Hanna Siegel and Mickey Bergman

On October 7th, our lives converged in the worst possible way. Mickey Bergman has spent his career negotiating the release of hostages and wrongful detainees around the world — operating in back channels, working across governments, navigating the impossible space between leverage and humanity.

Hanna watched her aunt and uncle, Keith and Aviva Siegel, get taken from their home in Israel on October 7th and held hostage in Gaza. What began as traditional family advocacy quickly evolved into something far more consequential: she became the primary family advocate and a core member of the negotiating team — shaping strategy, directing messaging, navigating political and diplomatic fault lines, and sustaining the fragile conditions that ultimately made a deal possible.

Aviva was held for 51 days. Keith for 484. Together, we experienced the same crisis from two completely different vantage points: the career negotiator and the family member who became a negotiator herself — essential to the effort and instrumental in bringing the deal across the finish line. What we learned — about leadership, communication, emotional intelligence, leverage, moral clarity, and community — feels deeply relevant to this moment for Jewish communities.

We would love to bring that conversation to your community. This would not be a political talk. It would not be a news recap. It would be an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about:

• How high-stakes negotiations actually work — and what most people misunderstand
• The role families and communities can play (and how to do so constructively)
• Communicating clearly under extreme pressure
• Holding both strategy and humanity at the same time
• What this experience taught us about resilience, responsibility, and collective strength

We believe Jewish communities, in particular, are grappling with questions like:

• How do we show up effectively when members of our community are in crisis?
• What is the right balance between advocacy and strategy?
• How do we remain united when emotions run high?
• What does moral leadership look like when there are no clean options?

This program is designed as a joint keynote and moderated conversation (60–90 minutes including Q&A), tailored to your audience — whether a synagogue community, federation gathering, leadership forum, or donor event. Hanna and Mickey can also offer smaller sessions with boards or leadership teams focused on crisis decision-making, stakeholder alignment, and how to communicate under moral and emotional pressure.