Lee Wunsch, President & CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, U.S
Lee Wunsch (1952), President & CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. Born in Dallas, Texas; left Dallas to attend college at the University of Texas in Austin, then graduate school in Los Angeles and Houston. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? […]
E, Member of the Jewish community of Pretoria, South Africa
E, a member of the Jewish community of Pretoria, South Africa. Requested no to be credited with her full name and bio detail. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “The Jewish State is important to me personally and […]
Peter E. Weinberger, Senior Researcher, University of Maryland, U.S
Peter E. Weinberger, Senior Researcher for Countering Violent Extremism, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), University of Maryland. I was born in 1974. My parents are both from New York City. We moved around a lot, because of my father’s work in the petrochemical industry, and I grew up […]
A., holds a position in the American Jewish community
Who are you? I can’t answer this. I do have a formal job in the Jewish community and these answers would be damaging to me. I can say that i was born in the late 1980s, and live in the American South. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish […]
Julie, Organizational Consultant, NYC, U.S
Julie, works as a Organizational Consultant. Lives in NYC. Julie requested no to be credited with her full name and bio detail. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “I think it’s really important, considering where history has taken us, […]
Harry Levy, The Jewish Community of Dakar, Senegal
Harry Levy (Born 1943), a member of the Jewish Community of Dakar, Senegal. Born in Casablanca, Morocco. Levy is a Sculptor. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “I have immense pride in being Jewish and soon also Israeli.” Do […]
Alexandr Trostyanitsyn, The Jewish community of Lviv, Ukraine
Alexandr Trostyanitsyn (born 1975), a member of the Jewish community of Lviv, Ukraine. Born and raised in Lviv, volunteered to the IDF where he did a full army service. makes his living today as a manager and travel guide. The Jewish community of Lviv was one of the largest Jewish communities of eastern Europe preceding World War II, with a […]
David Cameron, Board member, Jewish community, Saskatoon, Canada
David Cameron (born 1943) ,active on Board committees and in Jewish community of Saskatoon, Canada . Retired Library Director. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “It is the only place in the entire word in which Jews can […]
Daniel Ben Brazil, President of the Jewish student union, Brisbane, Australia
Daniel Ben Brazil, 23 YO, student, South African immigrant. lived in Australia since I was six. My parents are Cultural Jews, and follow some of the traditions. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “We need a place to call […]
Alex Koifman, President, RJCF, Massachusetts, U.S
Alex Koifman, President of RJCF (Russian Jewish Community Foundation). Lives in Newton, Massachusetts. The RJCF is a non-profit organization created for charitable purposes by Russian speaking Jewish immigrants from the former USSR now residing in Massachusetts. RJCF goals are to preserve and enhance the Jewish identity among Russian Jews and to support Israel. In your opinion, what importance, […]
Michael Brener, Financial Advisor, Florida, U.S
Michael Brener, Wealth Management Advisor. I was born in 1965 in the US but grew up in Venezuela. Living in the US for the past 26 years (Miami, Fl). Do you feel committed in some way to defend the future existence of Israel? “Yes.” Do you feel morally responsible for Israel’s actions (such as its […]
Samuel M. Edelman, Prof. Emeritus, Executive Director at the Academic Council for Israel, U.S
Prof. Emeritus, Samuel M. Edelman, Ph.D, Executive Director at the Academic Council for Israel. Emeritus Professor CSU, Chico, Academic Fellow, The Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies; University of Miami. I was born the same time Israel was born in May 1948 in Altoona PA. Currently split my time between Chico, CA and Hallandale Fl. […]
Elina Feldman, The Jewish Society, University of Bath, UK
Elina Feldman, Business Student at the University of Bath and a committee member of the Bath Jewish Society, UK. Elina was born in Moscow, Russia In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “I think it’s very important. It is a place […]
Nurit Brooks, Director, Melbourne
“Israel is the only Jewish country in the world and the only safe and secure place for Jews to be.“ The Interviewee – Nurit Brooks (Born 1978), Director. Born in Melbourne, Australia. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “It […]
Rob Eshman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief , TRIBE Media/Jewish Journal
