WHAT TO EXPECT
Join us for the J Street Georgia Annual Event: Rooted & Rising: Dor Chadash — From Georgia, for the Future of Zionism.
This year, J Street Georgia celebrates a new generation of courageous Jewish leaders shaping the future of liberal Zionism. We are proud to present the Tzedek v’Shalom award to three inspiring young Georgia leaders — Erin Beiner, Atlanta native and Director of J Street U; Lauren Haines, past J Street U Board member and recent college graduate originally from Athens, GA; and Matan Berg, current J Street U Board Vice President and Atlanta native.
Our keynote speaker, Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute, will offer reflections on how we cultivate moral leadership across generations — and what it means to raise voices, values, and communities rooted in courage, care, and Jewish responsibility.
Come be inspired by the voices rising from our own Georgia community, and recommit to building a future rooted in democracy, dignity, and shared humanity — for all who call the region home.
All proceeds benefit the J Street Education Fund.
AGENDA
Opening Reception: 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Main Event: 7:30pm
FEATURING
Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer
Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer is president of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Yehuda is a leading thinker on the essential questions facing contemporary Jewish life, focusing on issues of Jewish peoplehood and Zionism, the relationship between history and memory, and questions of leadership and change in the Jewish community. He is the host of the Identity/Crisis podcast, and the author of two books and dozens of articles and essays about contemporary Jewish life. Yehuda has helped lead the Institute’s rapid growth as a leading research and educational center of the Jewish community. Yehuda is trained as a scholar of ancient Judaism and rabbinics with a doctorate in Jewish Studies from Harvard University and previously served as a member of the faculty at Brandeis University, where he held the inaugural Chair in Jewish Communal Innovation. He lives in New York with his wife Stephanie Ives and their three children.
HONOREES
Erin Beiner, Director of J Street U
Erin joined J Street in 2019 as Southeast Campus Organizer for J Street U. She served as Deputy Director for J Street U before taking on the role of J Street U Director in 2022. Prior to J Street, Erin was the DC Community Organizer for HIAS while a participant in the Avodah Jewish Service Corps in Washington, DC. Erin holds a Masters in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Georgia. During her time at UGA, Erin was active in Jewish life and was a member of Sigma Delta Tau, including serving as SDT President in 2016. Erin was raised in Sandy Springs and is an alumna of Epstein and Weber. Erin grew up attending Camp Ramah Darom and spent five summers on staff including Unit Head in 2018. Erin currently resides in Washington DC.
Matan Berg, J Street U Board Vice President
Matan Berg is a rising junior in the LSA Honors Program at the University of Michigan studying philosophy, politics, and economics with minors in public policy and Middle Eastern studies. He is the Vice President of the Midwest for J Street U, formerly served as his chapter’s President of J Street, and is the Vice President of Internal Operations for Michigan Hillel.
Lauren Haines, past J Street U Board member
Lauren Haines recently graduated from the University of Michigan, where she majored in public health and minored in political science. She was involved with J Street U all four years of college, serving as Midwest VP and National Board President during her junior year. She was born and raised in Athens, Georgia, and was Bat-mitzvahed at Congregation Children of Israel.
REGISTER HERE
If you have any questions or experience any technical difficulties attempting to register,
please contact Emily Kaiman at [email protected].
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If you would like to sponsor more than $5,000 for the Georgia Annual Event please reach out to Emily Kaiman at [email protected].
Disclaimer
The J Street Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization. The total cost of goods and services for each ticket is $50.