“David-Ben Gurion Speaks” videos are a hallmark of the Nov. 19 program
For the fourth annual Ben-Gurion Day in the USA, Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) has launched “David Ben-Gurion Speaks,” a three-part AI-powered video series that brings Israel’s founding prime minister to life.
Developed in collaboration with Jewish IdeaLab, the videos use archival images and authentic recordings of Ben-Gurion’s voice, enhanced through advanced generative AI. This unique approach invites viewers to connect Ben-Gurion’s enduring vision with the university that bears his name – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) – and with his belief that knowledge and creativity could transform a desert into a thriving center of innovation.
In Israel, Ben-Gurion Day has long been a national day of commemoration. Observed this year on Nov.19 and presented in partnership with the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, A4BGU’s Ben-Gurion Day in the USA uses creative avenues to raise awareness about the global impact of BGU.
“Only with the compass of vision in our hands will we find our way in the stormy waves of our conflicted time,” said Ben-Gurion in 1949. Now, Ben-Gurion Day in the USA is once again providing communities across the country with the resources to draw inspiration from the statesman’s ideals.
Schools, synagogues and community centers are participating in Ben-Gurion Day in the USA through engagement activities (americansforbgu.org/engage
ment-activities) that are available online to download. Resources include a Ben-Gurion Alphabet Coloring Book, Spot It! Card Game, Matching Memory Game, a Timeline Poster tracing his path from activism to statehood and talking points for sharing Ben-Gurion’s unique story.
A4BGU’s community partners (americansforbgu.org/community-partner-resources/) can also request a Ben-Gurion Day in the USA engagement box. It features T-shirts, stickers and Hebrew-letter coloring activities designed to spark conversation and intergenerational connection.
Houston-area institutions participating in Ben-Gurion Day in the USA this year include Congregations Beth Yeshurun and Brith Shalom, Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, Robert M. Beren Academy, Camp Young Judaea Texas, Miriam Browning Jewish Learning Center of Congregation Beth Israel and the Bertha Alyce Early Childhood School.
On Nov. 19, A4BGU will host a national webinar (americansforbgu.org/bgdusawebinar), featuring Prof. Arieh Saposnik, associate professor at Ben-Gurion Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism. The program will explore Ben-Gurion’s influence on Israeli identity and leadership and will include a virtual tour of the Ben-Gurion Archives, offering participants an intimate look at the writings and images that shaped his legacy.
To watch the videos in the “David Ben-Gurion Speaks” series, go to americansforbgu.org/benguriondayintheusa/dbg-speaks/.
To learn more about Ben-Gurion Day in the USA, to register for the Nov. 19 webinar and to access participation resources, go to americansforbgu.org/benguriondayintheusa.