The 15th Annual Connie Spear Birnbaum Memorial Lecture
Monday, May 7th at Temple Reyim
1860 Washington Street, Newton, MA, 02466
Keynote Speaker: Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. He earned a degree in Finance and Management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from Oxford University. For three years, he was a columnist for The Jerusalem Post. In 2004, Ron co-authored with Natan Sharansky the best-selling book, The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror, which has been translated into ten languages. From 2005-2008, Ron served as Israel’s Minister of Economic Affairs in the United States. From 2009-2013, he served as Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Memorial Lecture
About Connie Spear Birnbaum
As a professional and as a volunteer, Connie Spear Birnbaum worked tirelessly for an array of organizations within the Jewish community, always with the goal of advancing Ahavat Yisrael – the love of one Jew for the other – and a penchant for being in the right place at the right time. Upon her untimely passing from breast cancer at age 48, Connie became a symbol of Jewish unity and the inspiration for an annual event which would bring together Jews from across the width and breadth of Jewish life – from the religious to the secular, the right to the left, and everywhere in between. This popular and meaningful lecture was established in Connie’s memory and continues to be open to anyone who wishes to attend.
Tribute Committee
Rabbi Susan Abramson
Professor Jay Berkovitz & Sharon Levinson
Rabbi Daniel Berman
Joyce & Michael Bohnen
Dr. Robert Braitman
Rabbi Ariel Burger
Anita Diamant
Aaron Feuerstein
Cantor Aryeh Finkelstein
Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz
Hazzan Sara Geffen Geller
Rabbi Mark Gottlieb
Professor Lewis Glinert
Rabbi Leonard Gordon
Barbara & Steve Grossman
Rabbi Eric Gurvis
Rabbi William Hamilton
Brenda & Dr. Jesse Hefter
Councilor Tito Jackson
Shelley Greene & Professor
David C. Jacobson
Dr. Josh & Ronda Jacobson
Jeff Jacoby
Bernice “Sis” Kazis
Rabbi Reuven Kimelman
Cantor Jeff Klepper
Matthew Lazar
Rabbi Daniel Liben
Cantor Rikki Lippitz
Rabbi Abraham Morhaim
Daniel Nesson
Cantor Charles Osborne
Rabbi Barbara Penzner
Rabbi Daniel Pernick
Dr. Nehemia Polen
Rabbi Jonah Pritzker
Rabbi Victor Reinstein
Rabbi Michelle Robinson
Rabbi Roy Rosenbaum
Rabbi Benjamin Samuels
Cantor Benji Ellen Schiller
Rabbi Gershon Segal
Erica & Gerald Silverman
Horace Small
Dr. Francene & Rav/Hazan Scott Sokol
Rabbi Mendy Uminer
Rabbi Moshe Waldoks
Rabbi Norbert Weinberg
Rabbi David Wolfman
Howard Worona
Rabbi Henry Zoob
Sponsoring Synagogues
Adams Street Shul of Newton
Ahavath Torah Congregation of Stoughton
Beit Sasson: The Sephardic Congregation of Newton
Chabad of Chestnut Hill
Congregation Beth El-Atereth Israel
Congregation Beth Israel of Worcester
Congregation Kehillath Israel of Brookline
Congregation Mishkan Tefila
Congregation Shaarei Tefillah of Newton
Congregation Shirat Hayam of the North Shore
Maimonides Kehillah
Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue of Jamaica Plain
Newton Centre Minyan
Temple Aliyah of Needham
Temple Beth Avodah of Newton
Temple Beth Elohim of Wellesley
Temple Beth David of Westwood
Temple Hillel-Bnai Torah of West Roxbury
Temple Beth Emunah of Brockton
Temple Beth Shalom of Needham
Temple Beth Zion of Brookline
Temple Emanuel of Newton
Temple Emanuel of the Merrimack Valley
Temple Emunah of Lexington
Temple Etz Chaim of Franklin
Temple Isaiah of Lexington
Temple Israel of Boston
Temple Israel of Natick
Temple Israel of Sharon
Temple Ohabei Shalom of Brookline
Temple Reyim of Newton
Temple Shaare Tefilah of Norwood
Temple Shalom Emeth of Burlington
Temple Shalom of Newton
Young Israel of Brookline
Young Israel of Sharon
Sponsoring Organizations
Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity
Center Makor
Combined Jewish Philanthropies
Consulate General of Israel to New England
Eim Chai
Facing History & Ourselves
Gann Academy
Hadassah
Hebrew College
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Israel Bonds
JCC of Greater Boston
Jewish Cemetery Association of MA
Jewish Federation of Central MA
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Women’s Archive
LimmudBoston
Massachusetts Board of Rabbis
National Council of Jewish Women
Rofeh International
The David Project
Union for Reform Judaism-East District
Union of Minority Neighborhoods
United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism-Northeast District
Women’s Studies Research Center-Brandeis University
