We are proud to bring our alumni, members and fellows two renowned and distinguished scholars to enlighten us politically, intellectually, and spiritually. One day after the US Congress votes on the "Iran Deal", David Makovsky will analyze the implications of their decision. And just after Simchat Torah, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks will lead us into our work year with a consideration of extremism in the 21st century, the roots of this violence, and its relationship to religion. Additionally, he will give us a sneak preview of his latest book on the same topic, due out the following week: In God's Name: Confronting Religious Violence. We hope you will join in these conversations which will include 15 - 30 minutes of discussion and questions. The calls will be facilitated by Angie Atkins, Director, Wexner Heritage Alumni.

Friday, September 18th
9 am PDT - 12 pm EDT – 7 pm Israel time
David Makovsky
"Analyzing the Vote on the Iran Deal: What Now?"
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Note: This call will last for 1 hour and allow for 30 minutes of concentrated analysis, followed by 30 minutes of discussion and questions.

Thursday, October 8th

10 am PDT - 1 pm EDT – 8 pm Israel time

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

"Not in God's Name"

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Note: This call will last for 45 minutes and allow for 30 minutes of concentrated teaching followed by 15 minutes of discussion and questions.

Tech and RSVP Information

We will be using a new technology called Zoom, which is similar to Skype and Google Hangout. Zoom requires no downloading, allows for up to 100 people to participate, and is free to use. You will need to be at a computer, iPad, or smartphone with internet, camera, mic and speakers to participate fully. If you don’t have a camera or mic at your computer, you can still “zoom in” - as long as you have internet and speakers you will be able to listen in, just like a conference call. You can also dial in from a phone as well, and will be in “listen only mode”. To register and receive instructions and texts which will be used during some of the sessions, please click here to email  Serena Covkin. Please indicate in your email which of the sessions (or both!) you wish to sign up for. As registration is limited to 100 participants each session, please register only for the sessions you are certain to attend.

Bios

David Makovsky is the Ziegler distinguished fellow the The Washington Institute and director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process. He is also an adjunct professor in Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advances International Studies and recently concluded an almost ten-month stint as a senior advisor on Secretary of State John Kerry's peace team. Author of numerous monographs and essays on issues related to the Middle East Peace Process and the Arab-Israeli conflict, he is also the coauthor of the 2009 Washington Post bestseller Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction of America in the Middle East. He has testified before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the full U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs. During his time covering the peace process from 1989 to 2000, he was the first journalist writing for an Israeli publication to visit Damascus.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks is currently the Ingeborg and Ira Rennert Global Distinguished Professor of Judaic Thought at New York University and the Kressel and Ephrat Family University Professor of Jewish Thought at Yeshiva University. He has also been appointed as Professor of Law, Ethics and the Bible at King’s College London. Previously, Rabbi Sacks served as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth between September 1991 and September 2013, only the sixth incumbent since the role was formalized in 1845.  A global religious leader, philosopher, author and moral voice for our time, Rabbi Sacks will give us a special preview of his latest book Not in God's Name: Confronting Religious Violence.