Getting a chance to hear former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld discuss America's response to 9/11 or Justice Stephen Breyer give an insider's account of the U.S. Supreme Court might be hard to come by in the Lowcountry.

But that's possible now, thanks to Hilton Head Island's Congregation Beth Yam and the 92nd Street Y in New York City.

The congregation is broadcasting four presentations of Live from NY's 92nd Street Y speakers series. The Manhattan-based cultural center offers a multitude of concerts, classes, readings and other events. Its lecture series is broadcast live via satellite and gives far-off viewers an opportunity to email questions directly to the panel.

Congregation Beth Yam is opening its doors to the general public to view the series on its big screen. Depending on how the first run goes, the congregation is considering continuing with the broadcasts.

"We've tried to pick a broad spectrum of topics," said co-organizer Marty Slagowitz. "Our hope is that the community at large will find this to be a useful service."

Beth Yam's planned screenings include:

Thursday: "A Decade Later -- Lessons Learned and Future Challenges" with Donald Rumsfeld, Ari Fleischer, Michael Mukasey and Michael Medved

Sept. 27: Nobel Prize winner for economics Paul Krugman and "Grand Pursuit: A History of Economic Genius" author Sylvia Nasar

Oct. 2: "A Turning Point for the Middle East and the World" with Eliot Spitzer and Alan Dershowitz

Dec. 11: "Making Our Democracy Work" with Stephen Breyer

Tickets are $10 for Congregation Beth Yam members and $15 for non-members. Tickets for all four parts in the series can be purchased for $30 for members and $45 for non-members. To register, call 843-689-2178 or email info@bethyam.org.

Details: www.bethyam.org

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Congregation Beth Yam and 92nd Street Y