The Lilly Program sponsors a number of types of events open to the general public. These include:

• an annual Lilly Lecture by a major speaker
• talks in the college's regular Scholar's Convocation series
• faculty-led discussions of religious, spiritual, and vocational topics
• public interreligious dialogues
• visits by worship leaders from traditions not represented on or near campus
• trips to visit worship centers elsewhere in Iowa

During the spring semester of 2007, the Lilly Program will present Journeys to Vocation, a series of three talks by Grinnell faculty members. All three presentations are Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. in Herrick Chapel. Speakers, dates, and titles are:

• January 25, 2007: Johanna Meehan, Professor of Philosophy: "Telling A Story: Making A Life"
• February 8, 2007: Marc Chamberland, Associate Professor of Mathematics: "The Gods Have Descended"
• April 19, 2007: Kesho Scott, Associate Professor of Sociology and American Studies: "Choosing to Walk in the Footsteps of Heroes"

Political and social justice activist Rabbi David Saperstein will deliver this year's annual Lilly Lecture at 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 20th, in Herrick Chapel. His topic is "Being the Hands of G-d: The Spiritual Autobiography of a Social Activist."

Rabbi Saperstein has served for 30 years as Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, representing the national Reform Jewish movement to Congress and successive administrations. He currently co-chairs the Coalition to Preserve Religious Liberty, and serves on the boards of numerous national organizations including the NAACP and People For the American Way. In 1999, Rabbi Saperstein was elected as the first Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom created by a unanimous vote of Congress. Also an attorney, Rabbi Saperstein teaches seminars in both First Amendment Church-State Law and in Jewish Law at Georgetown University Law School.

The Religious Action Center not only advocates on a broad range of social justice issues but provides extensive legislative and programmatic materials used by synagogues, federations and Jewish community relations councils nationwide, and coordinates social action education programs that train nearly 3,000 Jewish adults, youth, rabbinic and lay leaders each year.