Sofya (Sara Ester) Tamarkin is an international speaker and a writer for Chabad.org, Aish.com, and the Times of Israel. She draws inspiration from the journeys of people seeking meaning in their Jewish heritage. Born in the former Soviet Union, Sofya discovered she was Jewish at the age of 10. After immigrating to the United States in 1989, she received a blessing from the Lubavitcher Rebbe and embarked on a journey of rediscovering her Jewish identity. Her unconventional journey included lessons from missionaries, learning to light Shabbat candles from Barbara Streisand’s movie Yentl, and gaining profound wisdom during an encounter with President Mikhail Gorbachev. Her life is proof that light can be found in the most unlikely places. Sofya holds an MBA and manages an orthopedic company. She is a yoga teacher and a Certified Life Coach. Mrs. Tamarkin is the author of three Jewish children’s books in Russian. Sofya is a “storyteller” who participates in national storytelling events. Having traveled to close to 100 countries, Sofya learns from the diverse life experiences of the people she meets. Sofya’s mission is to collect “sparks” and celebrate our communal Jewish destiny.