Lectures, Workshops & Appearances
UPCOMING EVENTS in November 2026:
Jewish Theological Seminary, Thursday November 19 12pm ET POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP , 7-8pm INTERVIEW ON SEEING INTO THE LIFE OF THINGS with Professor Eitan Fishbane.
OSSI Asheville North Carolina, University of North Carolina, Thursday November 12, Asheville 6-7pm ET. Using images in memory, dreams and perception to overcome afflictive states of mind.
Recent Appearances
The Torah of Dreams/ The Blessing Practice, MISHKAN CHICAGO SHAVUOT, Chicago, IL. May 21-23, 2026
After teaching people how to visualize moments of blessings, I invited folks to share with each other in small groups. This kind of sharing creates a strong connection, the beginning of a beautiful friendship. You can pkay the video by pressing the RED S in the center.
Seeing into the Life of Things: Imagination in Three Domains, JUNG CENTER OF EVANSTON, Evanston IL May 23, 2026.
We have hosted Rodger several times at our Jung Center located in Evanston, Illinois. He has presented programs on topics such as Entering the Heart of the Dream, From Dream to Poem (and from poem to dream)*, The Medicine of the Dream: An Introduction to Natural Dreamwork, Dreams and The Poetic Imagination, and most recently, Seeing Into the Life of Things. Rodger has a way of inspiring his students, drawing on his vast experience of working with dreams and creating beautiful poetry. Most recently, using writings from his book, Seeing Into the Life of Things, he skillfully wove together poetry, dreamwork and spiritual practice to facilitate participants’ own journeys of self-exploration.
Rodger is warm, engaging, and thoughtful, creating a safe environment in which participants can explore their inner thoughts, images and dreams. People in his workshops feel comfortable sharing what emerges during meditative exercises and dream exploration. We have also been privileged to experience his readings and interpretations of both his own poetry and the work of other poets.
We have received nothing but rave reviews for Rodger’s programs which offer a wonderful opportunity for self-reflection within a group setting. We are always thrilled to have Rodger teach at our Jung Center and appreciate the added benefit of having his books available to participants to help further their own personal journeys of self-discovery.
Cheryl Kinsman, PhD Executive Director
C.G. Jung Center
ckinsman@cgjungcenter.org
SEEING INTO THE LIFE OF THINGS: A CONTEMPLATIVE RETREAT, All You Need Institute, Lumberton MS , February 28-March 1 2026
IJS (Institute for Jewish Spirituality) 5 Week Course. January 21- February 11 2026.
INTERVIEW WITH RABBI JOSH FEIGELSON, PRESIDENT OF IJS
Retrospective on 50 years of literary work of Rodger Kamenetz, Jewish American and Holocaust Literature Conference, Tulane University, Museum of Southern Jewish Experience, Monday February 2, 2026, 5:45pm.
The Torah of Dreams December 7 & 13, 2025 Shir Chadash Synagogue, Metairie. 
POETRY READING, Maple Leaf Bar, New Orleans December 7, 2025 4-6pm
WHY POETRY STILL MATTERS, Miami Book Fair, JEWISH LIFE & CULTURE PROGRAM sponsored by The Stacey and Eric Mindich Fund for Jewish Stories, Sunday November 23 2025, 11am ET, Miami, Florida
HYAM PLUTZIK AND THE MOSAIC OF TIME, Miami Book Fair Panel with Jacqueline Osherow and Maxim Shreyer, Sunday November 23, 2025 2pm ET, Miami FL.
