Israel Bonds held its 2017 National Leadership Conference in Los Angeles June 4-6, celebrating a city that first embraced the Bonds program in 1951 when David Ben-Gurion brought his new initiative to the West Coast via a gala event at the Hollywood Bowl.  Israeli actress Moran Atias, who emceed the opening dinner, summed up the synergy, explaining, “Israel Bonds’ philosophy has always been ‘dream big,’ and tonight we are here, in the city of dreams, to continue that legacy.”
 

Israeli actress Moran Atias is welcomed to the opening dinner by
Los Angeles Bonds leader Beverly Cohen and Vice Chairman of the
Board Howard Goldstein.

The 50^th anniversary of United Jerusalem was the conference theme, and special video messages from Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat praised the commemoration and applauded the success of Israel Bonds.  Bonds President & CEO Israel Maimon paid tribute to the liberators of Jerusalem, declaring, “As a former officer in the Golani Brigade, I honor the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers who made this possible.”


Bonds President & CEO Israel Maimon honors “the courage and sacrifice
of the soldiers who liberated Jerusalem.”
 
Conference highlights included:

• Opening dinner keynote speaker Rick Rosen, founding partner and head of television for global agency WME/IMG
• A private tour of the Getty Center, with welcomes from Dr. James Cumo, president & CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust and Dr. Tim Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum
• Greetings from Steven Spira president, Worldwide Business Affairs, Warner Bros. Pictures, at Warner Bros. Studios
• An emotional meeting with the family of Mitchell Flint, one of two surviving American WWII pilots who fought in Israel’s War of Independence
• An exclusive screening of Ben-Gurion, Epilogue, a long-lost documentary featuring the Israeli leader’s final interview
• A panel discussion with internationally renowned digital marketing experts, convened by Israeli Consul General in Los Angeles Sam Grundwerg.  Panelists were:
  • Moderator Michael Levine, called by CNN “America’s premier branding expert”
  • Tori Avey, creator of cooking and lifestyle blog ToriAvey.com
  • Jess Dolgin, co-founder and CEO of J Media Global
  • Larry Namer, president of Metan Global Media Group and founder of E! Entertainment TV
• An address at the Museum of Tolerance by founder and dean Rabbi Marvin Hier

Rick Rosen, founding partner and head of television for global agency
WME/IMG, shares tales of Hollywood.


Delegates gather for a group photo on the Getty Center campus.


Los Angeles Bonds leader Stanley Black makes a special presentation
to the family of Mitchell Flint, one of two surviving American WWII pilots
who fought in Israel’s War of Independence.

See more photos and highlights from the event here.

Photo Credit: Robert Lurie