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Israel

Israel at 70

A speaker series presented by the Israel Committee.
Each presentation occurs immediately following Shabbat services. Lunch is provided, RSVP required.
October 7 
The Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Founding of the State of Israel
Presented by Dr. Risa Levitt Kohn, professor of Hebrew Bible and Judaism at San Diego State University where she also serves as Chair of the Religious Studies department, the Classics & Humanities department and Director of the Jewish Studies Program. Hers was the first Doctorate awarded from UC, San Diego in Ancient History and Hebrew Bible. Past president of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), Pacific Coast Region, she has also served as Chair of its Committee for the Status of Women in the Profession. Dr. Levitt Kohn's work includes A New Heart and a New Soul: Ezekiel, The Exile and the Torah (Sheffield Academic Press) and A Portable God, the Origin of Judaism and Christianity, co­authored with Dr. Rebecca Moore (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007). She lectures extensively on subjects including the world of the Hebrew Bible, Jewish and Christian Origins, and Judaism. The SBL honored her with a national Regional Scholar Award. Levitt Kohn works closely with the Israel Antiquities Authority and has served as curator for Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibitions at the San Diego Natural History Museum (2007), The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (2008), the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada (2009) and the travelling exhibition “Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times,” which has appeared in New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Boston, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Denver.
 
December 9 
Environment vs. Conflict: Priorities in the Evolution of Environmental Awareness in Israel
Presented by Dr. Tamar Arieli, Head of the Conflict Management Program at the Tel-Hai College, Israel. She formerly served as a lecturer at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya (IDC) and at Indiana University, Bloomington (2010-2011). Arieli's academic background combines political geography and regional and urban planning with the study of conflict and cooperation. She analyzes economic, social, and environmental aspects of life in border and peripheral regions, where social and political conflict may compromise prospects of regional development and social integration. Her past research involved extensive field work in Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, and the Gaza strip as well as along the U.S.-Mexican border. 
 
March 3 
A Soldier's Perspective on Israeli Military, Society, and Culture
Presented by Mike Dolinka, Lone Soldier, and Director of Development at Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF). He serves San Diego, Orange County, and Arizona. Mike has held several positions in pro-Israel organizations, and is a strong advocate for Israel and Israeli people.
Wed, June 20 2018 7 Tammuz 5778