American Friends of the Hebrew University

THE ALEF 2006 CONFERENCE IS PRESENTED BY AFHU

ALEF 2006: SHAPING THE WORLD OF TOMORROW

The weekend of January 13-15, 2006, American Friends from throughout the United States gathered for AFHU's fourth Annual Leadership Educational Forum, a national event held at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Co-chaired by AFHU national board member Stanley Bogen and campaign committee chair Enid McKenna Soifer, ALEF 2006 brought together prominent Hebrew University faculty with expertise in Middle East relations, high tech science, and Jewish and Islamic studies, as well as major U.S. journalists Judith Miller, David Brooks and Richard Chesnoff.

On Friday, January 13, ALEF participants enjoyed a Shabbat Dinner at Temple Israel in Palm Beach, where they were introduced to Shaul Druckman and Moran Yarchi, student ambassadors from The Hebrew University. Professor Menahem Milson discussed his "delicate assignment" as a liaison to Egyptian president Anwar Sadat during the leader's historic 1977 visit to Jerusalem.

At a luncheon on Saturday, January 14, Southeast Region president Rita Bogen welcomed American Friends. The day's guest speaker, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor Richard Z. Chesnoff, provided an illuminating look at world affairs, reporting on the future of Iraq.

On Sunday, January 16th, a full-day educational conference opened with greetings from Ike Sorkin, chairman of the AFHU national board, AFHU president George Schieren, and Hebrew University President Menachem Magidor. ALEF guests heard from a broad array of distinguished and dynamic speakers.

Highlights included:

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Ambassador Daniel Ayalon, who discussed Israel's ongoing diplomatic efforts in the peace process

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Ambassador Bill Brown, who moderated a panel discussion focusing on Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in light of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's illness. Panelists included Hebrew University professors Eyal Ben-Ari, Jacob Shamir, and Gadi Wolfsfeld, as well as Dr. Khalil Shikaki of al-Najah National University

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A presentation from Professor Robert Wistrich, head of The Hebrew University's Vidal Sassoon Center for the Study of Antisemitism, who spoke about contemporary anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish attitudes

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"From Robotic Arms to Alzheimer's Breakthroughs" a panel featuring Hermona Soreq, dean of the Faculty of Science, and Professor Eilon Vaadia, of the Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation

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Pulitzer Prize-winner Judith Miller and New York Times columnist David Brooks, speaking about a "reporter's privilege" to protect confidential sources

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Professor Menahem Milson, discussing radical interpretations of Islamic holy books by Muslim fundamentalists

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A reception honoring Professor Robert Aumann, a professor emeritus from Hebrew University's Center for Rationality, who shared the 2005 Nobel Prize in Economics.

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Dinner with the Lord Woolf of Barnes, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, who spoke with guests about the rule of law and Israel's Supreme Court.

To view the original weekend program for Alef 2006, please click here