The 2026 Dr. Fritz A. Bamberger Memorial Lecture, Sacred Drugs: Jews, Psychedelics, and Healing

On Monday, March 30, Jessica Roda, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Jewish Civilization, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University presented the 2026 Dr. Fritz A. Bamberger Memorial Lecture on Sacred Drugs: Jews, Psychedelics, and Healing. Moderated by Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., The Gus W. Herrman President and Professor of Political Thought, the webinar explored the renewed and rapidly growing interest in psychedelics across a wide range of communities—including biomedical researchers, religious leaders, spiritual practitioners, and healing networks. Unlike the early psychedelic movements that emerged before the War on Drugs, today’s revival is strongly focused on legitimizing these practices through the lens of mental health and well‑being. Within this broader movement, ultra‑Orthodox Jewish communities have begun engaging with psychedelics in surprising and innovative ways. For many participants, these psychedelic practices reveal a desire to detach from the suffering produced by highly controlled societies and an attempt to find better alignment with one’s inner self. Psychedelics are an entry point to acknowledge the suffering generated by the structured universe in which one lives, while also serving as a means of healing, especially as psychedelic ceremonies are now taking place within ultra-Orthodox circles themselves. This conference offers an entry into the world of Jewish psychedelics, beginning with a brief historical overview of the connections between Jews and psychedelic cultures, given the significant Jewish presence in these spheres, and then moving into a case study centered on ceremonies and their meaning. In doing so, this approach contributes to an anthropology of pain from a Jewish perspective.