President Rivlin and Mayim Bialik
President Rivlin and Mayim BialikMark Neiman (GPO)

President Reuven Rivlin welcomed the American star of the hit television series “The Big Bang Theory” - actress, scientist, and social activist Mayim Bialik, to his residence on Sunday. Mayim had arrived in Israel to participate in the Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism due to begin Monday 19 March, at the ICC, Jerusalem.

The President congratulated Mayim on her arrival to Israel, and told her that he had heard much from his grandchildren about her work as an actress, and her strong support for Israel.

At the Global Forum, she is due to speak about her experiences as a Jewish and Zionist actress, and about the difficulties caused by the climate of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism increasing in a number of regions across the world.

“My family came to live in Israel when I was born, and they lived in a few places around the country, so I grew up with a strong Zionist identity,” she told the President.

The Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism was an initiative by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate and lead the international struggle against anti-Semitism, in cooperation with the Diaspora Ministry.

This year the Forum will take place 19-21 March (3-5 Nissan), and will feature other key speakers including: President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev; Former Prime Minister of France, Manuel Valls; Education Minister and Diaspora Affairs Minister, Naftali Bennett; Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked and Former Sec. Gen. of UNESCO, Irina Bokova.