The Summer Institute speaker series returns to the Hebrew Center this year with six speakers who will reflect on the state of the world, from attacks on the media to politics, the Black and Jewish alliance and the New York Times puzzle craze.
“I think every [speaker] will serve to enlighten, and if not confirm [Vineyarders’] perspectives, then at least give them a different way of thinking about the perspective they have,” said Marc Levine, co-chair of the series.
The annual series opens next Thursday, July 9 with Binaifer Nowrojee, a human rights lawyer, former investigator at Human Rights Watch and the current president of the Open Society Foundations, which funds efforts to protect human rights.
The series continues the following week with Julie K. Brown, the reporter who broke Jeffrey Epstein’s systematic abuse of young women and the coverup that followed. Ms. Brown pursued the story for three years and published her reporting in the Miami Herald in 2017 and 2018.
As big as the story has become — and as many turns it has taken on a national scale — Julie K. Brown is not a familiar name. But more and more people will know it, said Jim Dale, co-chair.
“That’s a story...that doesn’t die, it keeps having another phase, another life,” said Mr. Dale.
This year, Ms. Brown received a Pulitzer citation for her reporting.
“We had her first,” said Mr. Levine.
Ms. Brown will be in conversation with John Harwood, a former CNBC White House correspondent. The event is already sold out, although Zoom tickets are available.
The following week, the Summer Institute will host Thomas Friedman, the New York Times foreign affairs opinion columnist.
“No matter what the world does, [Mr. Friedman] is unflustered,” said Mr. Dale. “He has a take on it.”
The event is also sold out.
Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security during President Obama’s second administration, will speak on July 30 in an event titled Homeland Insecurity: Is our Democracy Safe?
Van Jones, who is no stranger to visiting the Island, returns August 6 in a sold-out event to speak about the alliance between Jewish and Black people. It’s a long-standing but perhaps fractured bond, said Mr. Dale.
“[Mr. Jones] has been a very interesting, outspoken voice and force on antisemitism,” said Mr. Dale. “In particular he’s a great believer that this historic bond between the Black community and the Jewish community was critically important, and he’s very distraught over the idea that it could be jeopardized.”
Mr. Jones is a political analyst, CNN host and civil rights advocate. He’s also a speaker with a quiet, powerful presence, said Mr. Dale.
“I think what he’s concerned about is there are different schisms today, not the least of which is Israel, that have divided that solid bond,” said Mr. Dale. “I wouldn’t attempt to do justice to it, but he will.”
The series ends on a lighter note with Joel Fagliano, Wyna Liu and Sam Ezersky, the creators of the New York Times puzzles. Mr. Dale and Mr. Levine admitted they are not immune to the puzzle mania.
“It’ll be fun, and... at least some portion of it will be interactive,” said Mr. Dale. “We’ll learn everybody’s weird habits.”
Mr. Levine’s own habits include Wordle in the morning, Connections during the day and Spelling Bee with his wife before bed. He doesn’t start looking for words until he has the pangrams — the words that use all seven letters.
Mr. Levine attended a book talk and interactive session with the puzzle makers at the New York Times auditorium this year. While the authors signed copies of Puzzle Mania!, a collection of New York Times puzzles, Mr. Levine pitched the Summer Institute — and the Vineyard — to them. They were “tickled with the concept,” he said.
“The phenomenon of games is very timely,” said Mr. Dale. “It’s not waning...and our audience that is so engaged in all these political, heavy, weighty things, also is very engaged [in games].”
“We’re finishing on a lighter, happier, maybe more competitive [note],” said Mr. Levine.
Visit mvsummerinstitute.org for more information.
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