In anticipation of Yeshiva University’s 92nd Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation (12/11/2016), featuring the Honorable Mayor Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem as the keynote speaker and honorary degree recipient, Nachum welcomed Mayor Barkat to this morning’s JM in the AM to discuss the evening and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem. President Richard M. Joel will also confer honorary degrees upon Joseph Appleman, Gitta Nagel and Joshua L. Muss. “Nir Barkat has served as mayor of Jerusalem since 2008, transforming Israel’s capital into an international leader in business, culture, and innovation. His record of closing economic gaps in the city’s education system, driving tourism to the city, and enhancing the city’s cultural landscape all served as the basis for his reelection in 2013. Mayor Barkat received the rank of major during his six years of service in the Israel Defense Forces, which included serving as a company commander of paratroopers during the First Lebanon War.”