Lori Palatnik
Lori Palatnik is a Jewish educator, author, speaker, and founder of The Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP), an international nonprofit organization that brings thousands of Jewish mothers from around the world to Israel each year to reconnect with their heritage and strengthen their families. Her work sits at the intersection of Jewish spirituality, personal development, and family education, and she is considered one of the most influential Jewish educators of her generation.
Palatnik grew up in Canada and has been involved in Jewish education for over thirty years, teaching Torah and applying its wisdom to contemporary questions of relationships, communication, and personal growth. She draws on classical Jewish texts — particularly the teachings of mussar, a Jewish tradition of ethical self-improvement — to offer guidance on how to live with greater integrity, kindness, and self-awareness. Her educational approach is warm, practical, and deeply accessible, bringing ancient wisdom into direct conversation with the challenges of modern life.
The Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, which she founded in 2009, operates on the conviction that Jewish mothers are the primary transmitters of Jewish identity to future generations, and that empowering and inspiring them has a multiplier effect on the entire Jewish world. The program has brought over thirty thousand mothers from more than fifty countries to Israel, and its impact on Jewish community life and family engagement has been widely recognized.
Her book The Art of Hard Conversations: Biblical Tools for the Uncomfortable Discussions of Life applies the wisdom of Jewish tradition to the universal challenge of difficult conversations — with family members, colleagues, friends, and even oneself. Drawing on Torah stories, rabbinic teachings, and practical communication principles, Palatnik offers readers both the psychological insight and the spiritual grounding to approach sensitive discussions with clarity, compassion, and courage.
Palatnik has spoken in communities across North America, Europe, Australia, Israel, and beyond. Her humor, honesty, and genuine love for the people she teaches have made her one of the most sought-after Jewish educators working today. Her work reflects a conviction that Jewish wisdom, properly understood and applied, is not a relic of the past but a living resource for navigating the most pressing challenges of contemporary human life.