Dr. Jack Wertheimer is Emeritus Professor of American Jewish History at The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, NY. His specialization is modern Jewish history, particularly focused on trends in American Jewish life since World War II. He is the author or editor of many volumes, including A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America (1993) and The New American Judaism: How Jews Practice Their Religion Today (2018), both which were awarded a National Jewish Book Award. His latest book, Jewish Giving: Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish Life (2025) is an expansive examination of Jewish giving, starting with the colonial era up to present day, and draws on over 300 interviews with individuals from Jewish nonprofit organizations, foundations, as well as information from tax filings. He is the 2026 Lake Institute on Faith & Giving Distinguished Visitor.

Rabbi Adam Miller was born in Watertown Wisconsin, and grew up in Detroit, Atlanta, Buffalo, and Tulsa. After graduating with a degree in philosophy from the University of Kansas, Rabbi Miller studied at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and was ordained in 2003. He was the Associate Rabbi for four years at Temple Beth El in Chappaqua, NY, and then the Associate Rabbi at Temple Beth Am in Framingham, MA. Currently, Rabbi Miller is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Shalom in Naples, FL. Rabbi Miller is also the vice chair of the Advisory Board for Lake Institute on Faith & Giving.