The Puzzler: A.J. Jacobs in Conversation with Rabbi Sherre Hirsch

The Puzzler: A.J. Jacobs in Conversation with Rabbi Sherre Hirsch

Tuesday, 12:00pm PST

New York Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs returns to AJU for a conversation with Rabbi Sherre Hirsch on the enduring power of puzzles of all kinds: why we love them, what they do to our brains, how they can improve our world, and how they can even help us think differently about big questions like the meaning of life. He will also discuss the history of Jewish puzzles and riddles, from Biblical times to the present. 

What makes puzzles—jigsaws, mazes, riddles, sudokus—so satisfying? Be it the formation of new cerebral pathways, their close link to insight and humor, or their community-building properties, they’re among the fundamental elements that make us human. And they can even help us understand the interconnections between space and time, which Hebrew translates as olam-- perhaps the biggest jigsaw puzzle of them all.

Convinced that puzzles have made him a better person, A.J. Jacobs—four-time New York Times bestselling author, master of immersion journalism, and nightly crossworder—set out to determine their myriad benefits. And maybe, in the process, solve the puzzle of our very existence and the puzzle of God. Well, almost. Join us to learn what he learned, and even explore some puzzles of your own!

A.J. Jacobs is a journalist, lecturer, and human guinea pig who has written four bestselling books—including Drop Dead Healthy and The Year of Living Biblically—that blend memoir, science, humor, and a dash of self-help. A contributor to NPR, The New York Times, and Esquire, among other media outlets, Jacobs lives in New York City with his family. He was once the answer to 1-Down in The New York Times crossword puzzle.

Rabbi Sherre Hirsch is the Chief Innovation Officer at American Jewish University. She made headlines as the first female rabbi at Sinai Temple, the largest Conservative congregation on the west coast. She served as Senior Rabbinic Scholar at Hillel International, where she created and developed Hillelwell, an initiative for Hillels worldwide to become the recognized address for preventative mental health. A thought leader and author on spirituality and religion, Rabbi Hirsch has appeared on the Today Show, ABC News, Extra, and PBS, among other outlets, and has been a contributor to Time.com, Oprah Magazine, the Jewish Journal, the Hollywood Journal, and more.