In 2011, I attended Shimon Peres\u2019s Presidential Conference, \u201cFacing Tomorrow,\u201d in Israel. Headliners included Tony Blair, Benjamin Netanyahu, Natan Sharansky, Sarah Silverman, and Shakira. Blair and Netanyahu were predictably fiery and challenging \u2014 Netanyahu almost had me believing. Silverman, note to future organizers, was surprisingly unfunny and uninteresting. Shakira was equally surprisingly articulate and passionate about the need to educate poor children; she also gracefully resisted her interviewer\u2019s awkward insistence to shake her hips.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ruth also gave some talks. A couple of decades ago I was waiting in line at the airport between the diminutive Dr. Ruth and a giant Boston Celtic. I was playing basketball regularly at the time so I got some tips from the Boston Celtic on my jump shot. Dr. Ruth helped me with everything else.<\/p>\n
Now, what was I talking about? Oh yes, religion, politics, Israel, and facing tomorrow.<\/p>\n
One topic curiously absent in Israel\u2019s Presidential Conference was religion. We heard from economists, political theorists, philosophers, government officials, business leaders, military strategists, professors, new technologists, scientists, comedians, writers and rappers. But the only keynoter with any religious bona fides was Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks of Great Britain. No religion, and in Israel of all places.<\/p>\n