The Authors
Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz, South African born physician and author, lectures at the Jewish Learning Exchange in London and internationally on Jewish philosophy and medical ethics. His book Anatomy of a Search documents the transition of secular lifestyles into the world of observant Judaism. In Living Inspired he explores fundamental themes and patterns of Torah thought; his Worldmask reveals depths beneath the surface of everyday experience. In The Thinking Jewish Teenager's Guide to Life he presents an approach to life's most important issues for thinking young adults. He is founder and director of the Jerusalem Medical Ethics Forum. Audio recordings of his lectures are widely distributed (www.tatz.cc). His work has been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian.
David Gottlieb was born and raised in Chicago. He received his B.A. from Amherst College, where he was awarded the Peter Burnett Howe Prize for Fiction Writing, and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina. Throughout his diverse careers in theatre, historic preservation and public relations, he has written stories and plays and published articles and reviews in Families in Business, Diversion, Denver Magazine, and numerous other publications. He recently began publishing a personal blog called True Ancestor. His study and practice of Buddhism led to lay ordination as a Zen Buddhist in 2002. He is currently cofounder and executive director of Full Circle Communities, a developer and manager of affordable housing. He lives in Northbrook, Illinois with his wife and children.