Westminster Town Hall Forum

A citizen asked Benjamin Franklin what form of government the Constitutional delegates had created. He replied: “A republic, if you can keep it.” The words remain true today, with New York Times best-selling author Timothy Snyder challenging us to act on the responsibilities before us if democracy is to not only persist but flourish. Snyder is the Temerty Chair in Modern European History at the University of Toronto and the author of Our Malady, On Tyranny, On Freedom, Black Earth, The Road to Unfreedom, and Bloodlands. His works have been published in 40 languages and have received high-level recognition, including the Ralph Waldo Emerson Award. He has made numerous podcast, radio, and television appearances, including on Amanpour & Company and MS NOW’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” special “We the People.” Snyder earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and his doctorate in modern history at the University of Oxford and is a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He is renowned for his extensive academic research and prolific public intellectual writing. The first portion of the Forum our Executive Director Sara Wilhelm Garbers, M.Div., Ph.D., will offer up questions to Dr. Snyder connected to the Forum's title and theme " A Blueprint for Freedom." The second portion will be moderated by The Rev. Dr. Jessica Patchett who is senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis.

Following our October 29, 2026 Forum with Dr. Timothy Snyder, we hosted a panel on Democracy in Ukraine. We are grateful to have been joined by local Ukrainian-American leaders from the Twin Cities. Our panelists were: Dr. Nataliya Danylkova, MD, MBA, and Stephen Vitvitsky. They were hosted by our Executive Director Dr. Sara Wilhelm Garbers. 'They referenced two organizations that we wish to highlight: https://www.standwithukrainemn.com and https://uaccmn.org. Stephen Vitvitsky is a 2nd generation Ukrainian American who holds a degree in International Studies from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He has served on the Board of Directors at the Ukrainian American Cultural Center in N.E. Minneapolis, and on that organization's Advocacy Committee. Stephen is the Treasurer for the Minneapolis branch of PLAST Ukrainian Scouting Organization and he was a founding member of Stand with Ukraine MN, where he has been a public speaker, writer, and press liaison. Stephen has also traveled to Washington D.C. several times since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, meeting with Minnesota's congressional delegation as an advocate with the American Coalition for Ukraine. Dr. Nataliya Danylkova, MD, MBA, is a Ukrainian-born ophthalmologist, physician leader, and humanitarian advocate based in Minnesota. She graduated with honors from Ternopil National Medical University, completed ophthalmology residencies in Ukraine and at Northwestern University, and earned an MBA from Metropolitan State University. She is a past president of the Minnesota Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Danylkova's commitment to Ukraine's independence and freedom began with her participation in the student-led Revolution on Granite in 1990. For more than three decades, she has remained a tireless advocate for Ukraine, raising awareness through media interviews, public engagement, and dialogue with elected officials in Minnesota and Washington, D.C. She has also supported Ukrainian hospitals, humanitarian organizations, and rehabilitation efforts for wounded soldiers. Following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, she became one of the founding members of Stand with Ukraine Minnesota, helping lead fundraising initiatives, coordinate humanitarian relief, and mobilize support for Ukraine through political advocacy and national medical organizations. In the early weeks of the invasion, she traveled to Przemyśl on the Polish-Ukrainian border, where she provided medical care to refugees in collaboration with international relief organizations. Her humanitarian work also includes ophthalmic surgical missions in Kenya. In recognition of her service, she received the 2022 American Academy of Ophthalmology Humanitarian Award. Drawing on her Ukrainian roots, medical career, and decades of civic engagement, Dr. Danylkova brings a deeply personal perspective on Ukraine's struggle for independence, the human cost of war, and the importance of international solidarity.

After the June 2026 Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship, Kica Matos observed how fragile foundational constitutional guarantees have become, with the struggle for immigrant rights serving as a central pillar of the broader pro-democracy fight. Named one of Time magazine’s most influential people of 2026, Matos is president of the National Immigration Law Center and the Immigrant Justice Fund. She also is a Distinguished Practitioner at Yale University’s Brady Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. She has a front-row seat to the immigration debate and will address immigrant rights and how “We the People” are ALL the people. Her bold vision and engagement in broad-reaching advocacy offers hope to many youths and immigrants facing challenges under the nation’s current immigration laws. Matos is a recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award and was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame in 2021. She has a bachelor’s degree from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand; a master’s degree from the New School; and a law degree from Cornell Law School. The session’s moderator was Sara Wilhelm Garbers (M.Div., Ph.D.), Executive Director of the Westminster Town Hall Forum. Sara's doctorate is in ethics from Loyola University Chicago where she focused on theological, political, sexual, and feminist ethics in view of the formation of the self and communities. Sara has been Executive Director of the Forum since September 2025 and also serves on the Hopkins School Board. Sara lives in Hopkins with her spouse Andy, puppy Blue, and human preschooler Josie.

