With the fall 2025 semester coming to a close, the Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought welcomed two high-profile guest speakers to end the year on a high note. 

Chief Judge Matthew Solomson of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims spoke to Dr. Tevi Troy's Straus reading group on Monday, November 24. He discussed his decision to be outspoken on issues of antisemitism after the October 7 Hamas terrorist massacre, and his involvement with the judicial effort to boycott schools that did not provide adequate protection to Jewish students. 

He also spoke to Dr. Troy and Dr. Matthew Incantalupo’s “American Presidency” Honors course about the role of the courts in the context of the presidency. After class, students spent a long time getting insights and advice from the Chief Judge. 

A week later, Dr. Troy welcomed former White House speech writer Noam Neusner to his reading group to discuss how to use writing skills in one’s professional life. Neusner has been a journalist, speechwriter and now a head of a PR firm, giving him insider knowledge of the importance of writing in the professional world that he passed along to the students. 

Neusner then served as a guest speaker for the “American Presidency” about his time in the White House, how the State of the Union address gets written, and the history of White House speechwriting.

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