Yom Ha’Atzmaut: 78 Minutes of Hope 

Presented by 14th Street Y

Date & Time: Thursday, 4/23/26 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST

Location: 14th Street Y, 344 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003

About the Event:  In recognition of the 78th Yom Ha’Atzmaut, we invite you to spend 78 minutes in community, reflecting on resilience, strength, and what it means to move forward together. Join us for an evening of hope, art and storytelling. In the spirit of resilience, community and strength, and to mark Israel’s 78th Yom Ha’atzmaut, we will spend 78 minutes in hopeful transformation through the stories of acclaimed artists, writers, and community leaders. 

PRESENTERS:

• Ghiora Aharoni, award-winning artist and designer

• Judy Batalion, bestselling author of The Light of Days and the novel The Last Woman of Warsaw, which follows the story of two Jewish women in Warsaw in the 1930s.

• Yonatan Gutfeld, celebrated musician on the music of the beloved Israeli composer and singer, Matti Caspi.

• Yael Melamede, Oscar-winning filmmaker and director of Ada: My Mother the Architect.

• Sarah Rosen, award-winning filmmaker and writer on the life and legacy of Aharon Barak, the former President of the Supreme Court of Israel.

• Karen Siegel, composer and conductor with new choral arrangements of Oseh Shalom, Psalm 121, and the healing prayer, El Na Refa Na La.

• Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, Executive Director, Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU & Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates on Judaism’s understanding of hope.

• Lee Yaron, award-winning journalist and author of 10/7: 100 Human Stories.

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