The Main Event
David Gregory
David Gregory's career in journalism began when he was 18. Over the following decades, his work has taken him across the country and around the world. He is now a political analyst on CNN; host of his self-titled podcast, which features interviews with newsmakers and thought leaders; and co-host of DIVINUM, bimonthly conversations exploring faith and ethics in Washington, D.C.
Best known for his nearly 20 years at NBC News, Gregory served for six years as moderator of Meet the Press and chief White House correspondent during the entire presidency of George W. Bush. Gregory covered the trials of O.J. Simpson and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh as well as other breaking news around the country. He contributed anchoring duties to all of NBC’s major programs, and served as a political analyst. Gregory traveled with President Bush on 9/11 and during his first visit to Ground Zero after the attacks. From the White House, Gregory covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and earned a reputation as the toughest questioner in the press corps. Gregory was a staple of NBC’s special coverage, anchoring the breaking news of Osama bin Laden’s capture and death, and acting as a key player in election nights spanning four presidential cycles.
During his days covering the White House, he became close with President Bush, who asked him frequently, “Gregory, how’s your faith?” Raised by a Catholic mother and Jewish father, Gregory had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity. However, it was not until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith that he became inspired to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family.
After visiting religious institutions and interviewing spiritual leaders of all faiths, and studying with Modern Orthodox scholar Dr. Erica Brown – a frequent educator in Miami’s Jewish community – Gregory wrote his first book, How’s Your Faith?, a critically acclaimed memoir about his attempts to deepen his own faith amid the rough-and-tumble of broadcast news. The book is an honest, painful and uplifting account of how Gregory’s personal setbacks in media led him to living a more committed Jewish life.
David Gregory lives in Washington, D.C., with his three children and his wife, litigator Beth Wilkinson.
Miri Ben-Ari
Originally from Israel, Miri Ben-Ari has created her own unique sound - a revolutionary fusion of classical, soul and dance music. A classically trained violinist who once studied under the late master Isaac Stern, Ben-Ari has collaborated with other Grammy Award-winning artists, including Kanye West, Jay Z, Alicia Keys, Wynton Marsalis, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Patti LaBelle, Janet Jackson and John Legend. Her single “Symphony of Brotherhood,” featuring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was the first instrumental single to hit on Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop charts. Philanthropy is important to Ben-Ari, who is the founder and CEO of Gedenk, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, raising awareness and encouraging self-expression among youth about anti-Semitism, racism and their brutal consequences.
In recognition of her professional and philanthropic accomplishments, Ben-Ari has received many awards, including the Apollo Legend by the Apollo Theater in New York City, the International Jewish Women to Watch in 2007, the Israel Film Festival Visionary Award, the American Society for Yad Vashem Award, the Martin Luther King Award from Israeli President Shimon Peres, the Aviv Award by The America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF) 75th Anniversary Gala at Lincoln Center hosted by Itzhak Perlman, the first-ever Girl Up Advocate Award from the United Nations Foundation, the New York Demmy Award, the 2015 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and in 2016 the IFF Achievement in Music Award.
Ben-Ari was chosen by Israeli news outlets Mako and Ynet as one of the Top Ten Most Influential Israelis now living in the U.S.
