In Perspective
Exclusive programs focused on moving the Jewish community forward.
Talent Matters, Exclusivity Counts
The Possibility of Peace
“We will never abandon our efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation with our neighbors.” —Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Former Prime Minister of Israel “Ehud Olmert was the 12th Israeli to serve as Prime Minister and probably the best politician of them all.” —TIME Magazine
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Ehud Olmert
Former Prime Minister of Israel One of the most influential leaders in Israel’s history, Ehud Olmert became Prime Minister with a courageous vision: achieving prosperity through peace. Born in 1945, Olmert began his career in public service at only 28 years old, serving seven consecutive terms in the state legislature as a member of the Foreign Affairs, Defense, Finance and Education Committees, and as Minister of Health. Even before his first public election, Olmert had earned three degrees in philosophy, psychology and law from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; served with the Israel Defense Forces as a journalist and military correspondent; and was at the helm of a successful law partnership in Jerusalem. Olmert rose to international prominence when he was elected Mayor of Jerusalem in 1993. During his decade as Mayor, Olmert established the most advanced transportation infrastructure in the country, reformed the education system with hundreds of school improvements, expanded small neighborhoods into hi-tech industrial centers and established a historic budget surplus for Jerusalem’s growing economy. Olmert’s improvements changed the face of the city, but Jerusalem was constantly confronted with violent terrorism which resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties. As Mayor, he made an uncompromising decision: Olmert personally visited the home of every family in Jerusalem who lost a loved one to terrorist attacks. He also made historic advances in the city’s emergency response system, setting a new standard for safety in the region. After achieving unparalleled success in the legislature and as Mayor, Olmert was appointed by Prime Minister Sharon to serve in his cabinet as Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor. Olmert founded historic free trade agreements that bolstered Israel’s economy, resulting in a tremendous increase in exports, employment and trade routes throughout the country. For the first time in history, the scope of Israel’s exports exceeded imports; and under Olmert’s economic and financial leadership, Israel experienced unprecedented growth and regional trade expansion. In 2006, Olmert was designated Acting Prime Minister as a result of the serious stroke suffered by Prime Minister Sharon. In the historic election that followed, Olmert was elected the 12th Prime Minister of Israel, resolving to advance the focus on peace, prosperity and international diplomacy. Under Olmert’s leadership, Israel reduced casualties from terror attacks to the lowest in decades. With more families employed than ever before, Israel’s economic growth exploded even when compared with some Western nations, and his time in office left Israel with a record budget surplus. As Prime Minister, Olmert forged intimate relationships with prominent world leaders George W. Bush, Gordon Brown, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel among others, which unified the global community with a shared vision for peace in the middle east. At the podium, Olmert offers an in-depth analysis of the world’s most difficult and complex issues, including international security, urban infrastructure, universal health care and education reform. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/EhudOlmert.
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Beyond Tolerance:
Mayor Cory Booker & Rabbi Shmuley Boteach More than fifteen years ago, a Rabbi and a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University began a conversation that would one day inspire the values of communities worldwide. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach first garnered world recognition through his founding of the Oxford L’Chaim Society, an organization of students that, within three years of its founding, had become the second largest student organization in Oxford’s history. As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, Cory Booker attended a L’Chaim Society meeting and was seated next to the 24-year old Chabad rabbi, Shmuley Boteach. Unlikely companions, the young Baptist from New Jersey and Oxford’s rabbi of more than a decade Rabbi Shmuley Mayor Cory discovered a deeply shared belief in the power of Booker Boteach diversity and tolerance to influence meaningful change. Mayor of Newark, NJ “America’s Rabbi” Their collaboration and close friendship at Oxford, which was reported on by the world’s media, was a powerful example of the tremendous possibilities that result when people not only embrace racial, ethnic and religious tolerance, but go beyond tolerance to find mutual enrichment. Booker and Shmuley’s close friendship evolved and continues to influence change among individuals, families and entire communities. Booker took the oath of office as Mayor of New Jersey’s largest city on July 1, 2006 following a sweeping electoral victory. Under his leadership, Newark has experienced radical transformations with a 40% reduction in violence and unprecedented development of urban infrastructure. Rabbi Shmuley has been called by Newsweek magazine ‘a cultural phenomenon and the most famous Rabbi in America’ and is regularly chosen as one of the most influential Rabbis in the world. An international best-selling author of more than 20 books, Rabbi Shmuley is also the host of TLC’s award-winning relationship repair show, ‘Shalom in the Home.’ At the podium, the two close friends, both mesmerizing speakers, bring their passion for social change to audiences, sharing stories informed by individual and shared experiences. Together they demonstrate the need for communities to embrace social values that extend beyond simple tolerance, encouraging a lifetime of enrichment through difference. Both internationally admired academic scholars, the Mayor and the Rabbi ardently discuss the state of democracy and government’s role in establishing stronger cultural and family values.
