Central Synagogue Podcast

Sermon by Rabbi Sarah Berman, "Not with You Alone"

September 8, 2023

Sermon by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, "Am Yisrael Chai | Erev Rosh HaShanah 5784" September 15th, 2023

Sermon by Rabbi Ari Lorge, "Will the Messiah Get to York Avenue?" | Yom Kippur 5784

Sermon by Cantor Jenna Pearsall, "Embracing The Self" August 11th, 2023

Israel’s ruling coalition has just passed the first of several bills to overhaul the judiciary. This new law prevents its Supreme Court from questioning the reasonableness of any law or nomination approved by the majority of the Knesset. Such a monumental change has the potential to alter the democratic nature of Israel itself. In response, massive protests continue throughout Israel.

What is the true intention behind this judicial overhaul? How will the passage of this first new law impact Israel and its people? What role have the ongoing protests played in shaping the process? And most importantly, what might lie ahead for the nation?

To help unpack the implications of this ruling, we invite you to join us virtually for a conversation between Michael Koplow, Chief Policy Officer of Israel Policy Forum, and Rabbi Joy Levitt. Mr. Koplow will provide invaluable insights into these pressing questions, shed light on the current state of affairs in Israel, and answer questions from our community. We hope you will join us for this important conversation.

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Michael Koplow is the chief policy officer of Israel Policy Forum, and also serves as a research fellow of the Kogod Research Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Before coming to Israel Policy Forum, he was the founding program director of the Israel Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University, where he specialized in political development and ideology, and the politics of Middle Eastern states. He writes Israel Policy Forum’s weekly Koplow Column and edits Israel Policy Exchange, which is a leading source for commentary and analysis on Israel and American Jewry, and his work regularly appears in other publications. In addition to his Ph.D., he holds a B.A. from Brandeis University, a J.D. from New York University, and an A.M. in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University.