Reading and Discussion: Seeing into the Life of Things, People’s Books, Takoma Park, MD November 16 2025 4pm
The Enduring Influence of the Jewish-Buddhist Dialogue, Adat Shalom Congregation, Bethesda MD, November 16,2025 12pm ET. ADRIENNE KOHN PROGRAM FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
“Counting Blessings”. Adat Shalom Congregation, Bethesda MD, November 15, 2025
Rodger Kamenetz has the rare gift of speaking to the most important spiritual questions people have in a way that everyone can hear. His incredible life experiences, the beauty of his poetry, and his commitment to a thoughtfully examined life capture the hearts and minds of his listeners. His teachings at our community were two of the best attended speaker events we’ve ever had. I would — and will — bring Rodger back again and again. —Rabbi Scott Perlo, Senior Rabbi, Adat Shalom, Bethesda MD. rabbiscot@adatshalom.net
Featured TEACHER< SHIUR “WHAT DREAMS MAY COME” Midsummer Night’s Shabbat Retreat sponsored by Shiur.eu June 20-22, 2025 Elbe Marshlands, Germany (Hamburg area). https://www.shiur.eu/events-retreats-all/midsummer-retreat
KEYNOTE SPEAKER, “IMAGINATION AND THE SACRED ENCOUNTER”, RIPPLE INTERFAITH CONFERENCE, ELON COLLEGE, February 21, 2025 https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2025/01/28/renowned-author-and-poet-rodger-kamenetz-announced-as-keynote-speaker-for-the-ripple-conferenc/
CORE FACULTY, YETZIRAH JEWISH POETS CONFERENCE, Asheville, NC. June 19-24, 2023. With Ilya Kaminsky and Jacqueline Osherow.
“THE MEDICINE IN DREAMS: Healing Afflictive States of Mind”, Insight Meditation South Bay, Mountain View, CA Tuesday December 15, 2020
Keynote, The Jew in the Lotus – A 30th Anniversary Retrospective Coastside Jewish Community, Half Moon Bay, CA Oct 24, 2020
Dream Poetry Workshop, New Orleans Writers Workshop, August 15, 2020.
“Exploring Dreams” “REVELATION” JW3 London, UK. May 27, 2020.
“NATURAL DREAMWORK AND THE SACRED ENCOUNTER” online workshop on Shift Network, December 19, 2019- February 3, 2020.
Scholar in Residence, “Jacob’s Ladder”, “Dreams in Judaism” The Jewish Studio, December 6-8, 2019, Rockville Jewish Community Center, Rockville MD.
Lecture: “What I Learned About Judaism from the Dalai Lama”, Haberman Institute of Jewish Studies, Rockville, MD. December 8, 2019.
“On Poetry and Dreams”, Louisiana Book Festival, November 2, 2019.
Host, Shift Network Dreamwork Summit 2019, October 29-November 1, 2019.
“Spiritual Writing Workshop”, Kenyon Review Summer Program, Kenyon College, Gambier OH, June 16-22, 2019.
Lecture: “Pour Like Smoke: The Dissolving Dream Ego and the Poet’s “I”, Jung Center, Evanston, IL May 17, 2019.
Dream Poetry Workshop, Jung Center, Evanston IL May 19, 2019.
Poetry Reading: YONDER The Book Stall Winnetka IL May 19, 2019.
Dream Poetry Workshop, New Orleans Poetry Festival, April 20, 2019.
Poetry Reading: YONDER, AWP Portland Marcy 28, 2019.
Poetry Reading: YONDER, Wolfman Books, Oakland, CA March 19, 2019.
Yonder and The Dreaming I: Reading and signing with Kezia Vida at Octavia Books, New Orleans, January 9 2019.
Healing Images in Dreams, Mountain Cloud Zen Center, Santa Fe, NM, August 21, 2018
Scholar in Residence Beth Tikvah Synagogue, Naples FL March 9-11, 2018.
Lecture and Panel, Jewish and Buddhist Meditation, ECUJE: Espace Culturel et Universitaire Juif d’Europe, Paris France, October 2, 2017.
