November 29 - 6pm EST Webinar
Prof. Yitzhak Conforti ( Bar-Ilan University)
From Religious Holiness to National Sanctity: Zionism and the Hebrew Bible
This lecture focuses on the role of the Hebrew Bible in Jewish nationalism and early Zionist thought from the 1880s to 1948. I will examine the connection between Zionism and the Bible in the context of modern nationalism research from a cultural approach. The focus on the Bible gave Zionism the components it lacked: territory and language. Unlike other ancient Jewish texts in which national aspects were marginalized, the Bible set a model for the creation of a modern nation-state. To the Zionists, the Bible was a guide to forming the “New Jew.”
December 7 - 6pm EST - 14A Washington Mews
Dr. Shayna Weiss (Brandeis University)
By focusing on a small but loud minority of voices, scholars have often depicted Israeli Haredim as separatist and radically anti-Zionists uninterested in the rest of Israeli society. However, by looking at the first two decades of Israeli history, we can see a different picture--a mainstream Haredi community that was determined to be part of the fledgling state, despite their theological misgivings. In this talk, Dr Weiss will examine these "radical moderates" and how their activism laid the groundwork for battles of religion and state that still trouble Israel until the present day.
Seating is limited so you must RSVP for this in-person event.
Previous Fall 2022 Events - Recordings Will be Posted Soon
Chuck Freilich - "Israel's Security Challenges: A Webinar Series"
Israel and the Cyber Threat: How the Startup Nation Became a Global Cyber Power
Israel and a Rapidly Changing World: Iran, Ukraine, Lebanon, and More
US-Israeli Relations Following the Elections