The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues, now in its 37th season, continues with “Belonging is a Practice, Not a Place” featuring communication expert Orly Israel. The event is 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Nebraska Union’s Swanson Auditorium.
No ticket or registration is required, but seating is limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 5 p.m.
Israel is a communication strategist who combines his background as a TV producer with deep volunteer experience in prisons, shelters and crisis support. He is the creator of The Listening Table, an experiment involving a folding table in a public space with a sign reading “Here to listen. No judgment. No advice. No charge.” The experiment has resulted in more than 1,500 conversations. A teacher of emotional resilience, empathy and communication skills, Israel is also the vice president of Warmline.org, a peer support network.
Israel’s Nov. 18 presentation will focus on belonging as a daily practice. He will offer attendees tools to foster authentic human connection, build strong social bonds and navigate life’s challenges in an increasingly digital world. The event is co-sponsored by the university’s College of Business.
In addition to the public event, Israel will lead workshops with Bay High students, students in The Bay Gap Year Program, Clifton Builders, Staff Senate leadership, Learning Council staff and first-year students in the University Honors Program. He will also host a Listening Table from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in The Crib of the Nebraska Union.
This year’s Thompson Forum series is organized around the theme “Belonging: Finding Connection in a Lonely World” and explores the rising public health challenges of loneliness and isolation, highlighting the vital role of social connection in enhancing the health and well-being of individuals and communities. The season is co-sponsored by the Lincoln Community Foundation and the College of Business.
The season opened with a short-film screening Sept. 18 featuring videos produced by the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Connection and continued with “A Conversation with Dr. Vivek Murthy” on Oct. 14.
Remaining Thompson Forum events include:
- An Ignite Lincoln event will take place at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17, 2026, at the Rococo Theatre. Local individuals and nonprofit organizations will share ideas and stories related to the “Belonging” theme to spark imagination, inspire, educate and build a better community. The event is presented by the Foundry and the Firespring Foundation, with the Thompson Forum as the presenting sponsor. Tickets are $10 and available here.
- Shaylyn Romney Garrett, a social entrepreneur and coauthor of “The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again” with Robert D. Putnam, will present “America’s Upswing” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 31, 2026, at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The award-winning book offers an evidence-based roadmap for how to reweave the country’s tattered social fabric. Free tickets are available here.
The E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues is a cooperative project of the Cooper Foundation, Lied Center and University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The series was established in 1988 with the purpose of bringing a diversity of viewpoints on international and public policy issues to the university and people of Nebraska to promote understanding and encourage discussion. Learn more.
