A dozen Jewish organizations and institutions in Washington, D.C., will join Americans for Ben-Gurion University for its third annual “Ben-Gurion Day in the USA” on Dec. 8.
This year’s event offers a “special message of resilience and unity in the face of adversity” and is rooted in the vision of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding prime minister, according to a press release.
Ben-Gurion Day has long been an annual tradition in Israel, and A4BGU is bringing this “day of reflection and forward-thinking” to the United States, allowing Americans to share in recognizing Ben-Gurion’s “spirit of resilience, unity and hope in the face of challenges — values that were vital when Israel was founded and arguably more essential today.”
A4BGU’s partner organizations include synagogues, day schools, Jewish community centers, and five Jewish Federations, according to the press release. This year’s D.C.-area partners include Agudas Achim Religious School, Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County, Ohr Kodesh Congregation — Lifelong Learning, Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Berman Hebrew Academy, Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia, Shaare Torah, Temple Emanuel, Kehilat Pardes — The Rock Creek Synagogue, Temple Beth Ami, and Kemp Mill Synagogue.
The partner organizations will collaborate with A4BGU’s “Program in a Box,” a free toolkit of educational resources and activities designed to help communities reflect on Ben-Gurion’s legacy. The kit includes posters, educational tools, and a lesson plan designed to guide participants through discussions about resilience and Israel’s role in the international community.
“We are gratified to see so many Jewish institutions use Ben-Gurion Day in the USA to rally around the theme of Israel’s remarkable resilience in a world indelibly changed by October 7,” Doug Seserman, the CEO of A4BGU, said in the press release. “David Ben-Gurion’s historic promise was that Israel would be a light unto the nations. This robust, nationwide participation inspires and empowers A4BGU to lead the way forward in shaping that brighter future.”
Ben-Gurion Day in the USA features a webinar hosted in partnership with the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, focused on Israel’s first prime minister’s teachings about resilience. The webinar will exhibit “rarely seen archival documents” illustrating Ben-Gurion’s leadership in Israel’s early years — the late 1940s and 1950s — and conversations around how his teachings remain relevant in the modern day and how they will shape Israel’s future.
The commemoration is more significant than ever this year because the Oct. 7 attacks impacted Israel as a whole, but especially southern Israel, according to the press release. Located 22 miles from the Gaza Envelope, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was “directly and disproportionately affected by the atrocities in comparison to other universities in Israel.”
The press release added that community members of BGU “spearhead[ed] the nation’s rebuilding and recovery” by volunteering in hospitals, helping families of IDF soldiers, and planning the distribution of food and essential supplies.
“As Israel continues to recover from the profound challenges of the past year, Ben-Gurion Day in the USA 2024 serves as a powerful reminder of Israel’s resilience and the unity of the Jewish people worldwide,” the press release stated.
For more information on Ben-Gurion Day in the USA, or to register for the webinar, visit BenGurionDayUSA.org.
