By Leigh Jacobson

Spotlight Editor

On Friday, February 11, the junior grade attended an Oneg/ Kivun presentation by Colonel Bentzi Gruber entitled “Ethics in the Field: An Inside Look at the Israeli Defense Forces” in the Beit Midrash.

Gruber, a colonel with over 30 years of experience in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), spoke to students about misconceptions portrayed in the media, the moral decisions that come with being a soldier, and anti-terrorism policy, among other things.  According to Gruber, “Ignorance, misconceptions, and anti-Jewish sentiment have led people and governments to vilify the State of Israel and its armed forces.  Ethics in the Field is an effort to dispel the fiction and present eye-opening facts”.

The presentation was of the multimedia variety, incorporating classified IDF film, documents, and a compelling PowerPoint lecture. Gruber engaged and captivated the audience, who left with their interest piqued: “It was fascinating,” said Tomer Elkayam ’12. “The videos were not something you see everyday”.

Gruber’s visit was the joint effort of Mr. Julian Jacobson, father of Leigh Jacobson ’12, and Israel advocacy organization Stand With Us (http://www.standwithus.com/), which funded Gruber’s presentation not only at Milken but also at various other schools, temples, and churches in the area. To read more about the lecture, visit http://www.bentzigruber.com.

For those who missed Friday’s presentation at Milken, Gruber will speak again at Stephen S. Wise Temple on February 16^th at 7p.m.