Kol Tikvah, Reform Temple of Parkland

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MODERN ISRAEL


ITS HISTORY, CULTURE AND POLITICS
FROM THE 20TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT
 

A donation of $36.00 is optional and not required for registration.
If you wish to make a donation please choose from the two options below.
ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America)
The Zionist Arm of the Reform Movement www.arza.org
or
Kol Tikvah Israel Project Fund
 The Israel Project Fund will be used to provide financial assistance to Kol Tikvah families on our congregational trip to Israel.

Please email with your intentions so we can hold your spot.  If you wish to support either the Israel Project Fund or ARZA, please let us know so we can offer further instructions.

A new program beginning October 14th moderated and led by: 

Y    Dr. Gerald Sussman, Georgetown BSss, LLB, Johns Hopkins SAIS MA and the University of Michigan PhD (Political Science)  

Y    Rabbi Bradd Boxman, former adjunct professor of Jewish History at Western Connecticut State University and chaplain to hospitals and the armed forces.  

Y    Michael Masarek, Gratz Online M.A. Program in Jewish Studies 

October 14th thru May 2010
2nd Wednesday from 7:00PM to 9:00PM
at Congregation Kol Tikvah

 Who Should Attend? 

  • Kol Tikvah congregants, and anyone in the community, interested in gaining a deeper insight into Israel’s history, politics and culture.

  • Those considering going to Israel.

  • Juniors and seniors in high school who need more background on Israel to answer the criticism they will hear when entering college. 

Course Schedule:   

  • The course will begin in October 2009 and will be held on Wednesday evenings, once a month, for two hours. 

Themes:

  • Jews’ relation to Israel

  • Israel’s relation to the Palestinians.

  • Israel’s relationship to the Arab and Muslim world

  • Israel’s relation to the U.S. and the West. 

These will form the constructs for examining a number of key issues: 

How Israel came into existence, the opposition from the Arab world, the rise of Palestinian nationalism and its clash with Zionism, the peace process and what makes it so difficult, and the dangers posed by Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism. 

Also to be discussed is Israel’s multi-party system and the strengths and weaknesses it poses.  Of special importance to the high school students is how to counter growing criticism in the West of Israel’s actions towards the Palestinians. 

Israel Fund:   Rabbi Boxman is planning on leading a trip to Israel in the summer of 2010. Anyone planning to go on this trip should take the course.  One or more travel grants will be awarded to outstanding students in the class.