MILTON Gottesman Jewish Day School, in partnership with Washington Hebrew Congregation, is grateful to welcome Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin to Washington, DC as featured speakers for this year’s Rabin Lecture. They will engage our community for a conversation touching on Jewish education and parenting in advance of the release of Rachel’s upcoming book, When We See You Again.
Rachel and Jon were thrust into the international spotlight in October 2023 following the kidnapping of their son Hersh, z’l. Despite their devastating loss, they remained steadfast in their quest for the freedom of every hostage held by Hamas. Rachel and Jon will join us in Washington, DC; full location information and transportation guidance will be shared with ticketed participants the week of the event.
Please note that this event was previously slated for 3/15 but due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Rachel & Jon’s inability to travel to the US, it has been rescheduled for Monday June 8th. All originally ticketed guests for 3/15 do not need to take further action; we will send further details closer to 6/8! If you now unable to attend and wish to request a refund, please complete this form.
The Rabin Lecture will be held on Monday, June 8th, 2026.
Tickets to this event are $36 each and will be on sale through Thursday, June 4th or until the event sells out. We anticipate this being a highly attended event and encourage you to purchase your tickets early. Please note that for security reasons, each ticket needs to be attached to an attendee name; if purchasing more than one ticket, you will be prompted to enter names of each ticketed attendee.
We welcome sponsors to help us make this event possible and to support vibrant Jewish education at MILTON, the only Jewish day school in our nation’s capital.
Please note: for all sponsorships, MILTON staff will follow-up with the primary donor to request a list of those in your ticketed party the week prior to the event. For more information on sponsorships, please contact MILTON’s Chief Advancement Officer Adena Kirstein at 771-772-3949.
Final location information and transportation instructions for our DC venue will be sent to all registered attendees the week of the event.
Prior to the event, MILTON will host three pre-event receptions for specific community groups. If you are affiliated with one of the groups below, please indicate which reception you plan to attend.
These receptions will open at 6:45pm and close at 7:45pm to allow ample time to find a seat prior to the lecture:
MILTON is grateful to our partners who are helping make this special evening possible.
There is very limited parking at our DC venue; all attendees are encouraged to explore ride share or public transit options once location information is released. We look forward to sharing further details in advance of the event, leaving ample time to make your transit plans.
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.
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.
