2025 FORUM Speakers
Use this Speakers List as a reference page to learn more about the individual experts, including our three keynote speakers, presenting at this year’s in-person event. ALL attendees will have the opportunity to hear each keynote lecture.
Keynote Speakers
Gilad Erdan
Previous Israeli Ambassador to the UN; Global President of Magen David Adom
As global president of Magen David Adom, Ambassador Gilad Erdan represents MDA on the international stage and advocates on its behalf. He assumed his new role in September 2024, shortly after completing a four-year tenure as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, where he was recognized as an impassioned defender of Israel.
Ambassador Erdan previously served as a member of Knesset for 17 years from 2003 to 2020. During this time, he was a senior minister for 11 years in several ministries in Israel’s Government including Public Security, Telecommunications, Interior, Homefront Defense, Environmental Protection, as well as a member of Israel’s Security Cabinet.
During his tenure at the UN, he was elected to serve as the vice president of the General Assembly, from January until November 2021 he served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States.
Yoram Ettinger
Former Israeli Ambassador to the Southwest
Yoram Ettinger, a politically incorrect insider on U.S.- Israel relations and Mideast affairs, a researcher, commentator, consultant to Israeli and U.S. legislators, a writer and lecturer. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso and UCLA, Ambassador Ettinger was the Head of the Congressional Division at Israel’s Embassy in Washington, Israel’s Consul General in Houston, TX, Director of Israel’s Government Press Office and the head of a Middle East research unit in Israel’s civil service.
Topic: Israeli Contributions to the US Economy and Defense Exceed US Foreign Aid to Israel
Topic: Western Conventional Wisdom Repudiated by Middle East Reality
Gregg Roman
Executive Director, Middle East Forum
Gregg Roman is the director and chief operations officer of the Middle East Forum. He previously served as the political advisor to the deputy foreign minister of Israel and worked for the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
He studied national security and political communications at American University in Washington, D.C. and the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. In 2014, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency named him one of the “ten most inspiring global Jewish leaders.” A frequent speaker on Middle East affairs, Mr. Roman appears on international news channels such as Fox News, i24NEWS, Al-Jazeera, BBC World News, and Israel’s Channels 12 and 13. He has contributed to The Hill, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, the Miami Herald, and the Jerusalem Post.
Topic: Forgotten Frontlines: A Jewish Journey from War to Identity
Topic Speakers
Naftali Balanson
Chief Operating Officer, NGO Monitor
Naftali Balanson is Chief Operating Officer at NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based research institute. Naftali has written extensively about BDS campaigns, NGO funding and transparency, and the relationship between governments and non-governmental organizations. His articles and op-eds have appeared in many publications including the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Jerusalem Post, JNS and the Forward.
Naftali has an MA in English Literature from Columbia University.
Cheryl Dorchinsky
Executive Director, Atlanta Israel Coalition
Cheryl Dorchinsky is the founding executive director of the Atlanta Israel Coalition; a grassroots organization she established in 2018 to unite the pro-Israel community in Atlanta and beyond. Under her leadership, the coalition has hosted or partnered on more than 200 Israel-related educational programs and rallies, including a multi-faith Zionist global mission to Israel and online virtual live series of tours throughout cities and sites in Israel. In recognition of her impactful work, Dorchinsky was awarded the Zionist Legacy Award from the World Zionist Organization in 2023.
Topic: AntiZionism in schools: What to do about it, getting involved and taking action
Rabbi Zvi Drizin
Rabbi, The Intown Chabad
Rabbi Zvi Drizin is the founder of The Intown Chabad in Dallas, where he leads programming dedicated to engaging young adults across the city. His work features cutting-edge initiatives — from meaningful Shabbat dinners and weekly socials to high-impact larger events — that are thoughtfully curated to connect with professionals in their 20’s and 30’s.
Known for his energetic presence and creative outreach, Rabbi Drizin has built a reputation as a trusted mentor and community catalyst. He regularly facilitates thought‑provoking discussions on contemporary Jewish identity, spirituality and leadership — balancing tradition with real‑world relevance. Through one‑on‑one mentorship, educational series, and networking events, he has fostered a strong, supportive young adult Jewish network in the heart of Dallas.
Panel Discussion: Impact of October 7th on Jews in the Diaspora
Major “Guy”
Major “Guy” is a distinguished member of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). He achieved the esteemed rank of Major within the elite Duvdevan unit, where he commanded a company responsible for both open and undercover counterterrorism operations.
