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Tikkun Olam (Hebrew: “To mend, repair and transform the world”) emphasizes the strong value that Jewish tradition places on social action and social justice work. The concept of tikkun olam is the motivating force behind NIF’s mission to strengthen Israel’s democracy and to promote freedom, justice and equality for all Israel’s citizens.
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6:00 PM Reception & Light Dinner
7:30 PM Program & Discussion
8:30 PM Dessert & Coffee
Business Attire
Dietary laws observed
Evening includes a private viewing of Imaginary Coordinates,
the new exhibition on display at the Spertus Museum.
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Peter Edelman, President of the NIF Board of Directors (2002-2008), is a Professor of Law at Georgetown University where he teaches constitutional and poverty law. A faculty member since 1982, he has served in all three branches of government. He took leave during President Clinton's first term to serve as Counselor to Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala and then as Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. He was a Legislative Assistant to Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Issues Director for Senator Edward Kennedy's 1980 Presidential campaign, and Law Clerk to Supreme Court Justice Arthur J. Goldberg. In addition to his tireless work for social justice in Israel, Professor Edelman has chaired and been a board member of numerous other organizations and has written extensively on poverty, constitutional law, and children and youth. He and his wife, Marian Wright Edelman (Children’s Defense Fund founder), are lifelong advocates of children’s rights issues.
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Martin Indyk, a member of the NIF Board of Directors and chair of its International Council, is a Middle East expert and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Dr. Indyk is the Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Ambassador Indyk served two tours in Israel, the first during the Rabin years, (1995-97), and the second during the intifadah, (2000-2001). His focus was to strengthen U.S-Israeli relations, reinforce the U.S. commitment to the peace process, and substantially increase mutually beneficial trade and investment. Dr. Indyk served as special assistant to President Clinton and senior director of Near East and South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council. He was a founding executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, has published widely on Palestinian-Israeli peace and Middle East policy, and is now working on a study of the Clinton Administration’s diplomacy in the region.
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