Technically speaking, David Ben-Gurion passed away nearly 52 years ago at the age of 87.
But through the magic of AI, the folks at Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) are bringing Israel’s founding father back to life.
“David Ben-Gurion Speaks” is a three-part, AI-powered video series developed with Jewish IdeaLab, a marketing and communications consultancy group in New York. The series uses archival images and authentic recordings of Ben-Gurion’s voice enhanced through advanced-generative AI technology.
The release of the series is pegged to the fourth annual “David Ben-Gurion Day,” which this year is officially observed next Wednesday, Nov. 19.
“This unique approach invites viewers to connect Ben-Gurion’s enduring vision with the university that bears his name — Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) — and with his belief that knowledge and creativity could transform a desert into a thriving center of innovation,” A4BGU said in a statement.
Founded in 1969, BGU is a public research university with approximately 20,000 students based in the southern Israeli city of Beersheva.
Among the local institutions participating in “Ben-Gurion Day in the USA” this year are Pikesville’s Chizuk Amuno Congregation and Krieger Schechter Day School, Jewish Educational Services of Baltimore, Bethesda Jewish Congregation and the Charles E. Smith Day School in Rockville.
Schools, synagogues and community centers can participate in “Ben-Gurion Day in the USA” through engagement activities available to download online. Resources include a Ben-Gurion alphabet coloring book, a Spot It! card game, a matching memory game, a timeline poster tracing his path from activist to Israel’s first prime minister, and talking points for sharing Ben-Gurion’s life story.
A4BGU’s community partners can also request a “Ben-Gurion Day in the USA” engagement box featuring t-shirts, stickers and Hebrew-letter coloring activities.
On Nov. 19, A4BGU will host a national webinar featuring Dr. Arieh Saposnik, associate professor at the Ben-Gurion Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism at BGU. The program will explore Ben-Gurion’s influence on Israeli identity and leadership. It will also include a virtual tour of the Ben-Gurion Archives, offering an intimate look at the writings and images that shaped his legacy.
To watch the videos in the David Ben-Gurion Speaks series, visit americansforbgu.org/benguriondayintheusa/dbg-speaks/
For information about “Ben-Gurion Day in the USA,” to register for the Nov. 19 webinar or to access participation resources, visit www.americansforbgu.org/benguriondayintheusa
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