Join us for an engaging evening with Dr. Georgette Bennett in conversation with Sir Simon Schama as they discuss Bennett’s new book, Half-Jew, Full Life: The Unlikely Journey of a Voluntary Jew from Nazi Persecution to the American Dream. This special book talk explores themes of identity, memory, resilience, and belonging, brought to life through Bennett’s deeply personal story and Schama’s incisive historical perspective.

Dr. Georgette Bennett is an award-winning sociologist, author, and former broadcast journalist, as well as an innovative philanthropic leader. She is the founder of the Multifaith Alliance, which has mobilized more than $630 million in humanitarian aid, and previously established the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. A pioneer in community policing earlier in her career, she has also advised the U.S. State Department on countering religion-based violence. Dr. Bennett is the author of several books, including Religicide and Thou Shalt Not Stand Idly By, and has received numerous honors, including the AARP Purpose Prize and recognition on Forbes’ “50 Over 50 Women of Impact” list.

Sir Simon Schama is University Professor of Art History and History at Columbia University and a Contributing Editor of the Financial Times. He has previously taught at Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard Universities. An award-winning author of more than twenty books translated into over twenty languages, his works include The Story of the Jews, Volumes I and II. His most recent book, Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines and the Health of Nations, was published in 2023. Schama is also the writer-presenter of more than sixty documentaries on art, history, and literature for BBC television; his most recent film, The Road to Auschwitz, aired on PBS in 2025.

Together, Bennett and Schama will explore the intersections of personal history and collective memory, offering a thought-provoking conversation on heritage, identity, and the enduring impact of the past. A Q&A with the audience will follow.