Beth Am Synagogue is honored to welcome Dr. Tal Becker for a Shabbat of learning featuring candid, off-the-record talks and conversations. Dr. Becker serves as a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and, until recently, as the Legal Adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Tal Becker is a veteran member of successive Israeli peace negotiation teams and, most recently, played an instrumental role in negotiating and drafting the historic peace and normalization agreements (the “Abraham Accords”) between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. Dr. Becker has decades of experience on the front lines of many of Israel’s most pressing diplomatic, legal, and policy challenges and is a key behind-the-scenes representative for Israel in a wide variety of contexts. Dr. Becker has previously served as counsel to Israel’s UN Mission in New York, as a senior policy advisor to Israel’s Foreign Minister, and as an international law expert for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and as lead counsel for Israel at the International Court of Justice. He recently fulfilled this role when he delivered opening remarks for the Defense at The Hague.
In his work at the Hartman Institute, Dr. Becker leads educational initiatives about Israel and the Jewish world. He earned his doctorate from Columbia University in New York, and is the recipient of numerous scholarly awards, including the Rabin Peace Prize, and the Guggenheim Prize for best international law book for his book “Terrorism and the State”.
Dr. Becker lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Rebecca, and has six children.
We are grateful for support from the Bendit family and the Gail M. Bendit Learning Innovation Fund.
These conversations will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. However, due to the sensitive nature of the topics discussed, there will be no recording permitted.
Friday, May 31st
6 PM | Klei Kodesh Services
7 PM | Shabbat Dinner and Talk
Israel on Trial: A Deeper Look at the Case Against Israel
What does it mean to fight a war justly? What is a moral response to the agonizing dilemmas posed by Hamas in Gaza?
Childcare will be available during this program.
Please note: This talk will be livestreamed but not recorded or posted to the Beth Am YouTube after. Private recording is prohibited.
Saturday, June 1st
9:30 AM | Shabbat Morning Services
Dr. Becker will offer words of Torah during our Shacharit services.
1 PM | Talk in partnership with Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation*
Where do we go From Here: Israel and the Jewish People After Oct. 7th
October 7th shattered many assumptions for Israel and for the Jewish people. What can we say about the Jewish predicament on the day after the atrocities and the war that followed them. What stays the same? What needs to change? Rabbi Sabath of Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom will introduce Dr. Becker, who will join Rabbi Burg in conversation after kiddush lunch, followed by time for audience questions.
5 – 5:30 PM | Wine and Cheese Reception & Open Forum with Tal Becker
We’ll begin with Q&A with Dr. Becker inviting attendees to process what we’ve learned over the course of our Shabbat together.
5:30 PM | Talk
Is Peace Still Possible? — The Abraham Accords, the Palestinians, and the Future of Jewish-Muslim Relations in the Middle East
Firsthand lessons on the challenges and opportunities for advancing genuine peace with the Palestinians, and across the region, in a tumultuous and crisis-ridden Middle East.
Please note: These talks will be livestreamed but not recorded or posted to the Beth Am YouTube after. Private recording is prohibited.
Childcare will be available during both programs.
*Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation (HSOSC), the newest and oldest Reform congregation in North America, was created by the combination of two historic Reform synagogues. Led by Senior Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, Ph.D. and Cantor Alexandra Marcus, HSOSC is a community committed to meaningful and inclusive worship, celebration, lifelong study, a deep commitment to Israel, and to social justice everywhere.
