KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
![]() Community oriented, Rabbi Paley is a member of the Dallas Mayor’s Task Force on Poverty, a member of the coordinating committee of Faith Leaders United for Peace and Justice – a project of Thanksgiving Square of Dallas, a member of the Interfaith Advisory Committee of the North Texas Food Bank, and a Chaplain with the Dallas Police Department. |
![]() Professor. Golany received his bachelor’s degree from the Technion, graduating cum laude in 1982, and his doctorate from the Business School of the University of Texas at Austin in 1985. He is a leading expert in several areas, including resource allocation in counter-terrorism and homeland security issues. However, equally, if not more, important is that Professor Golany brings to the Israel Today Symposium a keen understanding of the miracle growth of Israeli technology and its role in Israel becoming known as the Start-up Nation. Yes, that is the title of a book, but more broadly, a term that defines a nation which, while comparably young, has witnessed miracle economic growth, fueled by Israeli ingenuity and technology developments because of institutions like Technion. During his term as Vice President at Technion, Prof. Golany has greatly expanded the global reach of the Technion, yielding significant growth in the number of sponsored joint projects with foreign universities, the number and importance of international visitors and delegations to Technion, and exposure by the world media. |
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SESSION SPEAKERS |
![]() Yoram Ettinger’s opinions have been published in Israel and in the United States, and is a regular interviewee on Israel and U.S. television and radio news programs. He is the author of the articles published in the highly regarded The Ettinger Report. Ambassador (ret.) Ettinger, an Israeli, is a graduate of UCLA and the University of Texas at El Paso, has served as Minister for Congressional Affairs at Israel’s Embassy in Washington, Israel’s Consul General in Houston and Director of Israel’s Government Press Office. He is the editor of “The Jerusalem Cloakroom” and “The Jerusalem Boardroom” newsletters on issues of national security and overseas investments in Israel’s high-tech industries. Ambassador(ret.) Yoram Ettinger’s Breakout Sessions will be: “Israel’s Contributions to the United States” and “History of the U.S./ Israel Relationship” |
![]() Dr.Sara Abosch Jacobson’s Breakout Session will be: “History of anti-Semitism” |
![]() Neil Lazarus’s Breakout Session will be: “How is the Middle East Changing under the Trump Administration?” |
![]() Stephanie Hausner will be a panelist of the Breakout Session: “Combating BDS activities by Federal and State Legislation” Co-speaker Jacob Millner. |
![]() Jesse Stock will be a panelist of the Breakout Session: “Combating anti-Israel and anti-semetic activities on High School and College Campuses” |
![]() Melissa Duchin will be a panelist of the Breakout Session: “Combating anti-Israel and anti-Semitic activities on High School and College Campuses” |
![]() Jennifer Weintraub will be a panelist of the Breakout Session: “Combating anti-Israel and anti-Semitic activities on High School and College Campuses” |
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Danielle Rugoff will be a panelist of the Breakout Session: “Combating anti-Israel and anti-Semitic activities on High School and College Campuses” |
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Jacob Millner will be a panelist of the Breakout Session: “Combating BDS activities by Federal and State Legislation” Co-speaker Stephanie Hausner. |
![]() Kevin Pailet’s Breakout Session will be: “Importance of Lobbying for Israel on a Non-Partisan Basis” |
![]() Raphael Danziger’s Breakout Session will be: “History of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict” |
![]() Serge Frolov’s Breakout Sessions will be: “How the State of Israel Was Established” and “Arab-Israeli Wars: Winners and Losers” |
![]() Rabbi Boxman graduated in 2007 from American University in Washington D.C, with a major in International Relations and a minor in Israel Studies. She continued her studies at Hebrew Union College and was ordained as a rabbi in 2012. Following ordination, Rabbi Boxman enrolled in a Masters of Jewish Education program and in 2013 earned her degree as a Jewish Educator. Rabbi Ariel Boxman’s Breakout Session will be: “Cultural Conflicts Arising out of Israel’s Diverse Immigration” |
![]() Robert Dean’s Breakout Sessions will be: “Why Evangelical Christians are pro-Israel” and “Understanding the legal Right to the Land: The Balfour Declaration and the San Remo Resolutions” |
![]() Cheryl Drazin’s Breakout Session will be: “Confronting Modern Anti-Semitism” |
![]() Bob Epstein’s Breakout Session will be: “Israeli Cybersecurity Technology” |
![]() Dawn Strauss’s Breakout Session will be: “Effective Israel Advocacy” |
![]() Charles Perkins’s Breakout Session will be: “Israeli Missile Defenses – An Example of U.S./Israel Cooperation” |
![]() Itzhak Brook’s Breakout Session will be: “Long Term Effects of Israel’s Wars on Israeli Society” |
![]() Asher Saida’s Breakout Session will be: “How Israel’s Political System has affected Israel’s Society and Culture” |
![]() Ken Portnoy’s Breakout Session will be: “Israel’s Changing Foreign Relations with China, Russian, Europe, and the Arab World” |
![]() Mark Ellison’s Breakout Session will be: “Israel’s Desalinization Technology and Its Export to the World” |
![]() Toba Hellerstein’s Breakout Session will be: “Texas – Israel Business Opportunities” |
![]() Debbie Niederman’s Breakout Session will be: “Why Israel is Important to American Jews” |
![]() Yoram Solomon’s Breakout Session will be: “Why is Israel such a source of Innovation and Technology” |
![]() Charles Pulman’s Breakout Session will be: “Background of BDS, Its Origin and Effects” |
![]() Eldad Jacobson’s Breakout Session will be: “Israeli Food – The wonders of Eggplants & Tahini.” |
![]() Eric Fox’s Breakout Session will be: “Israel Maintains Middle East Air Superiority – Thanks to the F-35 Fighter” |
![]() Dave Doneson’s Breakout Session will be: “Israel’s Contributions to the United States” Co-Speaker Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger |
![]() Max Glauben’s Breakout Session will be: “Teen Program” |
![]() As Director of Co-Curricular Activities, Coach Zimmerman works with many of Yavneh’s community service organizations, including Students Against Terrorism, the Points for Peace Basketball Tournament, Students4Students, and Helping Hands for the Homeless. He currently serves on the boards of Southern Methodist University’s Hillel, and Southern Methodist University’s Jewish Studies Department Advisory Committee. He is also the Co-Chair of the Cinema Emanu-El Film Festival. David Zimmerman’s Breakout Session will be: “Teen Program” |