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Global Perspectives, Family Affairs: Campbell Brown & Dan Senor
Together the husband-and-wife team speak about global affairs in the unique dual view of media reporter and government policy-maker. Brown and Senor combine to share more than two decades of experience in politics, government and the press, leading to a spirited discussion. Dan Senor and Campbell Brown met in Baghdad shortly after the start of the Iraqi War—with Senor serving as the Bush Administration’s Chief Spokesman in Baghdad, and Brown in her role as correspondent for NBC’s TODAY: Weekend Edition and NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Campbell Brown is one of the most respected and recognizable faces in American news. She won an Emmy for her reporting during Hurricane Katrina; Campbell Brown was on the trail during two presidential elections; Dan Senor Award-winning Journalist Foreign Policy Expert and has made numerous trips to Iraq to report on & CNN Anchor the Iraqi elections, abuses at Abu Graib prison and the trial of Saddam Hussein. She currently host of Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull. Prior to joining CNN, Brown was with NBC News for eleven years. While there, Brown served as co-anchor of NBC’s TODAY: Weekend Edition, and as the main substitute anchor for Brian Williams for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Dan Senor was the Chief Spokesperson for the U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq, and a Senior Advisor to Presidential Envoy L. Paul Bremer III, the Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority. Senor rode into Baghdad on the first convoy of civilians into Iraq from Kuwait, less than two weeks after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Working closely with the military under often less-than-ideal conditions, Senor advised the Bush Administration, the Blair Government in the U.K. and Ambassador Bremer on a variety of Iraqi strategic, policy and communication issues and was the civilian face of the Coalition Authority to Americans, Europeans, Iraqis and the world.
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Faith & Politics in the Middle East Reza Aslan & Gideon Yago
“Religious language is the language that holds the most currency for the masses. In every culture, it’s not unusual to boil down the most complex sociopolitical issues and conflicts to their most basic level: good vs. evil. Any child can make that choice.” —Reza Aslan The first young Muslim intellectual to appear on the scene in years, Reza Aslan brings a new, passionate, and much-needed perspective to the national discussion regarding Islam.
Reza Aslan
Author & Middle East Expert
Gideon Yago
To a generation savvy about media biases and packaging, Yago frames complex issues in an unbiased, informative format. Their unique perspectives allow for a fresh, comprehensive look at the culture of Islam and global events. Together, they are an unbeatable duo for exploring the current realities of faith, politics, and society.
News Correspondent
Reza Aslan is the author of the acclaimed No god but God: the Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. Praised by The New York Times as a “grippingly narrated and thoughtfully examined... literate, accessible introduction to Islam,” No god but God has established Aslan as the most dynamic voice of liberal Islam in the US. Gideon Yago is recognized as the face of current events to millions of young adults stemming from his many years as the on-air news correspondent for MTV and as the host of the IFC Media Project. In addition to covering the war in Iraq for MTV, he was part of the award-winning coverage in the wake of 9/11.
“I could talk at length about the omnipresence of fear and insecurity [in Iraq], but it would only paint one side of the story.” —Gideon Yago
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Why Does God Matter?
