What do we owe people beyond our borders? Are we obligated to help when doing so involves risk? And who makes the decisions when moral values collide with security considerations?

Humanitarian policy advisor Elana Banin joins Rabbi Menashe Wolf for an Ethics Breakfast conversation examining the moral dilemmas at the heart of humanitarian aid in times of conflict. Together, we’ll explore how compassion, responsibility, and security interact — and where the limits of obligation might lie. 

The Ethics Breakfast is a series of conversations exploring pressing ethical questions with guest presenters in dialogue with a rabbi, comparing contemporary approaches with Jewish perspectives.

Join us for a new season of the Ethics Breakfasts with Elana Banin.

Sunday, February 8 at 10:30am
Bass & Bourbon, 113 Hamilton Ave.

Reserve your spot today and be part of this timely conversation about ethics, technology, and connection.

Presenter Bio:

Elena Banin is a policy advisor, researcher, and communications specialist with over 15 years of experience working across humanitarian response, global governance, and conflict-affected settings. She has worked with the World Bank, the International Rescue Committee, UNICEF, and PATH, and currently serves as Director of Communications at the Burnes Center for Social Change/Governance Lab, Senior Partnership Advisor to the Multifaith Alliance, and a Visiting Fellow at the think tank Capita.

She has led large-scale humanitarian financing and policy strategy efforts across the Middle East, including Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank/Gaza.

Elana holds an MA in International Security and Diplomacy from Tel Aviv University and has published on conflict, technology, and governance with the World Economic Forum, Council on Foreign Relations, and the Arab Gulf Institute. She is also the founder of MENA2050, a women’s empowerment network supporting grassroots change across the region.