Over a political and military career that spanned decades, Yitzhak Rabin was a complex and pivotal figure in the history of the Israeli state. He was a man of war and a man of peace, an emblem of security and of reconciliation. He is remembered for having signed the 1993 Oslo Accords and leading Israel and the Palestinians along a path to peace.
Ten years after Rabin’s tragic assassination in 1995, the Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital (then JPDS-NC) proudly inaugurated a library and community lecture series to honor the late Prime Minister. Yitzhak Rabin’s son, Yuval Rabin, dedicated the library and delivered the first public address.
Special thanks to the Rabin Lecture Steering Committee, 2005-present: Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, Current Chair; Jeffrey Colman, Lecture Series Founder; Kimberly Berger; Robert Kelner; Scott Lasensky; and Steve Rabinowitz.
The Rabin Lecture attracts world-renowned speakers and engages a large audience in and beyond the Washington DC area. Exploring the values, motivations, and bold statesmanship behind Rabin’s legacy and pursuit of peace, the Lecture furthers public discussion around themes of leadership, difference, and conflict resolution.
In MILTON classrooms, values of diversity, engagement, and hands-on problem solving are woven throughout the curriculum. Israel education takes on increasing nuance in Middle School as students explore the complexity of multiple perspectives and the dynamism of a changing region. MILTON students find their voice in what is a challenging but important conversation, and through the open minds and hearts of young children, Rabin’s legacy of hope and open dialogue continues.
