Tikvah’s online seminars, roundtables, and conversations bring together a community of college students dedicated to Jewish and American flourishing in the modern world. We recognize, however, that online learning can never replicate the experience of being together face to face. With this in mind, we have organized periodic in-person events to give Forum Members the opportunity to learn and socialize together. These events are a fantastic opportunity to form lasting friendships with each other and to meet talented educators and young professionals who can help you as you begin to think about your future after college.
The New York Intellectuals Part II with Ruth Wisse
There is something mysterious about the rise of cultural centers, each with its own form of creativity. How did 5th century Athens inspire philosophy? How did Paris inspire brilliant painters, or Vienna inspire musical excellence? And what accounts for the bounty of American Jewish intellectuals who became so influential by the 1960s that some of their compatriots feared they were taking over American culture?
Among the Jewish immigrant masses that crowded New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were many writers and thinkers raised in the Jewish tradition of literacy and eager to learn what the world had to offer. Many found new opportunities in the emerging media of mass communication. They founded newspapers and literary magazines and established secular Jewish schools and cultural institutions, creating networks that seemed robust enough to sustain Jewish life outside a traditional religious framework.
In a new weekly lecture series at the Tikvah Center, Professor Ruth Wisse will continue the journey she began in her earlier course on “The New York Intellectuals,” introducing more of the leading writers and thinkers of the golden age of American Jewry. These intellectuals tackled issues of Jewish particularism and assimilation, and where Jews belonged in American society. As the influence of fascism faded and new forms of anti-Zionism arose, they confronted anti-Semitism at home and abroad. They were thoroughly invested in Jewish life, and formed a distinctive intelligentsia that mediated between Europe and America, shaping American culture and discourse for decades to come.
The lecture series will be held on the following dates and topics at 6:00 PM EST:
Collegiate Forum Members can sign up for the lectures here.
To see the first part of Ruth Wisse’s New York Intellectuals series, please visit the New York Intellectuals series website here.
Washington, DC post-Purim Happy Hour
Join the Pinsker Centre and Tikvah for a post-Purim happy hour at Duke’s Grocery, Foggy Bottom in Washington, D.C. on Sunday March 24th from 7:30-9:30 PM.
Collegiate Forum Members can sign up to attend here.
Collegiate Forum Dinners in Tikvah’s New York City Office
We are excited to announce that the Tikvah Fund will be hosting a series of monthly dinners in New York City for our Collegiate Forum members! Enjoy a kosher meal with friends and peers at Tikvah HQ at 165 E 56th Street in New York City from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM on Tuesdays. Each dinner will focus on a specific area of Tikvah’s expertise: the relationship between Israel and the United States, Jewish education in America, Jewish conservatism, and the American legal space. We will have a guest speaker from our network at each dinner, who will provide a unique perspective on the issue at hand, but, just as importantly, this will be a great opportunity to get to know your fellow Collegiate Forum members! The topics for each dinner will be as follows:
If you’re in the New York area and are a Collegiate Forum member, you can register for any (or all) of the dinners here.
Tikvah National Student Conference in Washington D.C. January 15th & 16th
The National Student Conference is a chance for Tikvah’s most elite high school students, college students, and young professionals to gather in person for two days of learning, networking, and cementing their bonds with this national community. Collegiate Forum members will have the opportunity to hear from Rabbi Meir Soloveichik and Professor Robert George at a keynote event at the Museum of the Bible and in private conversation afterwards. More exciting events are being planned as well – the schedule from Sunday morning through Monday evening will be packed with great seminars and speakers. Meals and hotel accommodations for Sunday night will be provided for Forum members. We will start at 10:00 AM on Sunday, Jan. 15th, and our final event will conclude at 5:00 PM on Monday, Jan. 16th. Students can register for the event here. Students must register by Friday, November 18th.
Krauthammer Graduation Symposium & Collegiate Forum Leadership Summit in NYC, October 30th
At this event, Collegiate Forum members will have opportunities to mingle with fellow Forum members, network with our top Young Professionals, and hear more about our nation-wide network of Tikvah Campus Chapters. Beginning with lunch, students will hear directly from author and Hudson Institute distinguished fellow Walter Russel Mead in conversation with Eric Cohen. Members will then have the opportunity to hear from and engage with some of Tikvah’s top Young Professionals, in the Krauthammer Fellows, who will present on two panels: one on Jews and Politics and another on US-Israel Relations. The day will end with an overview of new on-campus opportunities for Collegiate Forum members.
Campus Anti-Semitism Working Group *Invitation Only*
The ASWG is designed for current students committed to understanding and combating antisemitism on U.S. campuses, to strategic and successful ends. The ASWG is an eight-week program meeting online on a weekly basis, and occasionally in person in NYC, over the summer on weekday evenings. The Seminar opens with an in-person conference gathering of all participants and aims ultimately to form enduring partnerships between committed students on campuses across the country. We are guided by the following questions:
What are the prevailing trends in campus antisemitism? What do we know about the success of current strategies employed to combat these crises? What is our comparative advantage here, as Tikvah students? How can we best use our knowledge and skills to enact change on campus?
Explore participants’ bios here.
Cocktail Reception with Chloé Valdary in D.C. April 3rd
At this reception, Collegiate Forum members heard Director of University Programs Alan Rubenstein in conversation with Chloé Valdary, founder of the Theory of Enchantment and Tikvah alum. Chloé discussed her innovative approach to anti-racism training. After a year as a Tikvah Fellow and a Bartley Fellow at The Wall Street Journal, Chloé developed the Theory of Enchantment (ToE), a new framework for compassionate anti-racism that combines social-emotional learning, character development, and interpersonal growth as tools for leadership development in the boardroom and beyond.
Shabbaton – Friday to Sunday, January 7th to 9th at the Brownstone in NYC
At this Shabbaton, Forum Members heard from a leading Jewish studies scholar on the legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, as well as from some of our very best alumni who moved on to careers in Washington DC. These alumni have worked on US-Israel diplomacy at the United Nations, on US defense policy in the Middle East, and on religious freedom and labor policy in the United States. There will be plenty of time for breaking bread together, singing, and music-making as well.
Retreat – Sunday, November 14th at Tikvah headquarters in NYC
Our retreat started with an intimate Q&A with Tikvah Senior Fellow Ruth Wisse and political entrepreneur and investor Jonathan Baron. Dr. Wisse discussed her new book, Free as a Jew: A Personal Memoir of National Self-Liberation. Dr. Baron discussed his work for Baron Public Affairs and, more broadly, his insights into being a committed Jew involved in American public life at the highest levels. After the Q&A, Forum Members got to know Tikvah’s Krauthammer Fellows through a series of panels, discussion groups, and text studies. We finished our time together with food, drink, and more time to get to know one another.
