As Shaarei Tefillah’s rabbi since 1995 and the Genesis Forum Scholar, Rabbi Benjamin J. Samuels has endeavored to intensify and strengthen the shul’s threefold mission of Torah, Tefillah (prayer), and Darkhei Noam (chesed and communal responsibility).
Rabbi Samuels explains: “As rabbi…
Sarah Hurwitz was a White House speechwriter from 2009 to 2017, starting out as a Senior Speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then serving as Head Speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama.
Sarah worked with Mrs. Obama to craft widely-acclaimed addresses and traveled with her across…
Ambassador Dennis Ross is counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Among other roles in government, Ambassador Ross served as the U.S. point man on the Middle East peace process in both the George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton admini…
David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and Director of the Project on Arab-Israel Relations. He is also an adjunct professor in Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). In 2013-201…
Award-winning actress and New York Times best-selling author Alicia Silverstone is often recognized for her role as “Cher” in the comedy hit Clueless. Through film, television, and theater, her performances have garnered awards and critical praise including Emmy and Golden Globe nominati…
