In anticipation for the Dalai Lama's visit to the university, Rutgers Hillel invited author Rodger Kamenetz ("The Jew in the Lotus") - who has already come face-to-face with the Dalai Lama - to speak about his experiences.

In 1990, the Dalai Lama invited eight Jewish delegates to meet with him in Dharamsala, India. China had occupied Tibet. As the spiritual and political leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama wanted to ensure that his people would not lose their religious identity, Kamenetz said.

Therefore, he decided to meet with another people who had been through a great deal of oppression over the years, namely the Jews, in order learn about spiritual survival in exile, he said.

"The Dalai Lama thought of the Jews as a success story," Kamenetz said, who was chosen to be a delegate.

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