His exemplary qualifications and leadership skills led to his selection by the Israeli government to spearhead international collaboration initiatives between IDF special forces and the United States military. In this capacity, he has made significant contributions toward fostering regional partnerships under the Abraham Accords, enhancing relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
After a successful stint as the Head of Business Development and Partner Operations with the Duvdevan Foundation in Israel, Major “Guy” was appointed CEO of the Friends of Duvdevan international organization.
Major “Guy” holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv. He completed a rigorous Military Strategy program at the IDF’s Tactical Command College and also attended the prestigious Institute of National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv.
Topic: The Real Life FAUDA
Orly Fass
Educator on Israel
With 30 years of teaching experience and a master’s degree in Jewish education, Orly provides accurate and useful knowledge about Israel. Following October 7th, she saw a need to inform and empower the community with deeper understanding of topics regarding Israel.
Her educational programs give a balanced look into important issues including the origins of political Zionism, Israeli government policies, spotting media biases against Israel, assessing proposed solution to Arab conflicts and recognizing anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism.
Topic: Reclaiming Roots: Teaching Jewish History and Israel in a Time of Crisis
Topic: The Roots of Anti-Zionism: Jewish, Arab, and Secular Perspectives
Edwin Flores, Esq.
Attorney, Hispanic Community Representative
Dr. Edwin Flores is the managing partner and founder of the Intellectual Property law firm Chalker Flores LLP located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He focuses his practice on biotechnology patent law. Dr. Flores was born and reared in Mexico City, Mexico, and is fully bilingual and bicultural.
After completing high school in Mexico City, Dr. Flores earned his B.S. in Microbiology from UT Austin and his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis in Molecular Immunology. By the age of 30, Dr. Flores had also earned his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law.
Dr. Flores served 16 years on the Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees. In addition, Dr. Flores has served on a number of local and national boards. These include the Advisory Council of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, SMU Tower Center, Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center, Dallas Assembly, Medical City Hospital Dallas, Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, AIPAC National Council.
Panel Discussion: Friends Speak Out: Non-Jewish Communities Supporting Israel
Friends of the IDF
Topic: IDF Update
Kenny Goldberg
Chair, Texas Holocaust, Genocide and Antisemitism Advisory Commission
Kenny Goldberg is former President of Dallas’ Jewish Community Center. He chaired a campaign that raised over $3 billion to support Israel’s economy from 2016-2018 for The State of Israel Bonds. He was a vice president and a member of the founding team for the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. Goldberg was North Texas’ chair of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s Cabinet while serving on its National Council.
He has received many awards, including Friends of Fair Park Centennial Award for Civic Leadership, Jewish Community Center Leader of the Year, Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas Young Leader of the Year, and the Obelisk Award by the Business Council for the Arts.
Kenny Goldberg is retired from Gold Metal Recyclers, which he founded in 1976 and helped it grow into the largest privately held metal recycling company in the southwestern United States.
A native of Dallas, Goldberg graduated from Hillcrest High School and then received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin; he also served as the president of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.
Gil Hoffman
Executive Director, HonestReporting
Gil Hoffman is the executive director of HonestReporting, which fights for Israel in the international mainstream and social media; a lecturer on political strategy at Israel’s College of Management; and served for 24 years as chief political correspondent and analyst for The Jerusalem Post, where he is now a regular columnist.
The Algemeiner website recently named him one of the top 100 people positively influencing Jewish life, alongside presidents, prime ministers and Jewish leaders.
He was raised in Chicago, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northwestern University’s School of Journalism and served in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
He’s lectured in all major English-speaking countries in the world, more than half the Canadian provinces, and recently made history in Hawaii by becoming the first Israel speaker to have lectured in all 50 states. He lives with his family in Jerusalem.
Israeli Emissary
Pastor Troy Jackson
Pastor, New Beginnings Church
Troy B. Jackson is a pastor at New Beginnings Church in Bedford, Texas. He is an educator for community and religious liberty. Troy is a frequently requested speaker, traveling across the nation to encourage people to stand up in defense of Judea-Christian values, the country’s founding principles, and constitutional freedoms. He is a proponent for Israel and against the rising tide of antisemitism.
Panel Discussion: Friends Speak Out: Non-Jewish Communities Supporting Israel
Rabbi Michael J. Kushnick
Senior Rabbi, Congregation Anshai Torah
Rabbi Michael J. Kushnick was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2013. He holds a Bachelor’s in Jewish Studies and Political Science from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education.
