Professor Robert Alter, author of the new translation of "The Hebrew Bible with Commentary"

Cathy Werling, author of "Mommy, Who Was Irena Sendler?"

Professor Richard Elliott Friedman, great Biblical scholar and author "The Exodus: How It Happened and Why it Mattered"

Matt Green, subject of the documentary film, "The World Before Your Feet," who has walked every street in New York City over the past eight years

Joseph Gitler, founder of Leket Israel and co-winner of the 2018 Cohon Memorial Foundation Award for his work rescuing food and feeding the hungry in Israel

Rabbi Daniel Freelander, President, World Union for Progressive Judaism

Rabbi Richard Agler, author of "The Tragedy Test: Making Sense of Life-Changing Loss"

Professor Anna Shternshis, Grammy-nominated in World Music for her archival Yiddish music project "The Lost Songs of World War II"

Rabbi Anne Brener, author of the classic book "Mourning and Mitzvah" on the release of the revised 25th anniversary edition, on coping with loss

Jane S. Gabin, author of "The Paris Photo"