• Login
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Jewish Speakers Bureau

A select group of speakers, authors, entertainers, and experts
available for speaking and performances around the world

  • Home
  • Our Speakers
  • Are You a Speaker?
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Alexander Nemser

Alexander Nemser

New York Times-published poet, storyteller and facilitator Alexander Nemser engages with timeless questions of Jewish spirituality through an irreverent, hilarious millennial lens.

  • Info
  • Endorsements
  • Contact Speaker

About

New York Times-published poet, storyteller and facilitator Alexander Nemser engages with timeless questions of Jewish spirituality through an irreverent, millennial lens. From his book "The Sacrifice of Abraham," named among the "Best Jewish Poetry of 2014" by The Forward, to his new one-man show "4 Golems," his work offers a delirious, hilarious encounter between the ancient and the edge of now.


Programs

1
The Sacrifice of Abraham: Wild Retellings of the Akedah
Join Alexander for a wild ride through one of our tradition's foundational stories. Through retelling after retelling, each more imaginative and thought-provoking than the last, the story reveals a deep resonance for today: the universal reverberations of history and family trauma, and our uncanny proximity to the sacred. The text leads naturally to a profound, fruitful dialog for the listeners.
2
Autobiography of a Ladder: Jacob and the Journey to Our Authentic Self
Using Jacob's mind-bending dream in the wilderness as a jumping off point, this program leads listeners through a unique encounter with their inner life. We'll make use of classic Hasidic teachings, contemporary poetry, humor, and conversation to explore the opportunity for insight offered by one of the world's great mystical visions, in an accessible language utterly suited to today.
3
iMaggid: Finding Your Jewish Story
How is it that stories as different as Jacob wrestling the angel, the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" may all be called Jewish stories? In this program, we dive deep into the richness of Jewish storytelling, exploring our own relationship to ancient tradition, family history, and personal identity, and emerging with the seed of a story to cultivate ourselves.
4
Make Me One With Everything: Judaism Encounters Buddhism
Is emptiness nothingness? If I let go of my neuroses, am I still Jewish? These and other tangled questions arise for the thousands of Jews who have found themselves drawn to Eastern spiritual practices. In this hands-on program, Alexander leads participants through an experience of Jewish mindfulness with depth and humor, offering a way in to explore this fascinating cross-pollination of cultures.
Genres
  • Poetry
  • Comedy

Endorsements

Though framed in traditional Jewish rhetoric, Nemser’s tales are surreal, disturbing, funny, smart and anything but pious. The prominence of the transgressive element of Nemser’s writing is in perfect accord with his spiritual vision and concern for Judaism’s formative and perhaps most inexplicable myth.

— Jake Marmer, Poetry Critic, Tablet Magazine, Palo Alto, CA

Alexander was a great instructor. I felt that he was very knowledgeable about the creative storytelling process, and provided me with helpful feedback in a nonjudgemental way. I highly recommend him.

— David K., Participant, NuRoots Storytelling Workshop, Los Angeles, CA

It was a pleasure to attend another event hosted by Alexander Nemser. He brings a human, comedic and deeply empathic touch to contemporary Judaism. A gifted speaker and storyteller, he evokes Jewish history, tradition and trauma with wit and brings them into a contemporary context, giving voice--and new meaning--to some of the questions, doubts, and skepticisms we've been silently thinking.

— Betsy M., Participant, NuRoots Collective Escape Seder, NuRoots, Los Angeles, CA

Contact Alexander

(Items marked with an * are required)

*
*
*
*
(USA, CAN only)*
*
*
*

Books
The Sacrifice of Abraham
The Sacrifice of Abraham
-0001
Bookieman
Articles
Ayin Journal 16 July, 2022:
The Old Movie House - Short Story
The Forward 14 October, 2014:
A Delirious Interpretation of the Binding of Isaac - Book Review
The New Yorker 22 August, 2011:
Moshe Feldstein: No Holy Fool - Performance Review
Videos
Dead Bees and Jelly Beans - "Talmudic Stand-up" Performance
When Your Knee Becomes A Black Hole - Story Performance
God's Eyebrows: King Saul and the Witch of Endor
Booking Our Speakers

Weekday/Sunday programs are approximately one hour. Shabbat Scholar-in-Residence usually includes two talks, sometimes three.

Usually: The event price includes honorarium and all expenses, including international and domestic airfare and local expenses. We ask venues to provide home-hospitality for one night (for weekday/Sunday programs), or two nights (for Shabbat programs), or for multi-day programs, one night for each day of the event. If your venue is unable to provide home hospitality, an additional charge of $150 per night will be assessed to cover speaker expenses.

Need a special program for Shavuot, Holocaust Remembrence Day, or July 4th? We have suggestions.

Interested in booking Alexander Nemser to speak at your next event? Contact Jewish Speakers Bureau (infREMOVEo@jewREMOVEishspeakerREMOVEsbureau.com), America's only speakers bureau for Jewish-interest speakers, authors, entertainers, and experts.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 by Jewish Speakers Bureau. All Rights Reserved.