Temple Sholom Speaker Series Presents “A Conversation with Ross & Makovsky”

On Sunday, November 3, 2019 at 7:00 pm, Temple Sholom (300 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT) will welcome former U.S. negotiators and veteran diplomats, Dennis Ross and David Makovsky, for a unique discussion based on their newest book, Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny.

Ambassador Dennis Ross is counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Prior to returning to the Institute in 2011, he served two years as special assistant to President Obama and National Security Council senior director for the Central Region, and a year as special advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

David Makovsky is the Ziegler distinguished fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process. He is also an adjunct professor in Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). In 2013-2014, he worked in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of State, serving as a senior advisor to the Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations.

Ross and Makovsky, who published Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East in 2009, will focus their presentation on four towering figures in Israeli history who “took great risks for an elusive peace,” and will explain why those qualities are needed in our current time. Both Ross and Makovsky are passionately committed to Israeli-Palestinian peace and diplomacy, and will present novel ideas that can be implemented over time to ensure separating and preserving Israel’s character.

This program is the first event in a larger speaker series hosted by Temple Sholom, and costs $18 for Temple Sholom members and $36 for guests ($36 for all attendees at the door) to attend. The series – which has been generously sponsored by an anonymous donor – will look to offer a broad range of relevant and exciting topics of interest to many diverse demographic groups, including a family-oriented program and possible celebrity speaker in the near future.

“We are grateful to our donor who saw fit to sponsor the launch of this new speaker series,” said Alexandra Hochman, Temple Sholom’s President. “We also hope that as these programs gain momentum, that other donors might be interested in partnering with us to expand the scope and scale.”

To purchase tickets in advance for Ross and Makovsky’s conversation, call 203-869-7191 or visit www.templesholom.com.