Federal Judge Roy K. Altman, whose book "Israel on Trial" reached the New York Times bestseller list after its April 28 publication, will bring his courtroom-style examination of the legal case surrounding Israel to Newport Beach on Tuesday, July 14.
The Chabad Center for Jewish Life, led by Rabbi Reuven Mintz, will host the one-night event at 7 p.m. at 2240 University Drive. Tickets are $18, with complimentary admission for students and educators.
"This is not another political lecture," Rabbi Mintz said. "Judge Altman brings facts, history, legal insight and moral clarity to a conversation that our community urgently needs."
Altman serves as a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida. Confirmed in 2019 at age 36, he became the youngest federal judge ever appointed in that district, according to the Federalist Society. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, he immigrated to the United States as a child. His paternal grandparents fled Europe for Venezuela; his maternal grandparents emigrated from Poland to Mexico and later Israel.
The evening will feature a presentation followed by a book signing. The 304-page book, published by Advantage Books, applies courtroom standards of evidence to claims of colonialism, apartheid and genocide raised against Israel, according to the publisher.
Before joining the bench, Altman earned a BA from Columbia University and a JD from Yale Law School, where he was projects editor of the Yale Law Journal. He clerked for Judge Stanley Marcus on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and spent six years as a federal prosecutor in Miami, where he was named Federal Prosecutor of the Year in 2013 by the Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police.
Since October 7, 2023, Altman has spoken at more than 100 events nationwide on rising antisemitism and has led judicial education missions bringing more than 50 federal judges to Israel, according to his profile at the University of Miami School of Law. The Jerusalem Post named him one of its "25 ViZionaries."
The Newport Beach appearance is part of a broader Southern California tour. The Federalist Society's Orange County Lawyer Chapter has scheduled a separate conversation with Altman in Irvine on Thursday, July 23.
Reservations for the July 14 event can be made at jewishnewport.com.
Upcoming community events in Newport Beach
- Tuesday, July 14 — "Israel on Trial" with Judge Roy K. Altman, 7 p.m., Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 2240 University Drive. Tickets: $18; free for students and educators. jewishnewport.com
- Thursday, July 23 — "Israel on Trial: A Conversation with Judge Roy Altman," Federalist Society Orange County Lawyer Chapter event, Irvine, CA. Details at fedsoc.org
