Jewish Community News

News: September 2008

Speaker Series at Beth David

Through the ages, and medical ethics at “Conversations in Jewish Learning” and “Brunch and Learn Seminars.” Each presentation is a free, self-contained opportunity to learn more about one topic.
      Conversations is sponsored by Congregation Beth David in partnership with Sharone Hadassah, Silicon Valley Ner Tamid Lodge of B’nai B’rith, and Brandeis University Women’s Committee of Santa Clara Valley. These lectures are free to members of Beth David or partnering organizations. Non-members are asked for a $5 donation. All Conversations are on Thursday evenings at Beth David in Saratoga from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
September 18, Akiva Tor, Israel’s new Consul General, will discuss “Israel’s Seventh Decade,” including cultural, demographic, economic, political, and religious developments. Newly arrived on August 1, Tor will provide an informed perspective on challenges and opportunities facing Israel. He was previously director of the Department for Jewish Communities at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and World Jewish Affairs Advisor to the President of Israel. He was also a Wexner Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government and has written and lectured extensively on Jewish values in the foreign policy of Israel.
October 30, Yael Karmi, who teaches Art History and Art Appreciation at De Anza and Evergreen colleges, will discuss “Adam and His Two Wives – Lilith and Eve” as they have been portrayed in artistic imagination throughout the ages. Karmi holds an M.A. in art history from San Jose State University and a B.A. in literature and philosophy and a teacher’s degree from Tel Aviv University.
November 20, Ofer Ben-Shachar of the Israel Venture Network, a venture philanthropy network of entrepreneurs and executives that focuses on improving the social, educational, and business situation in Israel to enhance its success in the 21st century, will discuss “The Israel Education System: Achievements and Challenges.”
December 18, David Dalin and John Rothmann, co-authors of  “Icon of Evil: Hitler’s Mufti and the Rise of Radical Islam,” will discuss this new book about Haj Amin al-Husseini, the British-appointed Mufti of Jerusalem, and the chilling, fascinating links between the Mufti, fascism of the last century, and current terrorism.
January 15, Judah Lindemann, the new AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) South Bay assistant director, will discuss “The 2008 Election and the Future of the US–Israel Relationship” in a timely analysis of the new political situation.
March 19, Louis Dombro, a long-time Beth David member who has lectured extensively on Jewish history throughout the Bay Area, will discuss “People of the Hook: Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean” about how swashbuckling Jews plundered Spanish shipping in the aftermath of the expulsion from Spain and the Inquisition.
May 21, Dr. Ron H. Feldman, co-author of “The Jewish Writings of the Philosopher Hannah Arendt,” will discuss “The Pariah as Rebel: Hannah Arendt’s Jewish Writings” about German-Jewish political theorist Hannah Arendt’s sometimes controversial views on Jewish political issues and her position as a loyal critic and outcast.
   Brunch and Learn Seminars are held at Cong. Beth David on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., starting with light brunch).
November 9, Dr. Fred Astren, Jewish studies director at San Francisco State University and an authority on Jews in the Islamic world, will discuss the intriguing question “Was it Good for the Jews? Judaism, Islam, and the Legacy of the Middle Ages.”
February 22, Dr. Assaf Yasur-Landau, asst. professor of archaeology and history of ancient Israel and the Near East at UC Santa Cruz will discuss “What Do We Know About the Origin of the Biblical Philistines?”— a timely topic as we read Exodus and contemplate cultural and military encounters between Israelites and Philistines.

April 19, Dr. Michael Sinensky, a new Beth David member and professor emeritus at East Tennessee State will discuss “Ethical Frontiers in Medical Technology,” which will affect people facing vital medical choices for themselves or their loved ones.