• “Keynote: The Shattering of the Vessels and the Personal Essay” Beyond Walls: Kenyon Institute for Spiritual Writing, July 10,2016
• “Dreams In Between: Workshop” Aleph Kallah, Fort Collins, July 11-17, 2016
• “The Jew in the Lotus: 25 Years After the Journey” National Museum of Jewish American History, Philadelphia October 28, 2015
• “After The Jew in the Lotus: American Jews, Eastern Religions and a New Culture of Jewish Spirituality”Panel: Association for Jewish Studies 46th Annual Conference, December 15,2014
• “Why Poetry Matters” Ryterband Lecture, Wright State University, November 17,2014
• “ What if Jacob Forgot the Dream of the Ladder?” B’nai Jeshurun, New York, May 17,2014
CONTACT:
For speaking engagements, lectures, workshops, write: azaleapinkwater@gmail.com
For one on one dreamwork write: thenaturaldream@gmail.com
Literary agent: Stephen Hanselman, Level 5 Media: stevehanselman@gmail.com
Twitter: @Jewinthelotus Instagram: @rodgerkam
LECTURE TITLES
“Seeing into the Life of Things: Imagination and the Sacred Encounter”
“What I learned about Judaism from the Dalai Lama”
“The Jewish Buddhist Dialogue from The Jew in the Lotus until Now.”
“Using Dreams to Heal Afflictive States of Mind”
“What if Jacob Forgot The Dream of the Ladder: WHY DREAMS MATTER”
“Natural Dreamwork and the Sacred Encounter”
“The School of Joseph and the School of Jacob: The Two Main Approaches to the Dream”
“The Jewish Parable in Talmud, Hasidism, Rebbe Nachman and Franz Kafka”
“The Case of the Disappearing Dream: Dreams in Torah, Midrash and Talmud”
“Burnt Books: The Secret Connection between Rabbi Nachman and Franz Kafka”
Workshops and Classes
SEEING INTO THE LIFE OF THINGS
From a recent workshop description: How can we learn to speak in images, to think in images and to feel with images? We
experience images through poetry and art, through verbal images and music. But
directly, personally, we experience our own images in three ways: in dreams, in
memory, and in perception. The last of these is often overlooked, but the poet William
Wordsworth wrote of “the world of eye and ear” “both what we half create and perceive.”
There’s an element of imagination in all three of these domains.
Working from his new book, Seeing Into the Life of Things, which is recommended as a
text to be read before the class, Rodger will teach practices for cultivating the
imaginative contemplation of images as they arise in perception, in memory and in
dreams. He will also conduct a simple practice of morning blessing, which allows us
over time to collect “blessings” in each day, and to bring them to life in imagination. We
will share our images together and learn from one another their power, their beauty and their uniqueness.
DREAM POETRY WORKSHOP
A regular feature at the New Orleans Poetry Festival since 2017. I have also taught these workshop at the Santa Cruz Poetry, the C.G. Jung Center in Evanston and online for the NEw Orleans Writers Workshop.
Here’s a sample description from a recent event:
Both dreams and poetry have a common source in an experience of primary imagination. To understand their interconnection we must learn the language of images. In the first hour we will talk about dreams. (If you like, please send a few dreams via e-mail to share ahead of time.) In the second hour we will look at poems inspired by the dream experience by such poets as Alice Notley, David Shapiro and Jean Valentine as models for our own work. We will talk about how to move from dreams to poems, and how understanding more about your dreams can help you edit your poems. At the end I will give you some suggestions for making new poems from dreams.
SPIRITUAL WRITING WORKSHOP
I pioneered a workshop on “Spiritual Writing” in the genres of non-fiction and poetry, for the Beyond Walls Program at Kenyon College, 2015-2017 and then taught the first spiritual writing classes in the Kenyon Review program, 2018-2019.
This workshop is primarily for people interested in learning how to write about their personal soul journey, their inner life and spirituality. The approach is generative: I give the students prompts for each assignment.
With a focus on the inner life, we reverse the usual creative writing workshop protocols that focus on style or technique. Instead we begin together, knowing each of us is “in the middle of life” on a search for deep inner meaning, for soul.. as we experience it in primary imagination. I provide prompts that take us to these places,
and give inspiring examples of writing that does the same.