Rob Eshman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief , TRIBE Media/Jewish Journal. Born in 1960 in Los Angeles. Lived in Israel 1984-1986. Editor of Jewish Journal since 2000. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state have to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “The same as I would have to […]
Renée Dayán-Shabot, Executive Director, Tribuna Israelita, Mexico
Renée Dayán-Shabot, Executive Director, Tribuna Israelita (The analysis and opinion institution of the Jewish Community in Mexico). I was born in Mexico City. My grandparents came to Mexico from Syria at the beginning of the XIX Century. I have a B.A. in communications and a M.A. in Judaic Studies. I am very committed to the Jewish community […]
Dr. Rachel Friedberg, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
Dr. Rachel Friedberg (1965), Grew up in Illinois, live in Rhode Island. I have a lot of family in Israel, and have lived there, so am maybe less representative of the typical American Jew. Dr. Friedberg is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. In your opinion, what importance, if any, […]
Árpád Báró, Budapest, Hungary
Árpád Báró (born 1957), lives in Budapest, Hungary. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state has to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “It is essential that there will be an independent Jewish state that supports cultural life of Jews in the Diaspora, and gives them […]
Ligeti László, President of the Jewish community of Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
Ligeti László (born 1952), President of the Jewish community of Mosonmagyaróvár, a town in northwestern Hungary. Owns a real estate agency. In 1939 the Hungarian government combined the two existing towns of Magyaróvár and Moson into one city called Mosonmagyaróvár. In 1944 the number of Jews in the ghetto in Mosonmagyaróvár was around 400 people, Most of them were […]
Vilmos Siklósi, President of the Jewish community of Zalaegerszeg, Hungary
“Israel and the Diaspora are two sons of the same mother, but It should also stress the importance of the Diaspora, for without it the Jewish people would be a one-armed giant.” The Interviewee– Vilmos Siklósi, Since 1995 i am serving as the President of the Jewish community of Zalaegerszeg, Hungary. The first evidence to the […]
Dr. Peter Landesman, Institute of Jewish Studies, University of Vienna, Austria
Dr. Peter Landesman (1929), born at the Auersperg Sanatorium in Vienna, Austria. During WW II his family fled to Hungry (from which his parents came to Austria) where they moved between different safe houses. When the war ended the family returned eventually to Vienna. Dr. Landesman is an honorary professor for Judaic Studies at the […]
Peninnah Rachel, Director, UK
“I think Israelis should vote and determine Israel’s political and military actions without diaspora Jews telling them or pressuring them about what to do.“ The Interviewee – Peninnah Rachel, Director, UK. Do you feel committed in some way to defend the future existence of Israel? “Yes.” Do you affiliate yourself with a specific denomination in […]
Leonard Dinnerstein, Professor Emeritus, University of Arizona, U.S
Leonard Dinnerstein (1934), Born in New York City. Son of Abraham and Lillian (Kubrik) Dinnerstein. Professor Emeritus of history and former director of Judaic Studies in University of Arizona. His books include The Leonard Frank Case, America and the Survivors of the Holocaust, and Antisemitism in America. Vita. In your opinion, what importance, if any, […]
Yonatan Higgsmith, Film Producer, London, UK
“Jews outside Israel broadly have Israel’s best interests at heart, and that many have a powerful and deeply personal connection to Israel, even if they are critical of Israel.” The Interviewee -Yonatan Higgsmith (Born 1983), Film Producer, London, UK. I’ve a Dual Israeli/British Citizenship. Both Parents born in Israel, Half family in Israel, Half in UK. In your opinion, […]
Charles Bernstein, Donald T. Regan Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of Pennsylvania
Charles Bernstein, (Born 1950, New York) Donald T. Regan Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of Pennsylvania. Prof. Bernstein grew up on the upper West Side of Manhattan and attended the Bronx High School of Science. He graduated from Harvard College. From 1989 to 2003, he taught at the State University of New York […]
David Walker, Editor of the Jewish East End Celebration Society magazine, UK
David Walker (Born 1945), Live in Letchworth Garden City, England. Journalist. Editor of the Jewish East End Celebration Society magazine, The Cable; former executive editor of the Financial Times newspaper. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state has to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “It […]
Daniel Heiniger, Software Engineer, Zurich
“Israel is and should be a secular state. Orthodox denominations are allowed to live in Israel, but they can not define its policy. At least not alone, only as part of the democratic process.” The Interviewee – Daniel Heiniger (Born 1962), Software Engineer. Born in Aarau, Switzerland, living in Zurich, Switzerland for the last 15 years. […]
