Understanding Israel Today
Posted on 11/29/2024 @ 05:00 AM
October 7th has upended so much of what we thought we knew about Israel and our role as Jews in the United States.
From the shaking of our assurance that Jews are safest in Israel, to the collapse of our confidence that antisemitism is a thing of the past in America, much of what we thought we knew about Israel and the Jewish people has been forced under scrutiny.
The ever-evolving news cycle has been disorienting and the barrage of anti-Israel critique from international organizations and on college campuses has made some of us question whether we ever really made it as citizens of the world.
At CAJE, we feel this disquiet and have sought to support the Miami adult Jewish community through a three-pronged approach to Israel education that Dr. Bella Tendler Krieger, CAJE's Director of Adult Learning and Growth, has outlined in her article below. - Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar
Our first prong is The Home. At the center of this initiative are our Salon Series where participants gather monthly to read and debate articles on controversial topics relating to Israel and American Judaism.
This is our most intimate and personalized learning experience. The private nature of the gatherings ensures that there is a safe and friendly environment in which to examine our deepest commitments. If you are interested in launching a salon in your neighborhood this Spring, please reach out to BellaTKrieger@caje-miami.org.
Our second prong is The Classroom. This is our core offering of diverse, on-line classes taught by experienced and award-winning Jewish educators.
Our recently launched Fall semester includes thirteen courses on topics relating to Israel, Hebrew language, American Judaism, and Jewish texts. There is still time to join some of our fall classes including a Hanukkah themed course titled Clash of Cultures: The Book of Maccabees.
Our spring semester registration will launch in the new year.
Our third prong is The Public Square, a series of free community-wide lectures on topics of great significance to the Miami Jewish Community. This year, we partnered with the Shalom Hartman Institute, the leading pluralistic Jewish thinktank serving Israel and North America, to bring in their top, internationally renowned speakers to Miami Dade.
The Hartman Institute’s mission is to strengthen Jewish peoplehood, identity, and pluralism; to enhance the Jewish and democratic character of Israel; and to ensure that Judaism is a compelling force for good in the 21st century.
The first event in our Hartman lecture series will be given by Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, and is titled Understanding Israel Today and Imagining the Israel of Tomorrow. It will be held in at Temple Beth Am on Wednesday evening, December 18th.
In addition to being president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, Donniel is a prolific author and lecturer on issues of Israeli politics, policy, Judaism, and the Jewish community.
Together with his colleague Yossi Klein Halevi, he is host of the award-winning podcast For Heaven’s Sake, which ranks consistently as the most popular Judaism podcast in the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, and South Africa.
On March 9th we will hold a second community-wide lecture up North at the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center with Dr. Tal Becker tentatively titled Israel at a Crossroads: Three Big Dilemmas for the Jewish State and How to Address Them.
Dr. Becker is a vice-president at the Hartman Institute and until recently, served as the Legal Adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He represented Israel against accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice in the Hague and, as a senior member of Israel’s peace negotiations team, played an instrumental role in drafting the Abraham Accords.
With over two decades of experience on the front lines of many of Israel’s most pressing diplomatic, legal, and policy challenges, Tal will provide unique behind-the-scenes insight on Israel on the world stage.
There will also be other targeted Hartman learning opportunities for affinity groups including lay leaders and JPRO members. Stay alert for invitations.
These lectures are part of a yearlong partnership between CAJE, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and the Shalom Hartman Institute. They are generously sponsored by Adam Shevin in loving memory of his parents Roberta and Jerome Shevin.
For more information about CAJE's classes and programs, contact Dr. Bella Tendler Krieger at BellaTKrieger@caje-miami.org