The second Forum of our “Ethics Still Matter” spring season features former FBI Director and #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author James Comey. This Forum returns us to where we began in fall 1980 with Special Watergate Prosecutor Archibald Cox who also spoke on “Ethics and Government.” Do ethics matter in government? Is truth just a matter of perspective? What is asked of and from us if our democracy and once-trusted institutions are to endure? James Comey led the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed by President Barack Obama. At the FBI, he tried to change its approach to leadership, diversity, and cyber threats. Like Archibald Cox, Comey’s tenure came to an abrupt end under a controversial president. Prior to FBI service, Comey was a federal prosecutor in New York and Virginia and served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and U.S. deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush. Comey’s 2018 and 2021 books on ethics and leadership were both New York Times bestsellers. He holds a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. The Forum will be moderated by Justice Margaret Chutich who is an American lawyer and judge who served as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 2016 to 2024. She was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton. She previously served as a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Her career in law and justice is marked by her advocacy for LGBTQ+ representation. She holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and the University of Michigan. https://westminsterforum.org/2026/james-comey/

Gerrymandering is expanding and making news from coast to coast. How will it affect our elections? Sam Wang – one of the nation’s leading experts on redistricting, representation, and election reform – will address gerrymandering and share his data-driven approach to building and repairing an American democracy that represents all. Wang is founder and director of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and the Electoral Innovation Lab and a professor of neuroscience at Princeton University. He has contributed to election law cases in North Carolina, Maine, and New Jersey, and his research and commentary have appeared in the New York Times and Washington Post. His analysis has been cited by Chief Justice John Roberts in U.S. Supreme Court opinions. Wang also is co-author of two popular books: Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys But Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life and Welcome to Your Child’s Brain: How the Mind Grows from Conception to College. He was originally trained in physics at the California Institute of Technology, where he graduated with honors at the age of 19. Wang earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford University. The session’s moderator will be Kaomi Lee, reporter with Twin Cities PBS. Lee uncovers stories about Minnesotans across Greater Minnesota for Almanac, the weekly public affairs program, and has a passion for exploring diverse perspectives and issues that affect the wider community. She also produces a podcast that features the experiences of adult Korean adoptees. https://westminsterforum.org/2026/sam-wang/

The Forum’s annual “Arc Toward Justice” Series is dedicated to honoring the legacy of George Floyd and the ongoing need for racial, social, and systemic change. On May 28, The Rev. Dr. Nikia Smith Robert, executive director of Abolitionist Sanctuary, will ask us to consider Martin Luther King’s arc in terms of incarceration and abolition. Is it bending? What is our work to do? What is the call to action in our time? Robert is an alumna of the same sorority as Shirley Chisholm, a 1986 Forum speaker and the first Black woman elected to Congress. Robert will return to themes from Chisholm’s 1986 Forum “Civil and Human Rights in the U.S. and Third World ” as she invites us to consider the call to ethics and abolition and the ongoing work of justice. Dr. Robert is a recognized thought leader and speaker on the topics of mass punishment, abolition, religion, and Black motherhood. She founded Abolitionist Sanctuary to build a national coalition of Black-serving churches, civic organizations, and communities to unite against the moral crisis of mass incarceration and the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood. In addition to this work, Dr. Robert is also an assistant professor of Ethics and Social Justice at the University of Kansas and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The session’s moderator will be The Rev. Dr. Jessica Patchett who is senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis and was previously senior pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison, Wisconsin. She holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry in Gospel and Culture from Columbia Theological Seminary. https://westminsterforum.org/2026/nikia-smith-robert/