Christopher Hitchens & Rabbi David Wolpe
Rabbi Wolpe told Mr. Hitchens, “I have to take your assumptions about God’s incompetence with just a grain of salt because as someone who believes in God, I think God may know better.” Mr. Hitchens erupted in indignation. “Your claim to know the mind of God is … of course a claim I can’t follow.” —The New York Times From opposite sides of the spectrum, Christopher Hitchens and Rabbi David Wolpe draw intellectual swords in an impassioned battle over the sacred and profane. Together, Hitchens and Wolpe present cases for and against organized religion, explore its influence on world history and impact on current events. With unbridled intensity, passion and authority, Hitchens and Wolpe draw unprecedented crowds and garner passionate audience responses. After a historic turnout at Temple Emanu-El in New York of nearly 2,000 attendees, Gary Rosenblatt (publisher and moderator for the debate organized by The Jewish Week) marveled at the size Christopher Rabbi David of the audience, saying it was “the largest Hitchens Wolpe for any public forum the newspaper had Social Critic & Best-Selling Award-Winning Author & ever sponsored.” Hitchens and Wolpe spark Author Rabbi firestorms of enthusiasm from audiences, the press, bloggers and online forums, making Why Does God Matter one of the most relevant debates of our time. Named the #1 Rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine, David Wolpe is the Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, California. He previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Hunter College, and he currently teaches at UCLA. Rabbi Wolpe has been named one of the hundred most influential Jews in America by Forward. Christopher Hitchens is one of the most prominent controversial writers and critics in the media. Described by The Economist as “one of the greatest living conversationalists,” he is a renowned author, journalist, critic and social intellectual. The author of the #1 best-seller God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Hitchens presents an ardent argument against organized religion from an intellectually charged, atheist perspective.
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Perspectives for a Challenging World Leaders on the Global & National Stage Alon Pinkas Foreign Relations Expert & Former Consul General of Israel in New York
With nearly two decades of experience in foreign affairs, Ambassador Alon Pinkas discusses all matters of foreign affairs with a special emphasis on Israel and the Middle East, he is an expert on the conflicts, politics and future of the region. A frequent contributor to the FOX News Channel, CNN and other national news outlets, Pinkas provides an incisive and trenchant analysis of current events around the globe. Read More at www.greatertalent.com/AlonPinkas
Jonathan Alter
Newsweek Senior Editor & NBC News Correspondent Newsweek columnist and best-selling historian Jonathan Alter takes audiences through the key national and global events in each decade since Israel’s founding, offering essential context for appreciating where the nation has been—and where the nation hopes to go. Frequently interviewing a slew of world leaders, he has gained a wealth of knowledge on domestic and international affairs. Alter moves at high speed through Israeli history, with the wit and insight that delights audiences. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/JonathanAlter
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Dan Senor
Foreign Policy Expert A long-time supporter of Israel, Senor looks closely at the important Jewish issues affected by American foreign policy. An accomplished speaker—Senor gave more than a hundred press briefings while serving in Iraq—Senor comes to the podium to discuss the current, ever-changing global political situation. Senor’s newest book, Start Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, discusses the economy of Israel and the globalization of the Middle East and will be available in 2009. Read more at www. greatertalent.com/DanSenor
Brigitte Gabriel
Leading Islamic Terrorism Expert & Analyst Gabriel began her career as news anchor for World News, covering the Israeli security zone in Lebanon and the Palestinian uprising in the West Bank. With a passion and vigor hailing directly from profound experience—the opening salvos of Islamic jihad towards the Western world in the Middle East—Gabriel offers a poignant account of a remarkable upbringing. Fiercely articulate and passionately committed, Gabriel outlines mistakes the West has made in underestimating the single-mindedness with which radical Islamists have pursued their goals for the past 30 years. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/BrigitteGabriel
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Inspiring Strong Communities Looking Ahead with a Positive Attitude Wendy Mogel
Clinical Psychologist, Parenting Expert & Author Mogel helps parents learn how to turn their children’s worst traits into their greatest attributes. Starting with stories of everyday parenting problems and examining them through the lens of the Torah, the Talmud, and other important Jewish teachings, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee shows parents how to teach children to honor their parents and to respect others, escape the danger of overvaluing children’s need for self-expression so that their kids don’t become “little attorneys,” and treasure the power and holiness of the present moment. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/ WendyMogel