He has served congregations across the U.S. and Canada with a passion for youth and family engagement. Rabbi Kushnick created programs to connect young adults to Jewish life and has spent summers at Camp Ramah and the NATIV Program in Israel.
Rabbi Kushnick grew up in South Florida and enjoys cycling, swimming, and spending time outdoors with his wife Talia and their two sons, Nadav and Levi.
Rabbi Kushnick was named Senior Rabbi at Congregation Anshai Torah after serving as Associate Rabbi for 12 years.
Panel Discussion: Impact of October 7th on Jews in the Diaspora
Clare M. Lopez
National Security Analyst, Former CIA Officer
Clare M. Lopez is Founder/President of Lopez Liberty LLC, whose mission is to alert Americans to security threats, both internationally and from the Islamic Movement/Muslim Brotherhood.
She is Director of U.S. Geostrategic Security Issues for the Near East Center for Strategic Engagement. She was a member of the Citizens’ Commission on Benghazi and a member of the Citizens’ Commission on National Security.
Lopez was a career operations officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, professor at the Centre for Counterintelligence & Security Studies, and Executive Director of the Iran Policy Committee. She is a member of the Congressional Task Force on National & Homeland Security and is its Director for Counterterrorism.
Lopez received a B.A. in Communications and French from Notre Dame College of Ohio and an M.A. in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. She completed Marine Corps Officer Candidate School before declining a military commission to join the CIA.
Topic: U.S. National Security & Israel’s Security Are Intertwined
Magen David Adom
Joy Nathan
Executive Director, Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission
Joy Nathan serves as the Executive Director of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC). Its mission is to combat and confront hatred, prejudice, and indifference by educating all Texans about the Holocaust and other genocides to dismantle antisemitism and prevent future atrocities. She oversees the commission’s day-to-day operations, including working with the 9-member commission, administrative and budget needs, legislative responsibilities, and staff support.
Prior to joining the THGAAC, Joy served as the Executive Director for Food & City, a non-profit organization based out of the University of Texas that explored food systems and the global food supply chain. She was also Chief Advancement Officer at Shalom Austin, leading all fundraising efforts and planned giving through their endowment foundation. Before that, for 15 years, Joy worked for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Joy graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a Middle Eastern Studies Degree.
Rabbi Andrew Paley
Senior Rabbi, Temple Shalom
Rabbi Andrew Paley is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Shalom. Rabbi Paley holds a Master’s Degree in Hebrew Letters and a Doctor of Divinity, from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from The Ohio State University.
Rabbi Paley has served as a Dallas Police Chaplain and Chair of the Dallas Police Chief’s Multi-Faith Advisory Council, a Chaplain with the Dallas Field Office of the FBI, and Chaplain with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency of the Department of Homeland Security.
Rabbi Paley is active in the Good Neighbor Task Force of the City of Dallas, a founding member and past Chair of Faith Forward Dallas, a member of the Community Advisory Board of Sammons Cancer Research Center, a past president of the Rabbinic Association of Greater Dallas and a member of the Muslim/Jewish Advisory Council of the Dallas Chapter of The American Jewish Committee.
Rabbi Paley is married to Deborah Niederman and is the father of Molly and Samuel and is a lifelong Ohio State Buckeye fan!
Panel Discussion: Impact of October 7th on Jews in the Diaspora
Rajiv Pandit, MD
Medical Doctor, Hindu American Foundation Representative
Dr. Rajiv Pandit is a board-certified otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, and fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Based in Dallas, he has served as Section Chief of Otolaryngology and Chair of the Physician Advisory Council at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
A Kashmiri Hindu who came of age witnessing the violent ethnic cleansing of his community, Dr. Pandit brings a deeply personal perspective to global discussions on religious freedom, terrorism, and the right to live securely in one’s ancestral homeland.
He serves on the board of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, where he works to raise awareness about the plight of Kashmiri Hindus—paralleling the Jewish struggle for security in Israel. Dr. Pandit has actively supported the ideological and geopolitical links between anti-Hindu and anti-Semitic hate.
Panel Discussion: Friends Speak Out: Non-Jewish Communities Supporting Israel
David Patterson
Senior Research Fellow, University of Texas at Dallas, Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism & Policy
David Patterson holds the Hillel A. Feinberg Distinguished Chair in Holocaust Studies at the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, University of Texas at Dallas and is a Senior Research Fellow for the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP). He has lectured at universities on six continents and throughout the United States.
