Human Rights and Jewish Pluralism in Israel:
A conversation with Benjie Gruber
Tuesday, July 15 7pm
Moishe House
6217 SW 33rd Pl. 97239
Benjie will be discussing his work with IRAC, the Israel Religious Action Center, a group that works for Jewish pluralism and human rights in Israel. He also works with Nativ, a pluralist conversion program for Israeli soldiers, mostly immigrants, who serve in the Israeli army but were not born Jewish. He is a phenomenal teacher.

Benjie Gruber was raised in Israel, after his family left Chicago when he was five to make aliyah to Beersheva. He attended the Netiv Meir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Benjie served in the Israeli Defense Forces in a program that combined Jewish studies with military service at the Hesder Yeshiva in Yerucham. Benjie was a Jewish educator in Azerbajan through the Jewish Agency, teaching Jews of all ages who had been denied Jewish education under the Soviets. Benjie spent two years in Portland, Oregon, teaching at the Portland Jewish Academy and for the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School. Before entering rabbinical school, he and his wife Tovi traveled to Malawi where they worked with AIDS orphans for six months. He is now in his third year as a rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, and he is currently working with the Israel Religious Action Center, the public and legal advocacy arm of the Reform movement in Israel. Benjie is completing an M.A. in Jewish Philosophy at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and he teaches in the Nativ Program, a unique conversion course available to IDF soldiers who were not born Jewish. Benjie is married to Tovi and is the father of 3 year old Yair and 1 year old Ella.

This event is for young adults 18-39.

RSVP are helpful but not required. For RSVPs, directions, or more information email Jeremy at Moishe House, jeremyscottrogers [at] gmail.com.

This event is co-sponsored by Machar, Urban Jews PDX, and Moishe House