MEET THE PRESENTERS

Fleischman, Luis
Luis Fleischman, Ph.D., earned his master's and doctoral degrees in sociology from the New School for Social Research in New York City and a bachelor's degree in political science from Tel Aviv University. He is currently a professor of sociology at Palm Beach State College. Previously he worked for the Jewish Federations of Palm Beach County as Vice President for Community and Political Relations, where he worked on issues related to the Middle East, U.S. national security, and domestic issues. Fleischman is the author of “Latin America in the Post-Chavez Era: The Threat to the U.S. Security”; and “The Middle East Riddle: A Study of the Middle East Peace Process and Israeli-Arab Relations in Changing Times”, (2021). He is the founding co-president of the Palm Beach Center for Democracy and Policy Research.

Ginsburg, Riva
Riva Ginsburg has taught Yiddish Language and Culture at both the State University of New York (SUNY) Binghamton and Florida Atlantic University. While at Binghamton, she was credited as having the largest Yiddish program in the country with over 100 students each semester. She presents lectures and courses through Lifelong Learning at FAU as well as synagogues, country clubs and various organizations. Riva was born in a displaced person camp in Fahrenvald, Germany after World War II and Yiddish was her native tongue. As a daughter of Holocaust Resistance fighters, she lectures on Jewish Resistance and the Generation After the Holocaust. She received an undergraduate degree at Stony Brook University and completed graduate work in the field of education and conflict management.

Gold, Michael
Rabbi Michael Gold, Ph.D. serves as the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Boca Raton, FL. He earned his doctoral degree from Florida Atlantic University with a dissertation on process philosophy and Jewish mysticism. He is an adjunct professor of philosophy and religion at Broward and Miami-Dade Colleges.

Granat, Harvey
Harvey Granat leads an exciting life as a performer and music historian. He performs at various supper clubs, resorts, and other cultural venues, including Lincoln Center, Norton Museum, Feinstein's at the Regency, Metropolitan Room, Birdland, and Canyon Ranch, where he has performed more than 250 shows. He presents a very popular series on “The American Songbook” at The 92nd St Y in NYC, now in its 7th year. His shows are unique in that they focus on a composer or lyricist, combining the performance of their songs with fascinating inside stories from their lives. Granat produced four-time Academy Award winner Sammy Cahn on Broadway in the very successful “Words and Music”. His friendship with Cahn led to his serving on the Board of The Songwriters Hall of Fame with Cahn. He is a major collector of original letters and manuscripts of some of the greats and there is a "Harvey Granat George and Ira Gershwin Collection" at The Library of Congress

Green, Martin
Martin Green, D.C. has been an avid car collector and enthusiast for 42 years and has lectured on cruise ships on the history of the automobile industry and the evolution of the car hobby. He has extensively studied how the U.S. economy continues to be influenced by the automobile industry, particularly fuel prices and the socioeconomic implications thereof.

Gridley, Mark C.
Mark C. Gridley, Ph.D., is a professional jazz saxophonist-flutist-bandleader who taught jazz history and appreciation at Case Western Reserve University, where he developed America's most widely used introductions to jazz: "Jazz Styles: History and Analysis and its abridged edition, Concise Guide to Jazz," (Prentice-Hall). His books have been translated into six foreign languages. His articles appear in numerous academic musicology journals as well as Groves Dictionaries of Music and Encyclopaedia Britannica. Gridley has been honored by the Educational Press Association of America’s Distinguished Achievement Award, and he is listed in "Marquis Who’s Who in America."