Yosef Wosk

Biography

Adjunct Professor as well as former Shadbolt Fellow, Simons Fellow and Director of Interdisciplinary Programs in Continuing Studies at Simon Fraser University where he developed seminal programs such as The Philosophers’ Café and The Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars.

In addition to being an ordained rabbi and receiving two honorary doctorates, he holds PhDs in Religion & Literature as well as in Psychology, and Master’s degrees in Education and in Theology. As a businessman, he is president of both Binyan and Kolbo Holdings. Widely travelled—including expeditions to both the North and South Poles—Yosef is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He founded almost a thousand libraries on all seven continents, supported museums in numerous countries, has planted close to a million trees, endowed Vancouver’s Poet Laureate and has taught thousands of students over the past fifty years. Identified as one of the top ten thinkers and most thoughtful citizens in British Columbia, he is included in Canadian Who’s Who and has been presented with numerous awards including the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia, Freedom of the City of Vancouver, the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals and a Culture Beyond Borders Medal from the United Nations. Active in communal affairs—especially in education, libraries, museums, the arts, social services, architecture, heritage conservation, gardens, philanthropy and religion—Yosef is a media commentator, art collector, public speaker and published author.

Research Interests
Storytelling, mythology, spiritual literature, sacred geography, art