Patterson is the winner of the National Jewish Book Award, the Koret Jewish Book Award, the Hadassah Mytrle Wreath Award, and the Holocaust Scholars’ Conference Eternal Flame Award. He has published more than 40 books and more than 250 articles, essays, and book chapters on antisemitism, the Holocaust, and Jewish studies.
His most recent books are Twenty-Six Questions along the Path to Wisdom (Wipf & Stock, forthcoming), Eighteen Words to Sustain a Life (Wipf & Stock, 2023), Judaism, Antisemitism, Holocaust: Making the Connections (Cambridge, 2022), Shoah and Torah (Routledge, 2022), Portraits: Elie Wiesel’s Hasidic Legacy (SUNY, 2021), The Holocaust and the Non-Representable (SUNY, 2018).
Charles Pulman
President, Why Israel Matters
Charles Pulman is an attorney in Dallas, Texas, and has been involved his entire life with many organizations and activities related to Israel and the Jewish People. Along with his wife Janine, they have visited Israel over 45 times.
Charles is the founder and president of the nonprofit organization Why Israel Matters, Inc. He is also currently a Board member and Treasurer of StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice.
Charles and Janine are actively involved with Sar-El, which facilitates placing volunteers to do civilian work on IDF bases.
They also traveled to Ethiopia in 2013 with The Jewish Agency for Israel to assist in the Israeli government’s program to resettle Ethiopian Jews in Israel.
Charles speaks and writes on a variety of topics related to Israel and the Jewish People, including the history of the Middle East and Israel and the turbulent and sometimes peaceful relationship between Israel and its neighboring countries and terrorist organizations.
Topic: Israel Advocacy and the State of Israel in the Aftermath of October 7th
Arianna-Rosie Bourgoin
Student, Texas Wesleyan University
Arianna-Rosie Bourgoin is a Christian student at Texas Wesleyan University. Passionate about medicine and global affairs, she aspires to use her voice to strengthen the U.S.–Israel relationship. Bourgoin made history at Texas Wesleyan by founding its first pro-Israel student organization, where she leads initiatives to combat antisemitism and foster unity between Christian and Jewish communities. She advocates for truth and stands boldly for Israel.
Panel Discussion: Fighting the Campus Antisemitism Crisis
Jade (Jonathan) Steinberg
Student and Hillel President and Student, University of Texas at Dallas
Jonathan “Jade” Steinberg is a student leader and advocate at the University of Texas at Dallas, where they serve as President of Hillel and a representative for the Jewish on Campus Student Union.
A StandWithUs Emerson Fellow and member of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission’s Project 1525 Steering Committee, Steinberg has organized campus-wide initiatives, led direct engagement with university administration, and worked alongside lawmakers to create meaningful change. Through education, coalition-building, and principled advocacy, Jade is helping lead the response to rising campus antisemitism and foster a safer, more resilient Jewish community.
Panel Discussion: Fighting the Campus Antisemitism Crisis
Dr. Adi Vaxman
Founder and President of Operation Israel
Dr. Adi Vaxman is a seasoned executive with over three decades of experience in operational efficiency and strategic growth, alongside a decades-long commitment to Jewish community leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and an MBA from Cornell University.
For over 25 years, Adi has been at the forefront of strengthening Jewish identity and combating antisemitism. She led educational programs promoting Jewish and Zionist values, and organized hundreds of events fostering connections between Jewish-American and Israeli communities.
On October 7th, 2023, Adi founded Operation Israel, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) that has raised over $10M to equip IDF soldiers with life-saving gear.
Topic: From Heartbreak to Action
Sam Westrop
Director, Islamist Watch
Sam Westrop has headed Islamist Watch since March 2017. Before that, he ran Stand for Peace, a London-based counter-extremism organization which monitors Islamists throughout the UK.
Kayla White
Student, University of North Texas
Kayla Fasken-White is a college sophomore at UNT. She is the president of Students Supporting Israel, an applicant for a Zionists of America Fellowship, and a board member of Hillel on the UNT campus. Through art and conversation, she believes in coming to an understanding with all students. She uses her passion for history and archeology to teach others and correct misinformation.
Panel Discussion: Fighting the Campus Antisemitism Crisis