Dr. Aliza Lavie, writer, lecturer and a former member of the Israeli Knesset, will speak at a brunch program to be held on Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale-The Bayit (HIR), located at 3700 Henry Hudson Parkway in the Bronx. Her topic will be “Personal Prayer, Public Prayer and Women’s Prayer Since October 7: Thoughts for the New Year.”

The event is dedicated by the Haut-Rosenberg and Weissman families in memory of Rivka and Rabbi Yitzchak Haut, z”l. Reservations should be made by visiting the HIR website at www.thebayit.org/lavie.

Lavie is the author of five books, including “A Jewish Women’s Prayer Book,” for which she won the 2008 National Jewish Book Award. Her latest book is “Iconic Jewish Women: Fifty-Nine Inspiring, Courageous, Revolutionary Role Models for Young Girls.”

In her public advocacy role focusing on social and gender equality, Lavie is founder of the 120 Women Leadership Council, a nonpartisan collective of Israeli women grounded in conflict resolution that seeks to bridge divides by promoting politics rooted in inclusivity and acceptance. As a member of the Knesset she served as chairperson of the Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality.

She is founder and CEO of BLNG, an interactive educational technology venture that connects users to their Jewish heritage. She also serves as senior lecturer at Bar-Ilan University, and is chairperson of the Herzl Center and general director of the Public Council for Youth Exchange.

Lavie said her new book “aims to connect bat mitzvah girls of all ages to remarkable women in Jewish history, and enables them to creatively find their own place in today’s increasingly confusing world.”

The book may be purchased at a 25% discount by visiting the HIR website, www.thebayit.org/lavie.