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  • Community Engagement

Can We Talk About Israel at 75? (Online)

  • Monday, May 15, 2023
  • 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
  • Join us online
  • Program Leader: Rabbi Joel Sisenwine and special guest Daniel Gordis

Is Israel, at 75, a success? As Daniel Gordis explores in his new book, Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled its Founders’ Dreams?, “Israel is a dizzying array of contradictions. It is the most hated nation in the world, but also there its most beloved. It is a combination of unexpected successes and maddening disappointments. It is a story of unprecedented human triumph, but also a story of great suffering. Israel’s story has enchanted and inspired the world, yet it also enrages the world. It is a country that brings Jews everywhere a deep pride in national rebirth and accomplishment, but all too often for many, it is also a source of shame.” Led by Rabbi Sisenwine, and featuring Daniel Gordis, this discussion series will explore the question of whether Israel has been a success in light of its core purpose— “to be a national home for the Jewish people.” Was it meant to be “a nation like all other nations,” or was it meant to be different and if so, how? Has Israel succeeded in “transforming the existential condition of the Jewish people” from what their experience had been for the past two thousand years? Daniel Gordis is a renowned author of many books, in addition to Impossible Takes Longer, including Israel, A Concise History of a Nation Reborn, and We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel.

We suggest you read the book prior to the program beginning.  You can purchase the book here:
Wellesley Books
Bookshop.org
Amazon

Dates: May 1, 8 & 15

Registration: This event will take place through a video conference call. Pre-registration is required. Please click the registration button above to pre-register. Once you have registered, your unique access link will be emailed to you. For classes that meet for multiple sessions, you only need to register once. You will be able to use the same Zoom link to access each session of the class. If you’re new to Zoom, watch a tutorial or read written instructions on how to join a Zoom video call.

Photo Credit: Israel Trip Nov 2019 | Josh Mondshein