Global Connections Luncheon

Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York, spoke at The Global Connections luncheon on Thursday, December 17, 2015, at the Hartford Club in downtown Hartford. The luncheon was well attended and included students from Hebrew High School of New England (pictured left with Ambassador Aharoni, Rabbi Jeremy Bruce, Head of HHNE, JFGH Chair Eric Zachs, and former Executive Director Michael Price from the Goodspeed). The success of the program is due to the partnership of the World Affairs Council, JFACT, Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and the Metro Hartford Alliance.

Donna Collins, Associate Publisher for the Hartford Business Journal, opened the luncheon and introduced Michael Price, recently retired Executive Director of Goodspeed Musicals since 1968. Ambassador Ido Aharoni discussed the Middle East conflict. Acknowledging historical information dating back to the end of WWI and the repercussions of the fall of the Turkish Empire, Aharoni expressed the difficulty in the now painful realignment of tribal and religious communities. Ambassador Aharoni discussed the eternal rift between the Sunnis and Shiites and discussed ISIS in terms of “a showdown with only bad guys”. Ambassador Aharoni also discussed the amazing percentage of creative projects and ideas that are developed in Israel, including the recently developed anti-collision technology.

From L to R: Former Executive Director Michael Price of Goodspeed,  Donna Collins from Hartford Business Journal, Executive Director Megan Torrey from the World Affairs Council, Consul General of Israel, Ambassador Ido Aharoni, VP Rebecca Nolan from Metro Hartford Alliance, Associate VP Laura Zimmerman of Jewish Public Affairs at JFGH, and Executive Director at JFACT, Bob Fishman,

From L to R: Executive Director of JFACT, Bob Fishman, Ambassador Ido Aharoni, State Rep. Brian Becker, State Rep. Jonathon Harris, State Rep. David Alexander, Deputy Mayor Sheri Cantor, and Commissioner of Education, Dianna Wentzell

From L to R: Executive Director Bob Fishman of JFACT, Ambassador Aharoni, CT ADL Director Steve Ginsberg, Chair Don Gershman of the Greater Hartford AIPAC Council,  Assoc. VP Laura Zimmerman of Jewish Public Affairs at JFGH and JFGH Chair, Eric Zachs