Talks & Entertainment

The Constitution states that “no religious test” may keep a candidate from aspiring to political office. Yet, since John F. Kennedy used the phrase to deflect concerns about his Catholicism, the public has largely avoided probing candidates’ religious beliefs. Is it true that a candidate’s religious convictions should be off-limits to public scrutiny?

Damon Linker doesn’t think so, and in this book he outlines the various elements of religious belief that are incompatible with high office in a democracy. He explains the complicated interrelations between churches and states, consistently applying a political litmus test to a range of theological views. Linker urges both believers and atheists to behave better in the public sphere, and he offers a carefully charted road map for doing so.

Linker is a contributing editor at The New Republic and a Senior Writing Fellow in the Center for Critical Writing at the University of Pennsylvania. He will be interviewed by Richard Just, Executive Editor of The New Republic.

Photo credit: White House

Susan Sher, Michelle Obama’s chief of staff and the White House’s liaison to the Jewish community, will join New York Times writer Jodi Kantor as a Midwestern voice in one of a series of discussions to explore how Jews around the country engage with politics and influence the national conversation.

Trivia returns with new rounds, questions, prizes and surprises! From sports to pop culture, geography to movies, science to politics, we’ll test your knowledge of it all.

For those in their 20s and 30s

The Jewish community invites all District residents to a mayoral debate with candidates Mayor Adrian Fenty and DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray. Mayor Fenty and Chairman Gray will share their vision for the District, discuss issues affecting the Jewish community, and answer your questions. They will address general concerns ranging from affordable housing, immigration, and economic development to education, social service programs, and civil and voting rights.

The debate will be moderated by Scott Thuman, awarding-winning reporter with ABC7/WJLA-TV.

The great American argument over global warming continues to rage on Capitol Hill and beyond. In The Climate War: True Believers, Power Brokers, and the Fight to Save the Earth, award-winning journalist Eric Pooley describes the political and economic battle surrounding climate change legislation, offering a revealing look at the power players who are working to either make or break transformative energy policy.

In a rare panel discussion, Pooley interviews key players of the Environmental Defense Fund’s National Climate Campaign, the most passionate advocates for a mandatory declining cap on carbon emissions. These unsung heroes from the trenches of the Climate War include Steve Cochran, Director; Tony Kreindler, Media Director; Melissa Carey, Climate Change Policy Specialist; and Mark MacLeod, Director of Special Projects. Together, they will lead a tour of the climate battleground, from the backrooms of Capitol Hill to the corporate C-suites to the West Wing of the Obama White House.

Pooley, deputy editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, is also the former managing editor of Fortune and the former national editor, White House correspondent and chief political correspondent at Time.

We’re taking all the fun of trivia poolside at the Capitol Skyline Hotel. From sports to pop culture, science to politics, we’ll test your knowledge of it all.

For those in their 20s and 30s

This series of Tuesday lunch-n-learn sessions focus on how Jewish ethical teachings apply in modern life and professions, including business, law and medicine, but specifically in business controversies. MesorahDC is an organization dedicated to providing quality Jewish education, social events and Friday night dinners to young professionals throughout the metropolitan area in an environment in which Jewish people of all backgrounds and affiliations can learn more about the depth and beauty of our Jewish heritage. A pizza lunch is included.

Anti-Semitism has become a pervasive feature of public
discourse in the Arab and Islamic world. This lecture will explore
the various components of present day Islam and anti-Semitism, both indigenous (of Islamic provenance) and imported, with special emphasis on the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” and the upsurge in the use of Islamic religious traditions in anti-Semitic propaganda, a phenomenon concurrent with the rise of Islamism.

Professor Menahem Milson is a professor of Arabic Literature
at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a co-founder of
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

Drawing upon his experiences in the U.S. Senate, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East, Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell will share his insights into conflict resolution and peacemaking in a conversation with The New York Times columnist David Brooks. As senator and majority leader, Senator Mitchell stewarded the passage of groundbreaking legislation as he negotiated conflicting policy positions. His work continued as he chaired the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, resulting in a historic accord that ended decades of conflict. His commitment to conflict resolution carries on with his White House appointment as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace.

This is the fifth annual Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Lecture of the Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation’s Capital.

Come celebrate the 2-year anniversary of this quizzical event! We’ll have cake, special prizes, and of course, lots of trivia questions. This birthday party is sure to sell out so be sure to sign up in advance.

For those in their 20s and 30s