Born in 1946 in London, Stephen was closely involved in the 1960s culture, studied at Oxford University and obtained a PhD. He has been practising largely within the Theravada Buddhist framework since 1976, together with long-term inspiration from Dzogchen and Advaita teachings. Stephen is the founder and senior teacher of the Israel Insight Society, which is the leading dharma and mindfulness organisation in Israel. He has been teaching intensively for 30 years, mostly in Israel, but also internationally, usually 10 retreats a year, plus courses and classes.
He has been leading peace-building and conflict management initiatives and programs at the front lines of the Israel-Palestinian conflict for many years, and continues to guide peace-builders on how to develop the tools, capacities and attitudes, and the wise heart of the dharma, that are needed in peace-building in the most challenging of circumstances. He has had 16 books published, including the recent dharma books: The Five Powers and How to Thrive in Hard Times: A Buddhist Manual.