US-born rabbi and former member of Israel’s Knesset to share his personal journey from an anonymous immigrant to Israel to Israeli politician.
Jerusalem—US-born former member of Israel’s parliament (Knesset) and Director of the Division of Zionist Operations for the World Zionist Organization, Rabbi Dov Lipman, will be speaking at Congregation Beth Aaron on Monday, September 12, at 8:15 p.m. His talk, entitled “Behind the Scenes in the Knesset: My Life in Israel,” is sponsored by Nefesh B’Nefesh and will take the audience through his journey of an anonymous immigrant from Maryland to holding a major seat at the Israeli political table as a Member of Knesset (MK).
Lipman, who had to renounce his US citizenship to join the Israeli government, was the first American-born MK in 30 years. He was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, where after studying at Johns Hopkins University for a Masters Degree, he taught Judaic Studies at his alma mater, the Yeshiva of Greater Washington.
In 2004, the Lipman family made Aliyah to Israel with Nefesh B’Nefesh and moved to Beit Shemesh outside of Jerusalem, where Lipman continued to teach in post-high school yeshivas and seminaries. It wasn’t until 2011 when tensions between local religious sects brought him into community activism against extremism.
Just the next year, Yair Lapid recruited Lipman for his new Yesh Atid political party. The party won 19 seats in the Knesset in the January, 2013 election, when Lipman was officially elected to serve in Israel’s 19th parliament.
For more information on Dov Lipman and his experience within the Knesset, please visit: https://knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=877.
Founded in 2002, Nefesh B’Nefesh, in cooperation with the Israeli government and The Jewish Agency for Israel, is dedicated to revitalizing Aliyah from North America and the UK by removing or minimizing the financial, professional, logistical and social obstacles of Aliyah.
The support and comprehensive social services provided by Nefesh B’Nefesh to its 50,000 newcomers has ensured that over 90 percent of its Olim have remained in Israel.
Congregation Beth Aaron is located at 950 Queen Anne Road.
By JLNJ Staff
