Rabbis and Hollywood Stardust
The First Ever Limmud FSU Events in Francisco Area - Presentors, Volunteers and Guests
"After ten years of annual events on the East Coast of the United States, more than 800 people have gathered for a second Limmud FSU West Coast and first-ever in the San Francisco area.
Among the presenters were WhatsApp founder Jan Koum; the American astronaut Garrett Reisman; historian Prof. Deborah Lipstadt; CEO of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, Danny Grossman; and the musicians Hemi Rodner, Josh Nelson and the Russian Undervud band. A highlight of the event was the launch of the special exhibition “Shimon Peres – Vision and Innovation,” produced by Limmud FSU, working in close collaboration with the family of the late president and the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. Prof. Tsvia Walden, the daughter of Shimon Peres, curated the exhibition and opened the exhibition on behalf of the Peres’ family. A very special event was an award ceremony, honoring former American secretary of state George P. Shultz, who was deeply involved in the struggle of Soviet Jewry during the 1980’s and 1990’s, when immigration from USSR was denied. Chairman of the Jewish Agency Natan Shransky, who himself spent nine years in the Soviet prisons, together with Ofir Akunis, the then Israeli minister of science, technology and space, and Claims Conference president Julius Berman, presented Shultz with an award. Among the speakers were also: Doreen and Chaim Seidler-Feller – Doreen lectured about sexuality in Jewish life, Rabbi Chaim is a widely-appreciated teacher.
Rabbi David Wolpe (57) is a superstar. For the last 20 years he has spent Thursdays studying Torah with Kirk Douglas.
Also participating was Rabbi Marc Schneier, rabbi at one of the wealthiest synagogues in the United States, in Westhampton, Long Island, New York. Chesler and Sandra Cahn had invited the actor Ed Asner, mostly known for his role as the journalist, Lou Grant, to attend Limmud FSU."
About George Shultz
George Shultz - American economist, politician, and businessman
George Pratt Shultz (born in 1920) has had a distinguished career in government, in academia, and in the world of business. He is one of two individuals who have held four different federal cabinet posts; he has taught at three of this country’s great universities; and for eight years he was president of a major engineering and construction company. Shultz held two key positions in the Reagan administration: chairman of the President’s Economic Policy Advisory Board (1981–82) and secretary of state (1982–89). As secretary of state, he played a key role in implementing a foreign policy that led to the successful conclusion of the Cold War and the development of strong relationships between the United States and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region including China, Japan, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.