Word to LIve by & Reagan Forum

A Reagan Forum – Nechama Birnbaum

In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast we back to our in-person event with Nechama Birnbaum, who shares with us the story of her grandmother and her time in Auschwitz in Nechama’s latest book, The Redhead of Auschwitz: A True Story. During this program, Nechama sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller to discuss The Redhead of Auschwitz which is a book as full of life as it is of death. It is about the intricacies of Jewish culture that still exist today and the tender experiences that are universal to all humanity: family, coming of age, and first love. It is a story that celebrates believing in yourself no matter the odds. This is a story about the little redheaded girl who thought she could, and so she did.

Words To Live By – A New Year’s Eve Message

So just imagine. You’re the president, it’s late in December 1983. You’ve delivered your evil empire speech in March putting the Soviets on notice… you’ve learned by detailed intelligence reports that the communists and Fidel Castro are expanding their efforts in the Caribbean along with infiltrating the island of Grenada….you’ve announced your Strategic Defense Initiative in March which was renamed Star Wars by the press, you’ve sent forces into Lebanon as part of a multinational peacekeeping force which became a target of terrorists killing 270 marines in their barracks as they slept, you’ve watched the war in the middle east escalate exponentially with bad actors getting involved from every angle, you’ve watched Soviet leader Andropov continue to advance the Brezhnev doctrine and …you’ve learned how the Soviets shot down Korean airliner 007 killing all passengers aboard…now those are just the high notes. 

A Reagan Forum – The Honorable Gina M. Raimondo

Two weeks ago we came to you with our Reagan National Defense Forum keynote address with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Today we will share our fireside chat with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. This was the Defense Forum’s first time hosting the Secretary of Commerce and we were honored to host her. Under Secretary Raimondo’s leadership, the Department of Commerce has intensified its emphasis on enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. businesses, improving the security of America’s supply chains, and decreasing reliance on China for products and technologies essential to our national security. Secretary Raimondo has been instrumental in the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act, which lays out a long-term vision for building America’s technological leadership to pace the threat from China by funding programs across all U.S. manufacturing sectors. The fireside chat focused on the nexus of America’s economic and technological competitiveness with national security.

Words To Live By – SpaceLab Collaboration

Do you remember Spacelab? Or perhaps the question should be, what do you recall about Spacelab? In case you’re a little foggy on this one, here’s a little history: during the development of the Space Shuttle in the 1970’s, NASA recognized the need for a facility to allow scientists to conduct experiments on the Shuttle while in orbit. So under a cooperative agreement with NASA, the European Space Agency built a modular research laboratory that would fit inside the Shuttle’s cargo bay. And what is so unique is not only our collaboration with the European Space Agency, but how Spacelab was built by a consortium of 10 European companies. And on December 5^th, both President Ronald Reagan and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl had a fascinating conversation with the crewmembers of the Space Shuttle Columbia from space and from the President’s Oval Office. In the second half of this podcast, we’ll hear the crewmembers explain in detail their objectives. It’s a little out of this world, I know, but a refreshing reminder of space exploration in the 70’s.

A Reagan Forum – Richard Hurowitz

As part of our Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. exhibit, the Reagan Foundation has been hosting authors whose books cover the atrocities of the holocaust, mainly told through survivor’s eyes. In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast we back to our in-person event with Richard Hurowitz for a different look at the Holocaust – this time to focus on heroics rather than despair – for Richard’s latest book, In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust. “It is an understatement to say this book is timely,” said Kirkus Review.

During this program, Richard sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute President and CEO David Trulio to discuss In the Garden of the Righteous, which chronicles extraordinary acts at a time when the moral choices were stark, the threat immense, and the passive apathy of millions predominated. Deeply researched and astonishingly moving, it focuses on ten remarkable stories of those who provided hiding places, participated in underground networks, refused to betray their neighbors, and secured safe passage. They repeatedly defied authorities and risked their lives, their livelihoods, and their families to save the helpless and the persecuted.

Words To Live By – Hanukkah and Respect for Religious Freedom

Today, we are witnessing the emergence of hatred targeted at numerous religious groups. It defies logic, since the basis of all religion is love, isn’t it? Ronald Reagan, a man of private yet devout faith, respected all religions and this time of the year, honored the celebration of Hanukkah. He deeply revered the lighting of the Menorah. And he empathized with Soviet Refusniks who were prohibited and punished for practicing their Jewish traditions. So in December 1983, 40 years ago, Ronald Reagan travelled to the Jewish Community Center in Rockville, Maryland to attend a Menorah lighting. And he delivered touching, inspiring remarks. But in our opinion, these words should echo throughout the land today, throughout America and across the globe.

A Reagan Forum – Lloyd Austin at RNDF 2023

On December 1 and 2, 2023, the Reagan Foundation and Institute held its annual Reagan National Defense Forum, one of our nation’s premier gatherings for defense and national security experts. In an era where the threats to our national security are increasing in number and complexity, the Reagan National Defense Forum allows senior leaders from the defense community to come together with viewpoints on how best to deal with these challenges. As this was our 10^th annual forum, this year’s theme was 10 years of promoting Peace Through Strength. This annual convening of the top minds within the defense space provides for unique perspectives via high-level conversations with people who are ‘in the room’ where decisions are made. The Reagan National Defense Forum’s primary objective is to review and assess policies that strengthen America’s national defense in the context of a global threat environment. Just like the past two years, this year’s Defense Forum’s keynote address was delivered by the U.S. Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Lloyd Austin.

Words To Live By – Family

Family – well, it’s the center of all our activities this time of year, the reason for the season, so to speak. And to Ronald Reagan, incredibly important. So following in the tradition established in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, he proclaimed National Family Week which occurs near Thanksgiving. In 1981, Ronald Reagan wrote as he proclaimed National Family Week:

The family is the basic unit of our society, the heart of our free democracy. It provides love, acceptance, guidance, support, and instruction to the individual. Community values and goals that give America strength also take root in the home. In times of change and challenge, families keep safe our cultural heritage and reinforce our spiritual foundation.

A Reagan Forum – Oren Schneider

In this week’s Reagan Forum podcast we go back to our in-person event with Oren Schneider, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, for his recent book The Apprentice of Buchenwald: The True Story of the Teenage Boy who Sabotaged Hitler’s War Machine, a true story of inner strength, resourcefulness and optimism. Of his grandfather’s life in the concentration camps, Elie Wiesel’s son once said, “Being an inmate of a Nazi concentration camp did not stop Alexander Rosenberg. It did not stop him from doing whatever he could to keep his father alive. And it did not stop him from sabotaging the Nazi war effort by subtly tampering with the weaponry he assembled.” In today’s program, Oren discussed his book with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller.

Words To Live By – Israel from Other Vantage Points

Because of the war in the Middle East, we thought it would be a good idea to devote today’s podcast to Israel, focusing on the radio addresses written by Ronald Reagan before entering the Oval Office. So remember, he wrote these, on a yellow pad, without the oversight of a foreign policy advisor, without a secretary of defense or secretary of state or national security advisor hanging over his shoulder. These, from the late 70’s, came from his own pen. One entitled Palestine and the other Brezhnev. Overall, the politics of the Middle East was not the subject of many radio broadcasts in the late 70’s. Of course, as soon as he became President, Ronald Reagan met with Prime Minister Menachem Begin early in his administration and clearly defined America’s role and his objective focusing on peace.