Israeli author Avi Jorisch will discuss his best-selling book, “Thou Shalt Innovate: How Israeli Ingenuity Repairs the World,” on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The book was published by Gefen Publishing House in 2018. It is being translated into more than 30 languages.
Jorisch, an entrepreneur and Middle East expert, is a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and founder of IMS, a merchant processing company that services clients nationwide. A thought leader in exploring global innovation trends, the Arab world, counterterrorism, and illicit finance, Jorisch previously served in the U.S. departments of Treasury and Defense. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Young Presidents’ Organization.
“Thou Shalt Innovate” profiles Israeli innovations that collectively are changing the lives of billions of people around the world and explores why Israeli innovators of all faiths feel compelled to make the world better. It is the story of how Israelis are helping to feed the hungry, cure the sick, protect the defenseless, and make the desert bloom. Israel is playing a disproportionate role in helping solve some of the world’s biggest challenges by tapping into the nation’s soul: the spirit of tikkun olam, the Jewish concept of repairing the world.
Jorisch holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Binghamton University and a master’s degree in Islamic history from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also studied Arabic and Islamic philosophy at the American University in Cairo and Al-Azhar University. His other books are “On the Trail of Terror Finance” (co-authored by John Cassara), “Iran’s Dirty Banking,” “Tainted Money,” and “Beacon of Hatred.” His articles have appeared in such outlets as “The New York Times,” “The Wall Street Journal,” “Foreign Affairs,” “Forbes,” and “Al-Arabiya.net.”
The program is co-sponsored by the Tucson J and Weintraub Israel Center. The presentation is 7-8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, with a discount for 10 or more at $8 each. Tickets are available online at http://bit.ly/360eze3.
