Rabbi James L. Mirel has served as spiritual leader of Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue, Washington, for more than a decade. He is one of the most respected congregational rabbis in the United States, and has received awards and recognition for his work in Jewish and communal services. He has served as a religion columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and as a radio talk show host on the award-winning God Talk.

Karen Bonnell Werth has been a health-care professional for twenty years. As a psychotherapist and psychiatric nurse, she has worked extensively in the realm of body-mind-spirit with people of all ages and backgrounds. Educated at the University of Michigan, she has been on the faculty of three universities and lectures widely on topics such as healing and spirituality, conflict resolution, and spirituality in the workplace.