The Menachem Begin Symposium

Menachem Begin’s legacy is complex, but his commitment to principles over expediency, and the charisma, courage and passion that were the touchstones of his political and personal life, have much to teach us—about Israel, about Jewish peoplehood, and about strong, ethical leadership.

This international symposium, coinciding with the 40th Anniversary of the Osirak nuclear reactor bombing, will examine Menachem Begin’s legacy and relevance in today’s world, with a focus on key elements of his leadership. With the real and rising threat of antisemitism in the US and around the world, and crises of democracy across the globe, there has never been a more relevant time to study the legacy of a man who was both uncompromising in his defense of Jewish rights and committed to the values of freedom and democracy.

The symposium will be streamed live on this page today at 12 noon ET / 7 p.m. Israel.

Speakers include:

President Reuven Rivlin: President of Israel

Herzl Makov: CEO of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center

Malcom Hoenlein: Vice-chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations

Yossi Klein Halevi: Award-winning writer and public intellectual

Michal Cotler-Wunsh: Former member of Knesset

Pnina Tamano-Shata: Minister of Immigration and Absorption

Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik: Direct of the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University and rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel

To learn more, click here