The University of Notre Dame Australia will welcome internationally renowned scholar Samuel Lebens to Sydney and Perth this July for a program of public events exploring Jewish philosophy and ethics, past and present. Source: The Record.
Presented by Notre Dames’s Centre for the History of Philosophy (CHOP), the program reflects the university’s commitment to fostering deeper interfaith dialogue and understanding through world-class scholarship and public engagement.
Rabbi Dr Lebens, from the University of Haifa, is a leading international voice in contemporary Jewish philosophy and an important public intellectual. The author of six books, including The Principles of Judaism, and nearly 60 scholarly publications, he has lectured widely across Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Dr Lebens’ visit will anchor three major events, including the second annual John and Anna Belfer Oration in the History of Jewish Philosophy, to be held on July 1 at The Great Synagogue in Sydney.
Following the success of the inaugural event in 2025, which attracted an audience of more than 350, including NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell, Archbishop Anthony Fisher and leading members of the Jewish and other faith communities, the Belfer Oration has become a significant fixture in the university’s calendar.
In this year’s oration, Dr Lebens will present on the topic: “Is Free Will an Illusion? Authoring the Story of Our Lives with Hasdai Crescas and Joseph Albo.” The evening will conclude with a conversation between Dr Lebens and ABC Radio National’s Andrew West.
David Bronstein, Co-Director of CHOP, said the return of the oration reflects both its strong debut and growing importance.
“The remarkable response to last year’s inaugural Belfer Oration demonstrated the appetite for thoughtful, accessible engagement with the great questions of human life,” Professor Bronstein said.
“We are delighted to welcome Rabbi Dr Lebens, one of the world’s leading scholars of Jewish philosophy, to continue this important tradition.”
In addition to the oration, Dr Lebens will deliver a four-part public lecture series in Sydney’s Bondi Junction titled: “After Bondi – A Light in Dark Times: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ Jewish Vision of Hope.”
The program will conclude in Perth, where Dr Lebens will present his Belfer Oration lecture at the Perth Hebrew Congregation in Menora on July 9.
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Notre Dame welcomes global Jewish philosopher for major public lectures (The Record)
