Former President George W. Bush will speak at Beth El Synagogue in Minnesota on Sept. 21.
The fundraising event at the Conservative synagogue in St. Louis Park is being billed as “An Intimate Evening with the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.” The audience will be limited to 250; ticket prices start at $1,250.
Bush’s speaking fee is reported to be between $100,000 and $150,000.
No press will be allowed to cover the event, according to an Aug. 22 letter from Beth El president Gil Mann. The letter noted a Sept. 1 deadline for ticket orders, “so that appropriate security measures can be taken.”
In his letter, Mann wrote that Bush’s appearance “coincides with the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a time when our country came together with a singular purpose. This national tragedy defined much of his presidency, and the lessons of that time should prove illuminating and provide important perspective today as our country strives to be more united.”
Other world leaders who have spoken at Beth El include former President Bill Clinton, ex–Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Bush’s secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. — jta