Jewish Programs

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl serves as the senior rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City and is the first woman to lead Central’s Reform congregation in its 180-year history.

On February 8, 2025, after 491 days in Hamas captivity, Eli Sharabi emerged from the tunnels of Gaza, a shadow of his former self, and finally made his way home…

Greg Chamitoff is a professor of Aerospace Engineering and the Director..

Dr. Erica Miller was born on November 10, 1933 in Tshernovitz, Romania. When she was seven

Historian and MSNBC Opinion columnist Ruth Ben-Ghiat is an expert on authoritarian leaders, fascism, and propaganda — and the threats these present to democracies today.  

Eitan Bernath is a chef, entertainer, author, TV personality, and entrepreneur

Jennifer Grey is an author and actress. She made her acting debut with the film "Reckless" (1984), and had her breakthrough with the teen comedy film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"…

Brett Goldstein—a breakthrough creative force onscreen and off—has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after multihyphenates: an actor, creator, writer, and producer of incredible range.

Sarah Podemski is an Anishinaabe/Ashkenazi actress and multidisciplinary artist from Toronto, Canada, who has been passionate about recreating the Indigenous narrative that has been misrepresented since the beginning of cinema.…

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Albert Bourla leads Pfizer in its purpose, Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, with a focus on driving the scientific and commercial innovation needed to…

Tony® and Emmy Award®-winning comedian, actor, producer, writer and director BILLY CRYSTAL is known to audiences around the world as the star of such feature films as When Harry Met Sally…, City Slickers and Analyze This; as…

Bette Midler grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she began singing at an early age. After appearing in the film, Hawaii, she finally earned enough money to move to New York…

A philosopher of life, Yossi Ghinsberg is a man of passion, fixed resolve and a connector of people. He believes that nothing promotes growth more than an unexpected experience and…

Bari Weiss is a journalist and the author of “How to Fight Anti-Semitism,” which won a 2019 National Jewish Book Award and a Natan Notable Book Award. From 2017 to…

Ambassador Dan Gillerman is Senior Advisor to Blackstone Israel and is a member of Blackstone's International Advisory Board. Ambassador Gillerman is chairman of Gillerman Global Ltd, a global strategic consulting firm. He served as…

Few individuals have the breadth of political, economic, and military leadership experience as former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, enabling him to speak with authority on a wide range of…

One of the most insightful journalists in America today, Wolf Blitzer draws on his unique international breadth of experience and depth of understanding when discussing the issues facing Washington and…

Kevin Warsh is a monetary policy expert and economist who served the United States in the Federal Reserve and the White House, and whose insights are sought by Central Banks…

Schwartz can be seen alongside Thomas Middleditch in their Netflix specials, Middleditch & Schwartz. The specials are based on their completely improvised two person show that they took on tour through…

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. His acting career spans three decades, and ranges from television (3rd Rock from The Sun) to arthouse (Mysterious Skin, Brick) to multiplex…

Jenny Slate is a stand-up comedian, actress, author, and creator. Her debut original comedy special STAGE FRIGHT was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Comedy Special, and can…

Blair Braverman is an author and dogsledder whose stories are equally riveting on and off the page. She and her dogs have traveled through thousands of miles of wilderness in…

Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew (2013- 2017) has served as the most senior economic official in the U.S. government, helping to shape policies that drove the longest economic recovery…

Professor Alan M. Dershowitz is a Brooklyn native who has been called “the nation’s most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer” and one of its “most distinguished defenders of individual rights,” “the…

Andy Borowitz is a New York Times best-selling author and a comedian who has written for The New Yorker since 1998. In 2001, he created The Borowitz Report, a satirical…

Sacha Baron Cohen is an actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, and film producer known for creating and portraying fictional satirical characters, including Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard and Admiral General…

Jenji Kohan is the creator and executive producer of Netflix's Orange is the New Black. To date, the critically acclaimed series has earned four Golden Globe nominations, 10 Emmy Award nominations, including…

Uri Levine is a passionate serial entrepreneur and disruptor. He co-founded Waze, the world's largest driving traffic and navigation app, with more than 200M drivers around the globe. Which was acquired by Google on June…

Prof. Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and the bestselling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.

Zach Braff is an actor, director, screenwriter and producer most notable for his lead role as Dr. John “JD” Dorian on the hit television comedy series Scrubs, which premiered in 2001 and…

Natalie Portman received her second Academy Award® nomination and first Best Actress win for her performance in Darren Aronofsky's critically acclaimed film, BLACK SWAN.

Judd Apatow, one of the most sought-after comedic minds in the industry, has directed, produced, and written many of the biggest comedy films and hit TV shows of the last…

The academy-Award winning writer and renowned playwright Aaron Sorkin graduated from Syracuse University with a B.F.A. in Theatre.

In a fun and interactive program, Levitan takes audiences behind the scenes of Modern Family, giving a rare glimpse of all that goes into making the series such a beloved hit.

Before there was J. K. Rowling, before there was Stephanie Meyer or Suzanne Collins, there was R.L. Stine. Witty, creepy, and compulsively readable: his books defined horror for a generation…

Drawing on his years of Wall Street and investor experience, Steve gives audiences a greater understanding of the 2008 financial crisis—why it happened and why most people never saw it…

Comedian, actor, television writer, author, and musician Paul Reiser has spent the last 30+ years acting in Oscar and Emmy award-winning movies and TV shows. He was voted one of…

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle, The Book of Fate, and seven other bestselling thrillers. He is also the host of the hit History Channel series Brad…

Dr. Mogel’s candor, wisdom, quick wit, and signature use of cutting-edge psychological research guides parents through today’s rough waters of child-rearing. Drawing on insights from her thirty-five year career in…

Marton brings over 30 years of journalistic experience for a unique discussion on the state of global politics and human rights. She speaks candidly about the role that the U.S.…

Father Patrick Desbois, founder of the international human rights organization Yahad-In Unum, is a prolific author, distinguished Professor at Georgetown University, historian, forensic detective, and world-renowned human-rights activist. He has…

Bringing all of this to life at the lecture podium, Cohen’s presentation delivers a rousing tribute to America’s entrepreneurial spirit, full of anecdotes and radical business philosophy focusing on the…

When the world shifted from 9-5 to our smartphones connecting us to work at all times, Samantha Ettus was there to advise on managing the increasingly blurry lines between work…

Considered one of Israel’s most perceptive writers, at the podium Grossman’s powerful prose comes to life in this rare and extraordinary experience. Expressing the courage, pain, and occasionally brutal truth,…

Alan Gross is an amazing storyteller who shares his time in jail with the audience.  They’ll feel themselves in the cell with him, and will relate to the prisoners, guards,…

In 2014, Eisen launched his daily talk show,The Rich Eisen Show on AT&T (DirecTV) Audience Network and simulcast across the Premiere Radio Network, Sirius X/M and on the Bleacher Report Live…

Bringing his business acumen and passion for creative and responsible business practices to life at the podium, Greenfield's presentation delivers an inspiring tribute to America's entrepreneurial spirit, full of anecdotes…

Ben and Jerry's presentation is an inspiring tribute to America’s entrepreneurial spirit, full of anecdotes and radical business philosophy—and comes complete with servings of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for…

Born and raised in New York, Max Greenfield is best known for his starring role of “Schmidt” in the Fox sitcom New Girl, opposite Zooey Deschanel, for which he was nominated…

A social media innovator and digital storyteller, Scott Goodstein is the architect of two of the most effective, game-changing digital outreach programs of the Internet and Social Media Age.