Jeffrey Toobin
CNN Senior Analyst & Best-Selling Author A high-profile senior analyst for CNN and staff writer for The New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin is one of the country’s most esteemed experts on politics, media and the law. With clarity, insight, humor and a deep understanding of the law, Toobin deconstructs the events, the players and the often-Byzantine intricacies of our judicial system, ending up with a remarkable account of one of the most significant periods in our nation’s history. At the podium, Toobin is an unbiased, deeply analytic expert on all matters of American law, politics and procedure. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/JeffreyToobin
Jennifer Weiner
Best-Selling Author of In Her Shoes & Certain Girls Those familiar with Weiner’s plotlines can understand her humility. Her characters have all been, not unlike herself, Jewish women with body image issues and flawed love lives. She describes them as outsiders looking in. “I know what it’s like to be a Jewish girl growing up in America. My characters are…trying to find their place in the world and being Jewish encompasses that…a history of persecution and making sense of the world you are never going to fit into perfectly.” Read more at www.greatertalent.com/JenniferWeiner
Kati Marton
Journalist & Acclaimed Humanitarian Kati Marton has successfully combined a career as a reporter and writer with human rights advocacy. Drawing compassion from her journalistic experiences in many of the political hotbeds of the globe, Marton is actively involved in humanitarian causes and was Chief of Outreach at the United Nations, where she was the primary advocate for children in war zones for the Secretary General of the U.N. Marton’s latest book, The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World, describes the journey and experiences of nine extraordinary Jewish men from Budapest to the New World—and how they changed the world. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/KatiMarton
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Icons of Optimism
Hollywood Legends with Motivational Messages Marlee Matlin
Henry Winkler Actor, Author, Director & Producer
Winkler’s portrayal of “The Fonz” for 10 seasons (197484) made him one of the most recognized actors in the world. Decades after Happy Days, Winkler continues to thrive as an actor, director, producer and best-selling author. As Winkler became increasingly visible, he found that he could use his position to help others, particularly children. His lifetime struggle with undiagnosed dyslexia—and being told he was both “lazy and stupid” as a child—inspired him to write a series of best-selling children’s novels entitled, Hank Zipzer: The World`s Most Amazing Under-Achiever. The son of parents who narrowly escaped Nazi Germany before World War II, Winkler shares his perspective on the importance of Jewish family values. Read more at www. greatertalent.com/HenryWinkler
Academy Award Winning Actress, Author & Activist At 21, Marlee Matlin became the youngest actress to win the Best Actress Oscar for her debut role in Children of a Lesser God. Star of numerous films and television series, such as The West Wing and The L Word, she advocates on behalf of all children and was instrumental in getting Closed Captioning legislation passed in Congress. She embodies the daring of the human spirit to strive for greatness move beyond limitations. Matlin shares personal anecdotes about her Jewish upbringing and the role her faith has played on her path to outstanding success as an actress, author, activist and mother of four. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/MarleeMatlin
Leonard Nimoy
Mia Farrow Acclaimed Actress & Humanitarian Activist
Acclaimed Actor, Director & Photographer Leonard Nimoy’s career knows few boundaries. Best known for his legendary Spock character on Star Trek, his latest endeavor is his first photographic monograph Shekhina, revealing Nimoy’s intrigue with the mythology of the Kabbalah and ancient spirituality. At the podium, Nimoy mesmerizes audiences with his transformation from a pop icon into a filmmaker and photographer. A true Renaissance Man, Nimoy is a benefactor of the arts and sciences as well as an award-winning actor, director, poet and photographer. His lecture is about innovation, creativity and personal development. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/LeonardNimoy
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Mia Farrow is one of Hollywood’s most extraordinary women, having commited her life to raising awareness. Her latest humanitarian effort brings attention to the largely ignored genocide occurring in Darfur, Chad and Central African Republic. Believing strongly that with knowledge comes responsibility, Farrow shares photographs from her trips, bearing witness to the desperation of the people who live there in “the very crucible of human suffering.” Connecting to the humanity in all of us, she reminds us of our moral responsibility to ensure that “never again” are not just words. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/MiaFarrow
