Let’s Talk Story: Author Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Tacoma-Raised and the First Asian-American Reform Rabbi in North American, daughter of a Korean Buddhist mother and an American Jewish father.
Asia Pacific Cultural Center. 4851 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, WA 98409
December 8, 2025. 7 pm - Doors open 6:30 pm
Let’s Talk Story: Author Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Tacoma-Raised and the First Asian-American Reform Rabbi in North America, daughter of a Korean Buddhist mother and an American Jewish father.
Join us at APCC for an evening of inspiration, conversation, and reflection during our Let’s Talk Story event with the first Asian-American Reform Rabbi in North America, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl from Tacoma. We will be discussing her new book “Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging”, and explore themes of identity, faith, community, and belonging.
The event includes a spread of delicious Asian delicacies and other refreshments for participants to enjoy. Books will be available for purchase.
About "Heart of a Stranger"
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl’s new memoir, Heart of a Stranger, is both a spiritual guide and a deeply personal story of identity and faith. With honesty and grace, Rabbi Buchdahl explores what it means to belong and to lead with love in times of division. From confronting discrimination as a teen to guiding her community through national tragedies and moments of moral reckoning, she embodies Judaism rooted in gratitude, courage, and connection.
About the Author
Born in Seoul to a Korean Buddhist mother and an American Jewish father, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl immigrated to the U.S. at age five and grew up in Tacoma, Washington. Often the only Asian face in Jewish spaces—and the only Jew among her Asian peers—she wrestled early with questions of faith, race, and belonging. Despite skepticism and moments of self-doubt, she followed her calling, earning degrees from Yale and receiving ordination as both cantor and rabbi. She was the first Asian American to achieve both distinctions.
Today, Rabbi Buchdahl serves as Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City, one of the largest and most vibrant congregations in the world. Under her leadership, Central has become a global spiritual community reaching audiences in more than 100 countries. She has offered prayers at the White House for two U.S. presidents and is a frequent voice on NPR, The Today Show, and in The Wall Street Journal.