On November 17, 1983, Elie Wiesel—Holocaust survivor, author, and activist—began his Forum speech “Why Hate?” by saying, “The best thing one can do at noon on a Thursday is to tell stories.” Now, more than 42 years later, we gather anew to consider the power of stories and the role of music and memory by welcoming Violins of Hope, presented by the Minnesota JCC. Violins of Hope is a powerful collection of over 70 restored string instruments played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust. These extraordinary violins will be featured in May – June 2026 in Twin Cities performances, exhibitions, and educational programs that honor the memory of the Holocaust and carry a message of hope, resilience, resistance, and unity. Our May 14 Forum will feature some of these instruments and will weave together their stories with music played on them, as we consider the role of story and storytelling in defending human rights and human dignity. Forum format: The Forum will open with a welcome from our Executive Director Dr. Wilhelm Garbers followed by Avshalom (Avshi) Weinstein sharing his and his father’s story about the Violins of Hope project. Rabbi Marcia A. Zimmerman will then reflect on ethics, memory, and story, interwoven with select stories of the Violins of Hope (narrated by local actors) and the opportunity to hear from the violins themselves (as performed by Marc Levine). The final portion of the Forum will feature a moderated Q & A with The Rev. Dr. Jessica Patchett and Rabbi Zimmerman. With special thanks to: The Minnesota JCC for making this presentation possible. Rabbi Marcia A. Zimmerman of Temple Israel in Minneapolis for weaving together this beautiful tapestry of music, memory, and story and providing program commentary. Avshalom (Avshi) Weinstein for sharing some of his and his father’s story and the Violins of Hope. Marc Levine for giving voice to the Violins of Hope and all of his work coordinating the Violins of Hope project for the Minnesota JCC. Sasha Blinnikova, Tiffany Cooper, and Sasha Andreev for sharing the stories of the violins and those whose stories are carried therein. The Rev. Dr. Jessica Patchett of Westminster Presbyterian Church for serving as moderator. All whose stories are carried in these violins. May we never forget.

Our Noon Forum: Special guest Justice Alan Page will join us to celebrate the Forum’s 45 years of affirming Ethics Matter. Justice Page was one of the Forum’s earliest presenters, sharing “The Student Athlete” in 1982. Now, in conversation with moderator The Rev. Dr. Jessica Patchett, Page will reflect on his career, education, athletics, and philanthropy from an ethical perspective. Minnesota’s first African American Supreme Court Justice, Alan C. Page was elected to the court in 1992. He was reelected in 1998 and 2004. Page is widely renowned for his career as a professional football player. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988, he is recognized for his defensive efforts with the Minnesota Vikings in the 1970s. Page, who attended law school at the University of Minnesota during the height of his football career, is an ardent defender of equal education for children. He is the founder of the Page Education Foundation, which assists minority youth with post‑secondary education. In November 2018, Justice Page received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Moderator Jessica Patchett is senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis and was previously senior pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison, Wisconsin. She holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry in Gospel and Culture from Columbia Theological Seminary. https://westminsterforum.org/2026/anniversary-celebration-alan-page/

NPR’s Nina Totenberg joins us for the third Forum of our spring season, sharing observations about the U.S. Supreme Court and how it has changed since she presented “Perspectives on the Supreme Court” at the Forum in spring 1993. What is justice? Who decides the role of the courts as its arbiter? What is the Supreme Court’s place in upholding democracy and defending human rights? Totenberg is one of the country’s most respected journalists and legal affairs correspondents with more than 40 years’ experience at NPR covering the Supreme Court. Her deep experience and nuanced perspective provides insight into today’s judicial headlines. Totenberg has also penned Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships, a testament to her long friendship with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Totenberg has won every major journalism award in broadcasting and was the first radio journalist to win the National Press Foundation’s “Broadcaster of the Year” award. In 2023 she was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame by the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Totenberg will be joined in conversation with guest moderator Cathy Wurzer. She is host of Morning Edition on MPR News and co-host of “Almanac,” a weekly public affairs program produced by Twin Cities PBS for Minnesota’s statewide public television network. Wurzer has received numerous awards during her career, including being inducted into Minnesota Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame. https://westminsterforum.org/2026/nina-totenberg/

The first Forum of our “Ethics Still Matter” spring season features Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, reflecting on an early Forum topic, “Critical Issues in Medical Ethics,” addressed by the University of Minnesota’s Dr. John Najarian in 1982. Throughout time, ethical questions and norms have been grounded in the obligation to care for our neighbors. Yet public health system norms are being dismantled and attacked at high levels, surfacing the question, “Do our neighbors matter?” Dr. Osterholm is a renowned expert on the epidemiology of infectious disease, serving as the Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, and the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. He also is co-founder of the Vaccine Integrity Project and author of the new book, The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics. The Moderator for today’s Forum will be Jan Malcolm. Jan Malcolm served as the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health under three governors and has been recognized for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://westminsterforum.org/2026/michael-osterholm/