October 7 | 6:30PM
Screening of SCREAMS BEFORE SILENCE (featuring Sheryl Sanberg) | a highly-acclaimed documentary film on the sexual violence committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023
​
Followed by the livestream broadcast of the October 7th Memorial sponsored by the Jewish United Fund of Chicago​
January 13
BOB SCHWARTZ | The Syrian Tsunami, the Trump Tornado and what's next for Israel and the Middle East
.jpg)
April 14
THE PASSOVER EXPERIENCE | Experience a traditional Passover Seder through the lens of the Jewish sages and the writers of the New Testament​
​
May 12
.jpg)
Screening of TRAGIC AWAKENING | A post-October 7th film rethinking antisemitism’s roots, turning hatred into strength for Jewish identity and Western values
​
A pre and post-screening discussion will be facilitated by writer and communications specialist Tiffany Gabbay
OTHER DATES TO REMEMBER:​
​​​​​​​​​
​​
-
JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival | March 1-23, 2025
-
Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema | March 20-30, 2025
-
Passover begins the evening of Sat., Apr. 12 and ends the evening of Sun., Apr. 20, 2025
-
Easter | Sun., Apr. 20, 2025
-
Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) begins the evening of Wed., Apr. 23, 2025
-
Simon Wiesenthal Center Spirit of Courage Gala | Thur., June 12, 2025
-
United States Memorial Museum Risa K. Lambert Luncheon, Sheraton Grand Chicago | Wed., Sept. 3, 2025
-
Rosh Hashanah (5785) begins the evening of Mon., Sept. 22, 2025
-
Yom Kippur begins the evening of Wed., Oct. 1, 2025
-
Sukkot begins the evening of Mon., Oct. 6 and ends the evening of Mon., Oct. 13, 2025
-
Hanukkah begins the evening of Sun., Dec. 14 and ends the evening of Mon., Dec. 22, 2025
-
International Holocaust Remembrance Day | Tue., Jan. 27, 2026
-
Purim begins the evening of Mon., Mar. 2, 2026
-
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center Humanitarian Awards Dinner | TBA
​
​
PAST PRESENTERS:
Gregory Athnos, Dr. Andrew Abernethy, Dr. Richard Averbeck, Pastor John Bell, Dr. Aubrey Buster, Jenny Berg Chandler, Mark Chassman, Dr. James Coakley, Dr. Stuart Dauermann, Aaron Elster, Rabbi Niles Goldstein, Dr. Ingrid Faro, Silvia Foti, Pastor Jacob Fronczak, Aaron Fruh, Daniel Gruber, Stan Guthrie, Alan Handler, Sam Harris, Dr. Peter Hayes, Dr. James Hoffmeier, Pastor David Jankowski, Dr. Boaz Johnson, Dr. Walter Kaiser, Karen Kaplan, Rev. Dr. George Koch, Josh Larsen, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, John W. Mauck, Rabbi Evan Moffic, Dr. John Monson, Todd Morehead, Dr. Paul Nelson, Dr. Theresa Newell, Brian Newman, Randy Newman, Rev. Dan McNerney, Dr. Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern, Dr. Jacob Rosenberg, Dr. Michael Rydelnik, Mimi Sagadin, Ben Schlan, Jeff Schoep, Agnes Schwartz, Dr. Tim Sigler, Kevin Singer, Danny Spungen, Dr. Andrew Steinmann, Dan Strull, Wes Taber, Julianna Taimoorazy, Lois Tverberg, Murray Tilles, Michelle Van Loon, Dr. John H. Walton, Dr. Michael Wechsler, Dr. Joel Willits, Michael Wolf, Dr. Julius Wong-Loi Sing, Marty Zak, Jack Zimmerman
​
Please note that our current and past presenters do not necessarily share the same theological, doctrinal, or methodological perspectives, and their participation is not an endorsement of the Kesher Forum, the host church, or any of the organizations its participants are affiliated with. We don't expect them to. But we all agree that it is possible to learn from and have respectful dialogue with people we may disagree with and they with us.
​
Who is wise? One who learns from all people.
Talmud
That is the spirit of the Kesher Forum.
​