Jewish Federations of North America are proud to announce a lineup of some of the most important and influential participants in public life for this year’s General Assembly, to take place between November 16-18 in Washington, DC.
As the premier gathering of the Jewish community’s leadership, each year’s General Assembly addresses the defining challenges of our time and sets the agenda for the year ahead.
After two years of turmoil, with all remaining living hostages home and an end to the war in sight, this year’s General Assembly will address the most vital questions facing our community, focusing on three major themes: Rebuilding Israel, Community Security, and Driving Jewish Engagement.
The Assembly will feature former U.S. Ambassador to Japan and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in conversation with CNN Contributor Scott Jennings and Fox News’s Jessica Tarlov on the Jewish community in today’s political environment; author and Podcast Host Dan Senor on what comes next for Israel and the Surge of engagement in Jewish life; and The Free Press’s Olivia Reingold on media bias and misinformation.
“Two years after the October 7th attacks, with the last living hostages finally home and the war coming to an end, our community is opening a new chapter in which we must both continue confronting the monumental challenges we face and leverage our powerful resilience to build a stronger and safer Jewish future,” says Shira Hutt, Executive Vice President of Jewish Federations of North America. “At critical moments such as these, the General Assembly is vital to our mission to build flourishing Jewish communities, bringing together leaders from across the United States, Canada, and Israel to ensure that we not only survive, but thrive.”
The gathering will also mark 30 years since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister and peacemaker Yitzhak Rabin with reflections by Rabin’s granddaughter, Noa Rothman, and a debate about the future of the two-state solution three decades after his death. The debate, which will be presented in partnership with the journal SAPIR, will feature Israel Policy Forum chief policy officer Michael Koplow and Commentary Magazine editor John Podhoretz, moderated by former news anchor for Israel’s Channel 13 News Tamar Ish-Shalom.
General Assembly is also proud to feature as our scholar-in-residence Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, author of the forthcoming book “Heart of a Stranger,” who is the Senior Rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York City, and the first woman to lead the congregation in its 180-year history.
Other featured speakers include Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the former IDF spokesperson who led the military’s strategic communications during the Hamas war following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, award-winning author and former White House speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz, and the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Dr. Micah Goodman.
The featured sessions will delve deep into critical issues our community faces, such as Israel’s information war online and in the media; pushing back against antisemitism in education; understanding Iran’s global reach; the mental health crisis in Israel; maximizing the opportunities conferred by the “Surge” in Jewish engagement, and more.
“As our world continues to rapidly evolve, it’s more important than ever for the Jewish community to gather at forums such General Assembly that provide opportunities to engage with our most pressing issues.” said General Assembly Co-Chairs Joan Lubar and John Crouch of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “We look forward to welcoming nearly 2,000 of our community members as we work to build our collective future around the values we all hold dear.”
Learn more and register at GeneralAssembly.org.
