Suzy & Wally Marks, Jr. z"l 2026 Trailblazer Forum
February 1, 2026 @ 11:00AM — 2:00PM Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Skirball Cultural Center: 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90040 Get Directions
Debating the Gap between Values and Reality
Seeking Equality, Justice, and Dignity for All
We are at capacity for the Trailblazer Forum. We still welcome your donations to support our honorees.
If you would like to be added to our waitlist, please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/tfLVJDwxjeVPSHHB6
We’re just weeks into the new year, and the urgency of our work is clear. Our communities are at risk. Grief, fear, and uncertainty are raw. It would be easy to shut down, or shut others out of the conversation. But at NewGround, we’re building something different – a community where we can all lean in, to support each other even through the questions and doubts.
That’s exactly what the Trailblazer Forum is about. We’re coming together to debate and question the gap between our values and reality. How do we ensure equality, justice, and dignity for all in a fragile democracy? How do we make repairs with the people who are hurt, and how do we hold accountable those doing harm? How do we break out of harmful cycles of finger pointing and exclusion, so we can work together for a shared vision of a diverse, peaceful, inclusive future?
Civil dissent is crucial for any functioning democracy. Yet, meaningful debate and discussion skills are eroding at an alarming pace. Our communities are losing the capacities needed to truly engage with differing opinions – precisely when those differences demand deeper engagement, not retreat. And in many places, speech is actively being suppressed and punished.
It’s about seeing a bigger picture by understanding the places where we disagree, and why. It’s about reminding ourselves that there’s a person on the other side – another human with needs and hopes, who is just as deserving of life and freedom as we are. And if we can see that person in all their complexity, then we can see the others in their community too.
Honorees Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller: A beloved teacher to so many, Rabbi Chaim has long modeled what it means to disagree without dehumanizing. In 2016, he became the Director Emeritus of UCLA Hillel, after serving as Executive Director for over 40 years. Throughout his long career, Rabbi Chaim has always spoken and taught with a signature combination of intellectual rigor, moral imperative and human compassion. In his recent Forward article on Yom Kippur and Gaza, which he co-authored with his friend and colleague, Prof. David Myers, he reminds us that our rituals are meant to “summon us to become fully human.” At a time when people are retreating into silence or shouting past each other, Rabbi Chaim invites us to reclaim the sacredness of listening, AND speaking our truth – even when it’s hard. Bashar Alshawwa: Bashar Alshawwa is a Palestinian Nakba refugee with family roots in Gaza. He was born outside of Palestine, and he returned following the Oslo Accords. In 2014, he was severely injured by an IDF sniper while participating in a peaceful protest. Bashar has lost dozens of family members, friends, and colleagues as a result of the war, and he has advocated publicly for non violent activism since 2017. Bashar is a distinguished researcher and expert in regional and international political affairs, specializing in conflict resolution, sustainable development, and advocacy, with extensive experience analyzing Palestinian and Israeli internal affairs. He is a proficient analyst and advocate for joint efforts in regional peace-making, and leads efforts to build resilience against all forms of hate -- including anti-Palestinian, anti-Muslim, and anti-Jewish hate -- strengthen community resilience to polarization linked to Middle East conflicts, and foster inter-community dialogue and multi-community alliances across the diaspora. Rabbi Susan Goldberg: As the founder and leader of Nefesh, an open hearted Jewish congregation, Rabbi Susan centers the margins and harnesses the power of creativity and profound spiritual values to create a radical sense of belonging. Her