Next Wednesday, the 28th, two people who've worked on Israel from inside the American government are going to sit down and talk with each other. Joel Rubin was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under President Obama. Joel Rayburn was President Trump's special envoy for Syria. Israel votes the day before, Americans vote the Tuesday after, and they'll be talking about what's at stake for Israel whichever way the House and Senate go.
We're nonpartisan, non-denominational, for all ages and stages. So they each get the same questions and the same time. AIC doesn't endorse or oppose any candidate or party, and our guests speak for themselves. I'm so grateful to both of them for making the time in a week like this.
So here's my favor. If you know somebody who's been following either election, could you forward them this email? That would be amazing.
And thank you to Beth Jacob, Ohr HaTorah, and New Toco Shul for hosting Rabbi Leo Dee with us tonight. We couldn't do any of this without y'all.
— Cheryl Dorchinsky, Founder & Executive Director
Tonight · Rabbi Leo Dee in Atlanta. From Darkness to Light, in Toco Hills. Doors open at 7:20 PM. It's free. Register
Wed 28 Oct · What the Midterms Could Mean for Israel. Joel Rubin, ex-Obama State Department, and Joel Rayburn, ex-Trump Syria envoy. Free. AIC does not endorse or oppose any candidate or party. Our guests speak for themselves. Register
Thu 5 Nov · Israel Up Close: Guy Haran on Israeli wine. He's been taking people around Israel's wineries since 2006, and he's with us live from Israel at noon ET. The first talk's free for everyone. Register
Tue 17 Nov · Our book club, the Author’s Table, opens. Shai Davidai on his book American Intellectual Antisemitism. It's online at 8 PM Eastern, and this first one's free to everyone. Register
Thu 19 Nov · Israel Up Close with Mustapha Ezzarghani. He grew up in Morocco and now tells Arabic speakers the truth about Jews and Israel. 7:30 PM ET. Free for members, $18 for everyone else. Register
See everything on our calendar
THIS WEEK AT AIC
Bridges of Hope, the whole evening. Our March night in Dunwoody is on YouTube now, start to finish. Ghazal Mizrahi and JoDavi sing, George Rishfeld tells how he survived the Vilna Ghetto as a hidden child, and Mustapha Ezzarghani talks about how hate is built.
Bring your community
Take one of our invitations to your own synagogue, church or civic group. People come when somebody they know asks them. It's an hour or three in the weeks before an event.
Tokyo Disney, Japan
One of our ducks turned up at Tokyo Disney this week. The finder's whole note: “Shalom! This duck made its way all the way to Tokyo Disney!”
Jewish joy, weekly
Gimme Some Torah · Rabbi Eli Garfinkel · October 20, 2026
Finding Your Ark in a Noisy World
Your Weekly Dose · Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman · October 16, 2026
2 New Jewish Cookbooks You Need on Your Shelf
The Shabbat Drop · Miranda Lapides · October 16, 2026
Finding the Joy · Uriel ben Avraham · Parashat Noach · October 15, 2026
Around the World on Foot -- in 28 Years!
Spiritual Sparks · Rabbi Ze'ev Smason · October 15, 2026
WATCH
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, at an AIC talk, on what Gaza could have been.
More short clips from AIC talks are on our YouTube channel.
On AIC's social feeds
A couple of ours on the same subject.