Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) will host “Frontline Conversations and the Way Forward “on Thursday evening, Oct. 16, at  Pikesville’s Chizuk Amuno Congregation, 8100 Stevenson Road.

The event will explore  Ben-Gurion University’s leadership as the Negev’s anchor institution and as a beacon of hope for all of Israel. Following the Oct. 7th and Iranian missile attacks, BGU has mobilized its experts in emergency medicine, trauma response and mental health to support Israel’s hardest-hit communities.

The featured speaker at Chizuk Amuno will be Jeff Kaye, BGU’s vice president for public affairs and resource development.

Kaye has spent the past quarter-century focused on securing significant philanthropic contributions; building partnerships; and conducting successful negotiations with Israeli government ministries of finance, defense, housing, education, the Prime Minister’s Office, the IDF and others.

Also speaking at the event will be  Michelle Stravitz, CEO of of the American Jewish Medical Association, the first nationwide, non-political nonprofit representing Jewish health care professionals and students, founded in response to rising antisemitism after Oct. 7th.

BGU has deployed physicians, researchers, psychologists, social workers and student volunteers to bolster emergency care, trauma recovery, and community resilience across the south of Israel and beyond.

The Oct. 16th program will share on-the-ground lessons from this sustained mobilization, as well as BGU’s vision for Israel’s recovery and long-term strength.

Rabbi Joshua Z. Gruenberg, Chizuk Amuno’s senior rabbi, will moderate the program. A free event, “Frontline Conversations and the Way Forward” will also include a Negev wine reception.

To register, go to  https://americansforbgu.org/events/frontline_conversations_md_25/. For information about the event or to get involved with A4BGU in the Baltimore area, contact Jason Pressberg at jason@a4bgu.org.