Here are some comments from students who have attended these workshops:
- Incredibly attentive, available, thoughtful
- Very generous, kind, available, insightful. He brought literature & imagination.
- Excellent organization, presentation, and discussion.
- Very effective teacher! Rodger has the ability to see each student where they are, and give comments particular to that student. Very important in a class of such variety of writing experience, as well as diversity of participants (background, age). Class was completely interactive and he facilitated it perfectly. We all helped & supported each other’s writing, and this came from the way Rodger taught.
- Rodger was so good we were in danger of turning him into our (unwilling) cult leader.
- Rodger’s generosity & focus on getting past ego allowed this group to be one of the most forgiving, imaginative workshop groups I’ve been in.
- Rodger’s way of interacting with the class was pretty amazing—the questions he asked, the directions he pushed us in, and the resources/framework he presented. It was wonderful!
NATURAL DREAMWORK AND THE SACRED ENCOUNTER
This seven hour online course covers the basics of how we can use the images and encounters in our dreams to move away from afflictive states of mind and into deeper feeling. Originally presented on the Shift Network in 2019-2020.
Comments from participants:
- Rodger’s sensitive, deep, and thoughtful way of helping us navigate through the potency of our dreams, by deeply feeling them feels much more empowering and intimate, then dream interpretation. This has absolutely revolutionized the way I experience my dreaming life now, and I love how it seamlessly ties in with peeling away layers of ego to inform my waking life. I highly recommend this natural dream work experience. Krystal Dyan Vancouver, B.C.
- I have struggled with sleep and fear of the night for more than half my life. Through the years I have tried many modalities in order to befriend the night again; some have helped, others not. With Rodgers approach to dreams, I have come to recognise the beauty as well as the healing properties that is built into the night. From treating dreams as distant and vague proofs of sleep, I now see them as intimate and sacred encounters with the creative spirit that is inherent in us all. – Grete, Oslo, Norway
- As stated above, this course has been a life-changer for me. I am convinced that the information and teachings that Rodger Kamenetz offers are so important. I am now in touch with my dreams in ways I never have been before. I just wish I had had access to this information much earlier in my life. I plan to continue to study this natural dreamwork through Rodger’s book and his daughter’s book and another book by one of his staff members. I have only just begun this incredible dreamwork adventure. I’m enormously grateful. –Sandy Tillotson, Sedona, Arizona
- Rodger removes the veil on dreams. The material in each session is carefully and beautifully conveyed. It is incredibly liberating to not interpret dreams, but feel into them–and to be ok with it when I don’t. It’s a journey and he is an amazing guide–knowledgeable, humble, and very much in his heart. This is dreamwork stripped down to what’s really important to the soul. –Anne Haug, Emigrant, MT, USA
5D Natural Dreamwork workshops
This is a hands on approach to your dreams, suitable for groups of 10-12. We treat the dream in five dimensions: the four of space and time, and the fifth of feeling. Using your dreams as prompts and scripts, we learn how to experience the feelings by acting them out. I offer guidance, slow the dreams down, give the dreamer an opportunity to feel more deeply. Participants who act out other parts of the dream learn a great deal about themselves as well. I have been leading these workshops for the past ten years in a variety of settings.
Poetry Readings
I have read my poetry at the Kisufim Conference in Jerusalem, the Glen Workshop in Santa Fe, at the Prague Summer Program, the Deep South Writers conference, The Tennessee Williams Festival, the Words and Music Festival, the Spoleto Festival, the Kenyon Review Summer Program and at Yale, Harvard, Tulane, NYU, and dozens of other campuses, as well as on PBS and NPR.
I have a special focus on Jewish poetry, drawing on my work in The Missing Jew and The Lowercase Jew, and have presented at Hillels, synagogues, JCC’s, CAJE, Limmud and internationally in Montreal and Toronto, Paris and Jerusalem.
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