Irven M. Resnick, Professor and Chair of Excellence, Dep. of Philosophy and Religion, University of Tennessee, U.S
Irven M. Resnick (born 1952), was born and raised in Rochester, New York. Holds a position of Professor and Chair of Excellence, Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dr. Resnick has a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and holds the Chair of Excellence in Judaic Studies. In your opinion, what importance, if […]
David, Member of the academic community, UK
David, in his forties, was born in Eastern Europe, lived in Israel for a decade, based in the UK now. Member of the academic community in the UK. Requested not to be mentioned by title and full name. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state has to you […]
Dr Ilan Zvi Baron, Durham University, UK
“I think it is safe to say that the creation of the State of Israel has become a very important contributing factor to the construction for Jewish peoplehood.” The Interviewee – Dr Ilan Zvi Baron, Senior Lecturer in the School of Government and International Affairs and Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of Jewish Culture, […]
Debra Polsky, Executive Director, Dallas Jewish Historical Society
“For the Jewish people, I think Israel is a source of pride (most of the time), a source of consternation when we don’t understand or agree with her leadership, and a rallying point behind which most of stand faithfully.” The Interviewee – Debra Polsky (Born 1954), Executive Director, Dallas Jewish Historical Society. Born in New […]
Ezra Cohen, Executive Director of Shevet Ahim Congregation, Panama
Ezra Cohen, born in Panama in 1960, parents from Israel, my father fought in the independence war in 1948. Serves as Executive Director of Shevet Ahim Congregation in Panama. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state has to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “Israel has […]
Dr. Gilbert N. Kahn, Professor of Political Science, NYC
“The triumphalist attitude of the Orthodox in Israel–and to some extent in the American–could well accelerate a growing disaffection and connection among large numbers of non-Orthodox.” The Interviewee – Dr. Gilbert N. Kahn (Born 1942), Professor of Political Science, Kean University. Born in New York. I am a professor of political science and am still teaching full-time. I married […]
Ljiljana Popov, President of the JC Zrenjanin, Serbia
Ljiljana Popov, President of the Jewish Community of Zrenjanin. Zrenjanin is a city located in the eastern part of Serbia. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a Jewish state has to you personally and to Jewish people in general? “Of course it has. It is our homeland that we all […]
Joe Lederman, CEO of law firm, Melbourne, Australia
“Diaspora Jews need Israel and Israel should adhere to the principle of all Jews being brothers. We are the same tribe, and diaspora Jews and Israel share the same Jewish Civilization.” The Interviewee – Joe Lederman (Born 1954), CEO of law firm, consultancy, Publisher , Lecturer, Director, Entrepreneur. Born in Melbourne Australia. Family of 6 siblings – […]
A. Montreal
“I think that as a Jew living in the diaspora you do not have any other choice. Eventually people will ask/demand an ‘explanation/justification’ to Israel’s actions (regardless if you support Israel’s actions or not).” The Interviewee – A. Lives in Montreal. Asked to remain anonymous. In your opinion, what importance, if any, does the existence of a […]
Jon Goldberg, Executive Director at The Atlantic Jewish Council, Canada
“I believe that Israel represents the Jewish homeland, the Jewish faith, and the survival of the Jewish people for over a 5776 years.” The Interviewee – Jon Goldberg (Born February 2nd 1946), Have been CEO for over 23 years. I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, as was my father before me in 1913. My […]
Malka Young, Director at JFS, Greater Boston area
“There is a vibrant, authentic Jewish life outside of the State of Israel, and one does not have to live in Israel to lead a full life as a Jew.“ The Interviewee – Malka Young (Born 1950’s), Director of Elder and Communal services at JFS. Born in Indiana, moved east to go to college, got […]
William Bietsch, Professional in the advertising industry, Chicago
“I don’t believe that all of world Jewry needs to make Aliyah which would just create another vulnerable ghetto.“ The Interviewee – William Bietsch (Born 1968), Born in Springfield, IL. I currently work on the Publicis Groupe Strategy and Growth Team and have worked in various capacities for over a decade in media and creative agencies. My […]
Sandra Saltzman, JEN Outreach Coordinator, JVS Chicago
“I did not visit Israel until my adulthood, it was by far one of the most remarkable and meaningful experiences of my life; the people, culture that I identified with, the country itself… everything.” The Interviewee – Sandra Saltzman, JEN (Jewish Employment Network) Outreach Coordinator, JVS Chicago. Born in New York, reared and educated in the deep […]
