner selves — their souls. As a spiritual trailblazer, Yiscah encourages, empowers and ennobles others to remain faithful to their individual and unique spiritual paths. Hence, her spiritually infused Torah teachings are radically compassionate and unifying, nurturing a fresh and vibrant Jewish identity in our current digital age.

Yiscah teaches at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Applied Jewish Spirituality (AJS) and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS). She founded Conscious Community Nachlaot, an alternative prayer space in Jerusalem that hosts Shabbat spiritual gatherings. Yiscah has earned a stellar reputation as a sought after public speaker and scholar-inresidence.

Her newest book, Planting Seeds of the Divine: Torah Commentaries to Cultivate Your Spiritual Practice, was recently published by the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) and the University of Nebraska Press (UNP).