commitment to dialogue across difference is a beacon for our community. She has fearlessly cultivated space for congregants to discuss and process difficult disagreements, including the challenging issues around Israel-Palestine. A longtime partner of NewGround, Rabbi Susan is a role model for inclusion, social justice, and courageous conversation in Los Angeles and beyond. A fourth-generation Angelino, Rabbi Susan has been a force for social justice since she was a teenager, inspired by her family including her mother, Ruth Beaglehole z”l, who dedicated her life to nonviolence in parenting and education. She powerfully calls on us to combine our strengths, individual and collective creativity to build resilient solutions to today’s challenges. And a special guest... Luncheon Menu
Main Course* (Choice of): Salmon with Yukon Gold & Purple Potatoes and Garnet Yams · Portobello Mushroom Cap with Quinoa and Grilled Vegetables (Vegetarian/Vegan) Dessert: Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with Toasted Walnuts and Raisins *All main courses are gluten-free This Skirball Center catering is Kosher Style, but if you require a Certified Kosher Meal, ticket purchasers can select the "Kosher meal" ticket and sponsors can indicate specific meals in the form you will receive upon registration. Diamond Sponsors Wally Marks III Ruby Sponsors Paul Beck | Bernard Friedman | Paula & Barry Litt | Julia Meltzer & David Thorne Nurya Shabir & Muhammad Adaya Sapphire Sponsors Nancy Berman & Alan Bloch | Pervez & Jasmine Delawalla | The Fakhri Family Josh & Lisa Hofheimer | Abby Sher & John May | Dr. Lo M. Sprague, Ph.D. Platinum Sponsors Loren Bloch & Ping Ho | Hon. Halim & Saranya Dhanidina | Luis Lainer David Weiner & Marieke Oudejans | Sanford Weiner Gold Sponsors Rachel Andres & Ben Tysch | Cedars-Sinai | Tzivia Schwartz Getzug & Steve Getzug Aziza Hasan & Sani Abdul Jabbar | Farah S. Khan & Pedro L. Gonzalez Rabbi Susan Laemmle & John Antignas | Shawn & Zuzana and Renata Landres Brie Loskota | Drs. David Myers & Nomi Stolzenberg | Patsy & Joe Ostroy Rabbi Arthur Schaefer & Laurie Gross Schaefer Silver Sponsors Jamie Rapaport Barry & Tim Barry | Yuval Bar-Zemer | Celia Bernstein & Bradley Kesden | Dr. Sara Deen Daniel Giesberg & Carol Lifland | Sean Hecht & Rebecca Weiker | Andrea Hodos & Rabbi Aryeh Cohen Janet & Herbert Hodos | Islamic Center of Southern California | Janice Kamenir-Reznick Perla Karney | Saaliha Khan | Muizz & Nazmina Kheraj Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh & Bruce Ellman | Molly & Zach Rubin | Joan & Shelly Steier Bronze Sponsors Melissa Balaban & Adam Wergeles | Rabbi Sharon Brous & David Light Rabbi Ken Chasen and Leo Baeck Temple | CLUE: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice Barbara Cohn | Barbara Dalton-Taylor | Michele DeRosa | Arif Dhanidina Dr. Reuven Firestone & Rabbi Ruth Sohn | Dodi Fromson | Hany & Tod Gimbel | Vivian Gold Rabbi Abraham Havivi & Chaplain Deborah Schmidt | Ronni Hendel-Giller & Rabbi Pinchas Giller | IKAR Tobi Inlender. | Ismaili CIVIC | Kathy Kobayashi & Hal Barron | Jim & Sandra Kohn | Jeanney Kutner Susan Leonard | Nefesh | Rabbi Janet Offel | Mark & Avis Ridley-Thomas | Robyn Samuels & Bruce Shagg Shia Muslim Council of Southern CA | Shoulder to Shoulder | Joshua & Cinthya Silverstein Roger & Hilary Waldinger | Deena Weisbaum & Philip Shakhnis If you would like to pledge a donation, you can do so here: https://mjnewground.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/pl... NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change is fiscally sponsored by Community Partners, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. To learn more about Community Partners, please visit https://communitypartners.org/. We welcome donations by check or from your DAF account. All checks must be payable to Community Partners (EIN 95-4302067) with “NewGround” in the memo line. Please use the pledge form link above to inform us of your DAF contribution. If you sponsor by check, please email Andrea Hodos at andrea@muslimjewishnewground.org so that we can list your sponsorship as soon as possible! NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change 3183 Wilshire Blvd, Ste #196, C9 Los Angeles, CA 90010 |