Registration Information:
Your registration ee includes: registration kit, opening program and cocktail reception Saturday evening at the Panama Canal, Sunday luncheon, Sunday gala dinner at the Hebrew Club, the closing luncheon on Monday, and all transportation to off-site venues.   

For those that plan to pay the Policy Forum registration fee on-site in cash, you still must pre-register for the Forum. You can still use the online form; before you click the “Checkout” button, select the “Check By Mail” option next to this button instead of “Credit Card.” We cannot accept payment on Saturday evening, we will accept cash payment on Sunday morning at registration. The on-site cash registration fee will be US$400. Please make sure you have exact change, unfortunately, we will be unable to make change.

Deadline for registration is Monday, August 11 2014.  If you need to cancel your registration, you may do so via e-mail to policyforum@bnaibrith.org no later than Monday, August 11, for a full refund less a $25 processing fee.  

Getting There
B’nai B’rith international is pleased to offer a 10 percent discount with Copa Airlines.  

Copa offers direct flights to Panama City from many major cities around the world. Be sure to check with your personal rewards programs and other online discount opportunities to create the flight package right for you.

In order to receive the discount, please call Copa Airlines: 1-800-359-2672 and mention the B’nai B’rith International Policy Forum being held August 2014 in Panama City, Panama. 

AIRPORT INFORMATION:
Tocumen International Airport
Website: www.tocumenpanama.aero

Many U.S. airlines service Panama City, and the main airline Copa also has code shares with major U.S. airlines.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION
There is only one taxi company serving the airport, the Tourist Taxi Service, which provides service to tourists and to guarantee passenger safety.

Currently, the taxi ride from Tocumen International Airport to Panama City for 1 to 2 persons is $30, Group (3 or more): $10 each. The airport is located approximately 12 miles from Panama City. 

IMPORTANT TRAVEL INFORMATION
Panama uses the U.S. Dollar as its official currency, so for American travelers there is no need to exchange money. Panama  City is the financial banking center for Central America, with easy access to ATM’s.
 

VISAS:
Currently, people holding passports from the following countries needed to show only their passports to enter Panama: 
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Uruguay and Wales.

Currently, people from the following countries need a passport and a tourist card (supplied by the airline for $5): 
Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Granada, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, San Marino, South Korea, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tobago, Trinidad, the USA and Venezuela.

Any countries not listed will need to obtain a visa, available at Panamanian embassies or consulates.

INSURANCE:
Panama offers 30-day free health insurance up to $7,000 if you are a tourist and have a medical emergency.  Please click here for more information.

Shabbat Dinner Home Hospitality

Enjoy Shabbat dinner hosted by a local B’nai B’rith family.

Note: When you register, please let us know if you are OK with traveling by car on Shabbat.

Tours
There is so much to see and do in Panama. Please visit this tour company recommended by B’nai B’rith Panama for information about  half day, whole day or multi-day trips, as well as transfers from the airport and more: http://trulypanama.com/en/pf-bbla-event

Jews in Panama
Please view slideshow below to learn more about the Jewish community of Panama and its long history in the country. 
Slideshow prepared by Dovi Eisenman

Panama is a unique and beautiful tourist destination
It’s a place where you can eat breakfast overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and enjoy dinner on the Caribbean Sea. 

Why visit Panama? Click on the video to get a taste for some of the amazing things you can see and do in Panama.
Video prepared by the Panama Tourism Authority

Allan J. Jacobs 
President, B´nai B´rith International
Since his days at AZA (the teenage boys component of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization) Jacobs has served extensively within the organization, in  numerous leadership roles. In 2006, he received the Moe and Berdie Kudler Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership.

Deeply committed to the core values of B’nai B’rith, he  leads the organization’s efforts to advocate for the global Jewish community and the State of Israel, provide humanitarian aid, and promote human rights and senior advocacy initiatives. Jacobs has exhibited his commitment to Israel and B’nai B’rith’s public policy agenda in a wide variety of arenas. He now serves on the Board of Governors of the World Zionist Organization and is a Vice President of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Daniel S. Mariaschin
Executive Vice President, B´nai B´rith International
Mariaschin has spent nearly all of his professional life working on behalf of Jewish organizations.
As the Executive Vice President of B’nai B’rith International, Mariaschin has met with countless heads of state, prime ministers, foreign ministers, opposition leaders, influential members of the media and clerical leaders. Each time, his goal has been to advance human rights, help protect the rights of Jewish communities worldwide and promote better relations with the State of Israel.

In acknowledgment of his work he has received several recognitions, 
among them the Cultural Pluralism Award from the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. 

Rebeca Grynspan
Grynspan was unanimously elected Secretary General of the Ibero-American Secretary General (Secretaria General Iberoamericana) in a special meeting of the Ministers of External Relations in February. She was also the United Nations Assistant Secretary General, United Nations Development Programme Assistant Administrator and Regional Director of the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Previously, she was Director of the subregional headquarters in Mexico of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). She was Vice President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998, as well as Coordinating Minister of the government’s social and economic sectors and housing and human settlements ministries.

Juan Carlos Varela
Varela was recently elected President of the Republic of Panama, and will be inaugurated on July 1st. With his unique background, he has supported projects in the fields of culture, sports, education and the environment.

In the political arena he is a founding member of the
Arnulfista Party. He served on the party’s National Board from 1992 to 1998. Since 2006 he has served as the President
of this political group. He was elected Vice President in July 2009. He won the 2014 presidential election with 39 percent of the vote.

Dr. Julio María Sanguinetti
President of Uruguay in 1985-1990 and 1995-2000. Lawyer, historian, journalist and politician. 
Since 1990, he has also been President of the PAX Institute, an academic foundation for international action. He is likewise a member of the InterAcción Council –  a forum for retired world leaders that centers its work on the elaboration of reports and studies offering advice on diverse areas of the international arena. A strong supporter of the State of Israel in various international forums, he has been the recipient of the Jerusalem Prize, awarded  by the World Zionist Organization. 

Dr. Stanley A. Urman
Executive Vice-President (Executive Director 2002-2008) of Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, an international coalition seeking rights and redress for Jews displaced from Arab countries. 

Since 2002, Dr. Urman has made formal presentations on rights and redress for Jews forced to flee Arab countries to members of Congress, and to senior administration officials in the United States, Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, Italy, Russia and the European Union.

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner
Israeli attorney, human rights activist and the founder of Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center. 
She is known for her legal activism, especially lawsuits and legal actions brought on behalf of terror victims against terrorist groups, their leaders and financial patrons. In addition, her law office has brought civil actions against numerous banks and financial institutions for aiding and abetting Islamic and Arab groups engaged in terror attacks.