Sinai Forum at Purdue Northwest

Sinai Forum at Purdue Northwest The Sinai Forum began with a simple desire and a big idea—to provide affordable, exceptional progr The year was 1953. The commitment goes on.

In a home located in a quiet neighborhood in Michigan City, Indiana, the idea for the Sinai Forum was conceived by a determined woman – Sylvia Bankoff, her husband Dr. Milton Bankoff, Rabbi Karl Richter and a small group of inspired community members. The mission was to provide affordable, exceptional programming on important issues of the day in a town hall setting. With limited funds but limitle

ss zeal, and a cadre of friends from the broader community, they pulled it off. Since then, Nobel Prize recipients, former heads of state, Pulitzer Prize winners, scientists, nationally recognized media personalities and famous performing artists have graced Sinai Forum’s stage. Throughout the years, speakers themselves were wowed. American author, journalist, and activist Jonathan Rauch told the Forum audience in 2020, “Sylvia Bankoff launched one of the greatest speaking institutions in America and perhaps the one that I feel most privileged to be a part of.”

In 2003, at the 50th anniversary celebration of the speaker’s series, Sinai Forum founder Sylvia Bankoff said, “I am hopeful for the future of the Forum. We have good people to work with who will work just as hard defining the future without forgetting people from the past, enlarging our horizon with new formats and community appeal. From our small committee in the Sinai Temple, we have spread community wide. It’s not just the Temple anymore, the Sinai Forum has become much bigger than our original concept, far beyond where we ever thought we would go.”

Who could have imagined that The Forum would draw the caliber of speakers listed? For more than 67 years, such an accomplishment didn’t just happen. It took tremendous amounts of time, energy, professional direction and valuable ideas from our community’s great friends and supporters. Under the stewardship of Purdue University Northwest since 2006, and led by Chancellor Tom Keon and Executive Director Leslie Plesac, the Sinai Forum continues its mission to enlighten, inspire and entertain you – our subscribers. Opinions expressed on this site may not represent the official views of Purdue Northwest.

Make a gift today to the Sinai Forum at Purdue Northwest! Help us continue to bring exceptional programming to Northwest...
04/29/2026

Make a gift today to the Sinai Forum at Purdue Northwest! Help us continue to bring exceptional programming to Northwest Indiana. Giving link in the comments! Thank you.

12/09/2025
Well, that's a wrap for the 2025 Sinai Forum season! All photos will be posted by tomorrow morning, 12/9 around 10 AM.Ne...
12/08/2025

Well, that's a wrap for the 2025 Sinai Forum season! All photos will be posted by tomorrow morning, 12/9 around 10 AM.
Neil deGrasse Tyson couldn't have been more gracious and entertaining.
Thanks to all who made this one possible. HealthLinc, Family Express and a huge thank to the Urschel family and Urschel Laboratories Employees!
We are beyond grateful for your continued partnership with Sinai Forum at Purdue Northwest!
Dr. Tyson's parting words, "Try to make people's lives better every day!"

Another great program at Sinai Forum this evening! Jennifer Griffin and Greg Myre, national security correspondents for...
11/17/2025

Another great program at Sinai Forum this evening!
Jennifer Griffin and Greg Myre, national security correspondents for Fox and NPR respectively, discussed the reality of covering some of the worlds most difficult stories.
Thank you to the Bankoff Family Endowment and all of our donors who made this program possible!

Such fun at Sinai Forum last night with David Pogue, an Emmy-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, technology expert...
10/27/2025

Such fun at Sinai Forum last night with David Pogue, an Emmy-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, technology expert and bestselling author!
His program titled Artificial Intelligence: Ethics & Its Effect on the Healthcare Industry was informative and entertaining...especially the Sinai Jive! Thank you to the Health Foundation of La Porte for making this exceptional night possible! Thanks to all of our donors for making our season a hit so far!

10/13/2025

Coming to the Forum stage October 26, Emmy-winning journalist and bestselling author David Pogue explores one of today’s most pressing topics: Artificial Intelligence—Ethics and Its Effects on the Healthcare Industry.

A beloved CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and tech expert, Pogue brings humor, insight, and storytelling to the fast-changing world of AI. From improving patient outcomes to tackling bias in medical algorithms, he examines how technology is transforming health care—and what it means for the future of ethics, privacy, and trust.

Don’t miss this engaging look at the intersection of innovation and humanity. Purchase series tickets today: pnw.edu/sinai-forum/tickets/

A song can express joy, sorrow, longing, or hope in a way that words alone often can’t… and when we hear it, we recogniz...
10/06/2025

A song can express joy, sorrow, longing, or hope in a way that words alone often can’t… and when we hear it, we recognize those feelings in ourselves and others.
From the Metropolitan Opera and Broadway to the Sinai Forum at Purdue Northwest, thank you Nathan Gunn and Julie Jordan Gunn for a beautiful evening celebrating music and The Heart of the Matter.
Thank you to Dave and Billie Bankoff for making this one possible!

Address

Westville, IN

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sinai Forum at Purdue Northwest posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share