Chabad on the Vineyard will host “Critical Conversations,” a four-part speaker series focusing on relevant Jewish topics. The series will occur at Edgartown’s Slough Farm on Tuesdays through July and August. All events will be held at 5 pm.
On July 11, the first event will be hosted by Naftali Bennett, former Israeli prime minister. Bennett will lead a conversation on the present and future state of Israel. On July 25, Chabad plans to welcome the editorial team from Tablet Magazine, a magazine geared toward Jewish news and culture. Journalists Alana Newhouse, Liel Liebovitz, and Stephanie Butnick will discuss the intersection between Jewish identity and contemporary issues.
On August 15, Congressman Ritchie Torres will speak about the relationship between Israel and the U.S. government. On August 29, the series will conclude with a conversation between author and historian Walter Russell Mead and Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, the director of the Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University. Their panel will consider the dynamics between Israel, the U.S., and the Jewish people.
Founded in 2021, this will be Chabad on the Vineyard’s second time hosting its annual speaker series. “These thought-provoking discussions have proven to be an exceptional platform for fostering dialogue and understanding within our community, while allowing us to explore our shared Jewish heritage and identity,” said Rabbi Tzvi Alperowitz, co-director and founder of Chabad on the Vineyard.