Center for Israel Studies | News & Events

Recent Events

Screening of Israeli TV Show, A Touch Away

October 27, 2009
The Center for Israel Studies and AU Students for Israel hosted a screening of Episode 2 of A Touch Away, an award-winning TV series in Israel. The setting is the Orthodox community of B’nei Brak and interactions between two Jewish Israeli households there—one, an established Orthodox family; the other, recent Russian immigrants. This forbidden love story between two young neighbors provides a realistic reflection of the social challenges facing today's increasingly diverse Israeli society. The post-screening discussion was so lively that we will be rescreening early episodes of the series and showing the final episode to the community on January 21, 2010. 
 

Israel: A Mosaic of Peoples Panel Discussion

October, 1, 2009
The Center for Israel Studies cosponsored a student initiative to bring a cultural panel to AU to speak about the experience of ethnic minorities in Israel. The panel included American University Seymour and Lillian Abensohn Visiting Professor, Dr. Maurice Roumani, Dr. Salman Elbedour of Howard University, and Shaden Badan, a private attorney. The three guests spoke to a packed audience in the SIS Lounge about their experiences respectively as a Libyan Jew, Israeli Bedouin, and Christian Arab-Israeli. Dr. Elbedour and Ms. Badan spoke about the possibliity of their minority groups being an important bridge for peace in the region. In an animated and entertaining exchange, all three agreed their groups, each with Middle Eastern roots, had much in common, including their influence on the current rage for Middle Eastern food in Israel.
 

Interview with David Makovsky

Wednesday, September 16, 2009
See Recap

The AU Center for Israel Studies presented an interview with David Makovsky, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, discussing his groundbreaking new book, coauthored with Dennis Ross, Myths, Illusions, & Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East. Mr. Makovsky was interviewed by Hisham Melham, Washington bureau chief of Al-Arabiya, the Dubai based satellite channel. The event was cosponsored by AU's School of International Service.

Israel at a Crossroads Academic Conference

May 12, 2009
The Center for Israel Studies hosted a sold-out all-day academic conference, “Israel at a Crossroads,” with presentations by 12 visiting Israeli professors from around the country. The professors spoke in three different panels on the subjects of “Which Road to Peace,” “The Cultural Crossroad,” and “The Political Crossroad.” Dr. Yoram Peri, the AU Dollye and Wolford Berman Visiting Professor, gave an insightful and entertaining perspective on the 2009 Israeli elections—see the video: Part 1 (9:39) and Part 2 (5:55). The keynote address, on the challenges of Israel Studies on campus, was given by Dr. Mitchell Bard, the president of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, which cosponsored the conference and administers the visiting professor program. Please see the Conference Program for speaker bios and more information.

"This was so smoothly run and at such a high level that I hesitate to make any comments at all. The Center for Israel Studies is becoming a star at American University. Bravo!"—written survey comment from attendee at "Israel at a Crossroads" conference

Performance and Discussion with Idan Raichel

March 26, 2009
The Center for Israel Studies hosted Israeli singing sensations Idan Raichel and Kabra Kasai of the Idan Raichel Project in an intimate “unplugged” musical performance and discussion. Idan showed a clip from and discussed his new documentary film, Black Over White: On the Road to Ethiopia. The film, "part lighthearted road trip, part examination of multiculturalism in Israel, is a close-up ride with the young Israeli-Ethiopian-Yemenite band members, who muse on the loss of their heritage and on their excitement as tourists embracing roots in Africa." Idan and Kabra took questions from the enthusiastic audience of one hundred (at 8:30 am!), many focused on what it means to be a minority in Israel. The event was cosponsored by AU Hillel, the Embassy of Israel, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Israel in DC and TEEV Events. 

Discussion with Journalist Khaled Abu Toameh

March 4, 2009
The Center for Israel Studies cosponsored a student-led initiative to bring Jerusalem Post Palestinian Affairs reporter Khaled Abu Toameh to campus. He spoke to a mostly student audience about his experiences and outlook as an Israeli Arab observing developments in the Palestinian Authority and the rise of Hamas in Gaza. Students were fascinated to hear from an Israeli Arab, well connected in international journalism, talking about his experiences explaining Israel to foreign journalists.

Obama Administration and the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict

Jan. 28, 2009
See Panel Discussion Video (requires QuickTime player)
The Center for Israel Studies's first program of the semester was a panel on the Obama Administration and the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict, cosponsored with the AU School of International Service. The panel was organized and chaired by our colleague, Professor Boaz Atzili, and featured three distinguished speakers:

• Amjad Atallah, Director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation
• Aaron David Miller, Woodrow Wilson Center and former advisor on Arab-Israeli negotiations from 1978 to 2003
• Yoram Peri, the Dollye and I. Wolford Berman Visiting Professor at the Center for Israel Studies.

Media & Politics: Yoram Peri

November 20, 2008
Former political advisor to Yitzhak Rabin and past editor of Israel’s daily, Davar, communications and media expert Yoram Peri delivered a post-election lecture entitled “Telepopulism: Media and Politics in Israel and the U.S.” Peri is the Dollye and Wolford Berman Visiting Professor of Israel Studies at American University.

David Grossman Visits AU

Oct. 29, 2008
Acclaimed Novelist David Grossman Visits AU,
from American Today, October 31, 2008
Israeli novelist David Grossman shared insights on writing and the state of Israel at a lecture sponsored by American University’s Center for Israel Studies and the MFA Program in Creative Writing’s Visiting Writers Series.

Gil Shohat and Bavat Marom

September 18, 2008
World renowned Israeli pianist, conductor and composer Gil Ghohat and talented opera singer Bavat Marom presented A Concert of Great Romantic Masterpieces. The event and reception was cosponsored by the American-Israel Cultural Foundation.