After Two Years of War: Combat Reservists in Conversation

This event brings together a small group of Israelis (3–4), personal friends of Lior Lekner, Community Shlicha of the Jewish Agency in Brooklyn. The participants are educators and public servants who served for extended periods as IDF combat reservists during the Iron Swords War, leaving their homes, families, and professional lives for hundreds of days of reserve duty.

The conversation focuses on the lived tension of being educators in uniform: people whose civilian work is grounded in education, civic responsibility, and the pursuit of a just and humane society, and who were nevertheless called to prolonged and, in some cases, direct combat service.

Rather than offering political analysis or a briefing, this is a space for listening to firsthand experience. The speakers will reflect on the personal, moral, social, and educational challenges of extended reserve service, the costs and consequences of that choice, and how it continues to shape their thinking about leadership, responsibility, and the future of Israeli society.

This is not a debate. It is a structured conversation that takes complexity seriously and allows room for unresolved questions.

For security and privacy reasons, the names and identifying details of the participants will be shared only with registered attendees. The event will not be recorded.

If you are interested in this type of conversation but cannot attend on this date, please indicate this during registration, and we will do our best to assess interest in an additional session.

As part of registration, participants will be asked to submit a question in advance.