The Samuel Bronfman Foundation regularly sponsors luncheon forums to discuss issues of interest to the Jewish community.

2007 - 2008 Forums

After Bush: The Middle East, Israel and the Presidential Elections
April 29, 2008
Presented by David Makovsky, Senior Fellow and Director of The Washington Institute's Project on the Middle East Peach Process

The next American President will face potential conflicting interests on issues ranging from energy needs and regional stability, to a reassessment of the war on terror and the possibility of negotiations with Iran. What will this mean for US foreign policy in the Middle East? And what differences, if any, can we expect for a Democratic or Republic Presidency?


David Makovsky

Do Rallies Still Matter? Purposeful Activism in the 21st Century
January 30, 2008
With panelists Ruth Messinger and Rabbi Avi Weiss, moderated by Daniel Septimus of MyJewishLearning.com

The rise of the internet, social networks, decreases in American anti-Semitism and a growing interest in global human rights causes are redefining the scope and nature of Jewish activism. How has this generation changed the work of Jewish social activists, and what does it mean for the Jewish community and the world today?

Why isn’t My Rabbi More…?: The American Rabbinate and What it Means Today
October 17, 2007
With Panelists Rabbi Sharon Cohen-Anisfeld, Alisa Doctoroff and Rabbi Kenneth Hain, moderated by Dr. Michelle Friedman

The American rabbinate has undergone considerable changes in the last forty years. What was once viewed as an untouchable figurehead who presided over large congregations is evolving into a pastoral leader who is responsible for myriad social intellectual and spiritual activities. How has the rabbinate responded to these and other happenings and what does it mean for American Jewry today?


2006-2007 Forums

A VIBRANT DIASPORA IS A ZIONIST IMPERATIVE
May 21, 2007
Presented by Gidi Grinstein, President and Founder of the Reut Institute for Policy Planning

By emphasizing immigration first and foremost, the Zionist movement successfully drew Jews from around the world to build a Jewish state in Israel. Zionism's very success, however, may suggest that it is time for a change in Israel's national priorities. What should these priorities be, and what role can world Jewry play in setting them?


Gidi Grinstein

MAKING A CONNECTION: THE FUTURE OF PRAYER IN JEWISH COMMUNITIES
January 22, 2007
With panelists Rabbi Felicia Sol, Rabbi Andrew Bachman, and Yehuda Kurtzer, moderated by
Rabbi Darren Levine

Many Jews consider the synagogue to be a relic of a bygone age. At the same time, some of today’s most exciting Jewish communities are being built with prayer at their very cores. A new wave of independent minyanim and the growth of young congregations such as B’nai Jeshurun have left us with a new set of questions to answer.

THE MEDIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
October 18, 2006
Presented by Cliff May, President of the Foundation for
Defense of Democracies

The war being waged by militant Islamist groups against the free nations of the world is as much a clash of ideas as a clash of arms. Ideas are communicated through the media. But the manner in which the media are reporting – not least from Lebanon and Gaza in recent days – raises important and disturbing questions.


Edgar M. Bronfman