she/her ~ Rabbi Lauren Kurland most recently served as director of student engagement at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies at the UW, where she was nominated for a James D. Clowes Award for her work connecting cohorts of students with one another and with faculty members to advance learning. She previously worked at American Jewish World Service in New York City, where she supervised the creation and expansion of materials used on immersive Jewish volunteer programs in the developing world. She treasures Judaism because its wisdom can be applied across time and place; it charges us to take care of one another and our planet; and it invites questions, dialogue and respectful disagreement. Rabbi Kurland is enthralled by life in the PNW. An avid walker, she tries to get outside every day, no matter the weather. She is a fan of fair-trade dark chocolate (75% or bust!), PB&J, and Shabbat naps. She has her famous hummus recipe memorized (ask her for it!), and thanks to her days as a former high school trombonist, can blow a mean shofar.