(Courtesy of Kaplen JCC) To expand its offerings in new and exciting ways, the Patron of the Arts program at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades is now collaborating with the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) to offer a new avenue for cultural programming that include concerts, performances and speaker engagements throughout the year.
On Thursday, December 6, at 7:30 p.m., Dr. Tal Becker, principal deputy legal adviser at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and senior member of the Israeli peace negotiation team, will present: “Identity, Religion and Justice: A Deeper Look at the Israeli-Palestinian Relationship at the JCC” as part of this special collaboration. In his current position, Becker serves on the front lines of many of Israel’s most pressing diplomatic, legal and policy challenges. He also serves as a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem where he leads educational initiatives on Israel and the Jewish world. Dr. Becker has been a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, senior policy advisor to Israel’s minister of foreign affairs, a lead negotiator and drafter in the Annapolis peace talks, director of the international law department at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, counsel to Israel’s UN Mission in New York, and an international law expert at the Israel Defense Forces. He is the author of “Terrorism and the State,” which won the Guggenheim Prize for best international law book, and has served, amongst numerous positions, as the vice-chairman of the United Nations General Assembly’s legal committee, the first Israeli to hold a position of this stature in over 40 years.
“We are honored by the meaningful collaboration we have established with the FIDF New Jersey Chapter and eager to welcome Dr. Becker as our special guest,” says JCC CEO Jordan Shenker. “His knowledge and wisdom when it comes to Israel is unparalleled and he is sure to give our audience an intelligent and insightful presentation.”
The new Patron of the Arts/FIDF series is open to the public for a modest fee of only $10 per event. Its presenting sponsor is Maggie Kaplen of The Kaplen Foundation. For more information or to register for a JCC FIDF event, visit www.jccotp.org/fidf.
