The Case for Dual Loyalty: A Journey of Healing for American Jews

Tuesday, February 4, 2025 
1:00 - 1:45pm PT

How has the October 7 massacre and its fallout transformed the American Jewish community? Join us for a compelling conversation on Jewish loyalty and collective destiny with Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz and AJU’s President Jeffrey Herbst. Drawing on lessons from the past, Rabbi Lebovitz describes October 7 as a Jewish historical turning point, challenges longstanding tropes, and affirms that dual loyalty is the key to shaping a brighter tomorrow for Jewish life in America and beyond. 

Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, PhD, is the Senior Rabbi at Valley Beth Shalom. His work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Jewish Journal, and Jerusalem Post. His new book The Case for Dual Loyalty:  A Journey of Healing for American Jews will be published in January 2025.

Dr. Jeffrey Herbst, the fourth president of American Jewish University (AJU), is an advocate for academic innovation. His leadership at AJU includes fostering growth in the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, expanding the Maven digital platform, and improving the Brandeis-Bardin Campus. Formerly, he served as president and CEO of the Newseum and the Newseum Institute in Washington, DC. Notable achievements include successfully overseeing a half billion-dollar fundraising campaign, implementing a university-wide strategic plan, and enhancing educational programming at Colgate University, where he was president from 2010 to 2015. Dr. Herbst holds a summa cum laude bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, as well as a master’s and doctorate in political science from Yale University. He is the author of the award-winning “States and Power in Africa” and, with several co-authors, the just-published “Making Africa Work.” In addition to many books and articles, he has been published in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other digital and print publications around the world.