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Uplifting Perspectives
Humorous Viewpoints to Look Forward To Alan Zweibel
Carol Leifer
Acclaimed Stand-Up Comedian, Writer, Producer & Author Carol Leifer contributed to more than 75 episodes of Seinfeld, earning her a Writers Guild and Emmy Award nominations. A trailblazer in the “old boys club” world of comedy, Leifer has been praised by The New York Times for her “gentle eye for the smaller absurdities [in life]” and her credits also include Saturday Night Live and The Larry Sanders Show. Drawing on her skill as a comedy writer and standup comedian, she explores aging gracefully, love, parenthood and family matters. Her program “Life on An Everything Bagel: My Journey Through Judaism,” Read more at www.greatertalent. com/CarolLeifer
Renowned Writer of Saturday Night Live & Curb Your Enthusiasm A five-time Emmy Award winner, Alan Zweibel’s illustrious career began writing and creating characters for legendary comedians on Saturday Night Live. Zweibel takes audiences along on his incredible journey from the days of selling jokes for seven dollars apiece to working on Broadway. In a kind of Hollywood history lesson, Zweibel takes audiences through his constant fight with censors and makes sure to recount how he got through his notso-funny moments. With great warmth, Zweibel shares hilarious anecdotes that will leave audiences beyond entertained. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/AlanZweibel
Michael Uslan
Peter Sagal
Host of NPR’s Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me! As the host of NPR’s Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! Peter Sagal is heard by more than 3 million people every week, broadcast on 450 public radio stations nationwide and via a popular podcast. The show celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2008 and received the prestigious Peabody Award. At the podium, Sagal takes audiences behind the scenes of Wait, Wait... to explore the shows beginnings, some of its more memorable moments and a look at today’s news stories. Whether providing insightful, colorful commentary on current events or a behind-thescenes peek at the funniest show on radio, Sagal never fails to inform and entertain. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/PeterSagal
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BATMAN Film Series Executive Producer & Comic Book Historian Michael Uslan is best known as the originator and Executive Producer of the Batman movie series, starting with Tim Burton’s 1989 film, and continuing to 2008’s box office record-breaking The Dark Knight. Also a renowned comic book historian, Uslan addresses the founders of the comic book industry and how, not coincidentally, the majority of them are Jewish immigrants or 1st generation American Jews. Uslan also reveals the connection of the super-heroes created by these men and women to Jewish lore and traditions, and just how similar Superman and Moses really are. Read more at www.greatertalent.com/MichaelUslan
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Founded with the belief that words have the ability to change people’s lives, Greater Talent Network is devoted to bringing the most interesting and inspiring stories to audiences worldwide. GLOBAL AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES: Ehud Olmert • Wesley Clark • Harold Ford, Jr. • Alberto Gonzales • Richard Clarke • Richard Gephardt • Valerie Plame Wilson Louis Freeh • Bernard Kouchner • Mayor Cory Booker • George Pataki • Spencer Abraham • Joseph Wilson • Janet Reno • Reza Aslan • Roger Cressey • Dan Senor • Judge Andrew Napolitano • Parag Khanna • Brigitte Gabriel • Zachary Karabell
PRINT AND BROADCAST JOURNALISM: Campbell Brown • Jeffrey Toobin • Ali Velshi • Tina Brown • Christopher Hitchens • Jonathan Alter • Peggy Noonan • Steve Kroft Byron Pitts • Andy Borowitz • Kati Marton • Sir Harold Evans • Rob Walker • Susie Gharib • Gideon Yago • Tiki Barber The Onion
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Carson Kressley • Danny Glover • Mo Rocca • Henry Winkler • Vanessa Williams • Anthony Rapp • Seth MacFarlane • Leonard Nimoy • David Steinberg • Ben Vereen • Max Weinberg • Anthony Zuiker • Alan Zweibel • Neal Baer • Bob Balaban • Peter Sagal Brett Ratner • Gloria Reuben • John Forte • Carol Leifer • Mike Henry • Conan O’Brien • Henry Winkler
MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION, ADVENTURE: Marlee Matlin • George Foreman • Mark Burnett • Marcus Luttrell • Petra Nemcova • Mia Farrow • Rear Adm. T.K. Mattingly John Douglas • Rory Kennedy • Caroll Spinney • Capt. Winston Scott • Nell Irvin-Painter • Esera Tuaolo • Richie Roberts Luma Mufleh • Kris Carr • Emmanuel Jal
BUSINESS, ECONOMY, MANAGEMENT: Jonathan Tisch • Ben & Jerry • Seth Godin • Howard Stringer • Peter Guber • Liz Lange • Peter Greenberg • Parag Khanna Michael Silverstein • Tom Scott • Paul DePodesta • Susie Gharib • Noreena Hertz • Cynthia Rowley • James Taylor • Omar Wasow Mitch Joel
BEST SELLING AUTHORS: Tom Wolfe • PJ O’Rourke • Michael Lewis • Michael Moore • Candace Bushnell • Christopher Buckley • Gore Vidal • Jennifer Weiner Neil Gaiman • Wendy Mogel • Pete Hamill • Richard Preston • Homer Hickam • Po Bronson • Max Brooks • Alisa ValdesRodriguez
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