Since its inception 13 years ago, the Summer Institute of the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center has brought exceptional leaders and notables from the frontiers of politics, science and the arts to the Vineyard as part of its speaker series. This year’s roster follows that tradition.

Last Thursday evening, well known legal analyst and author Jeffrey Toobin addressed the Summer Institute audience and spoke about the recent decisions of the Supreme Court. The timely subject, the advance publicity and the extended holiday weekend resulted in a larger-than-anticipated crowd seeking admission to the lecture by Mr. Toobin. The number of people waiting in line exceeded our seating capacity. The result was confusion and hurt feelings for those who could not secure seats and for those who faced difficulty gaining admission.

To those whose feelings were hurt and to those who were frustrated, we extend our sincere apology. While of course we cannot guarantee admission, we are putting in place a process to assure that we have an orderly and comfortable way for people to gain admission to future programs. We will continue to be committed to our goal of enriching life on the Vineyard for residents and visitors alike.

We welcome the community to our future Summer Institute events.

Gerri Alpert
Edgartown

Alan Ganapol
West Tisbury

Ms. Alpert is Summer Institute chairman for the Hebrew Center; Mr. Ganapol is president of the center.