On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, ACCESS Dallas members gathered for an engaging evening of conversation and learning during the ACCESS signature program, Dinner with an AJC Expert: Christen Broecker. The event was hosted by AJC Dallas Regional Board Member Ladd Hirsch and generously sponsored by AJC Dallas Regional Board Member Lauren Zlotky.
Held in an intimate setting, the evening welcomed eleven emerging ACCESS leaders, including ACCESS Dallas Board members Layla Finch, Elizabeth Margolis, and Aaron Hoffman, as well as ACCESS Board Co-Chair Alexis Sherman, and Goldman Fellow Hannah Hettena.
Ericka Koenigsberg, Alexis Sherman, Elizabeth Margolis, Olivia Sinrich, Ariella Allen, Layla Finch
Bottom Row from Left to Right:
Marcel Levi, Aaron Hoffman, Gena Medoff, Christen Broecker, Hannah Hettena, Ladd Hirsch,
Jake Hamlin, Collin Burke
Broecker was in town in advance of AJC Dallas's collaborative program with the George W. Bush Institute, Leveling the Playing Field: Sports and Human Rights. The program featured a conversation between Broecker; Sardar Pashaei, a Kurdish Iranian human rights activist and former world wrestling champion; and Michael H. Posner, former Assistant Secretary of State and the Jerome Kohlberg Professor of Ethics and Finance at NYU Stern School of Business. The discussion was moderated by Natalie Gonnella-Platts, Director of Global Policy at the George W. Bush Institute.
During the evening’s ACCESS program, Broecker shared insights into her work serving as Director of AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights. Drawing from her extensive experience engaging with the United Nations, diplomats, and civil society organizations, she offered attendees a behind-the-scenes look at AJC’s global advocacy work. Participants learned about the critical role AJC’s relationships play in shaping outcomes ranging from the composition of key international governing bodies to the passage of resolutions targeting the preservation of religious freedoms and democratic values.
The conversation highlighted essential aspect of AJC’s impact—its ability to leverage decades of strategic engagement to advance human rights and combat antisemitism on a global scale.
The evening also provided ACCESS members with the opportunity to hear from Ladd Hirsch about his longstanding involvement with AJC and the values that have inspired his commitment to the organization over the years.
As ACCESS Dallas continues to create opportunities for emerging leaders to interface AJC’s highly sought after experts, gatherings like this offer valuable insight into the organization's far-reaching impact while inspiring the next generation to shape their own relationships to AJC and our mission at the local level.
