PROGRAM FOR JANUARY 2010

Monday January 4
THE SETTLER REVOLT AGAINST THE ARMY
DIDN'T COME FROM NOWHERE!
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst.

Monday January 11
REACHING FOR THE INFINITE:
A DIALOGUE BETWEEN JUDAISM AND DESIGN
Zak Yitro,
a young Israeli artist, will present the concepts
that are the blueprint of his work,
with an in-depth analysis of their Jewish sources.

Monday January 18
WOMEN IN THE BIBLE: HOW THEY MAY INSPIRE US TODAY
Prof. Eva Etzioni-Halevy, emeritus Bar Ilan University,
author of three novels about women in the Bible:
THE SONG OF HANNAH, THE GARDEN OF RUTH
and THE TRIUMPH OF DEBORAH.
Co-sponsored with Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue.

Monday January 25
TU B'SHVAT: WHAT'S SO JEWISH
ABOUT A HOLIDAY FOR TREES?
Rabbi Sidney Slivko, educator

PROGRAM FOR FEBRUARY 2010

Monday Feb. 1
DISOBEYING ORDERS – A RELIGIOUS IMPERATIVE?
AN ANALYSIS OF THE RULING OF RABBI ELIEZER MELAMED
Rabbi Mordecai Silverstein,
Sr. lecturer at Project Oded & the Conservative Yeshiva

Monday Feb. 8
FASHION AND FANTASY- ARTISTS DEPICT PURIM
FROM THE 3RD - 20TH CENTURY - with slides
Maxine Blendis, art historian

Monday Feb. 15
ISRAELI MILITARY INDUSTRIES:
A REFLECTION OF CHANGING ISRAELI NATIONAL VALUES
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday Feb. 22
SHYLOCK'S PURIM
Rabbi Dr. Avraham Feder,
rabbi emeritus, Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue,
to take place at the Synagogue, 4 Agron St.

PROGRAM FOR MARCH 2010

Monday March 1
SHUSHAN PURIM - NO FORUM

Monday March 8
CENTENARY OF TEL AVIV, THE BAUHAUS INFLUENCE
IN THE EARLY BUILDINGS OF THE WHITE CITY .
An illustrated lecture.
Dr. Stephen Rosenberg, Albright Institute of Archaeological
Research, Jerusalem.

Monday March 15
THE DUBAI HIT: A "REAL" TELEVISION REALITY SHOW
Jim Lederman, economic & political analyst

Monday March 22
"PASSOVER LANDSCAPES: ILLUMINATIONS ON THE EXODUS"
A presentation by Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz, based on a unique contemporary Haggadah illustrated and authored by Rabbi Matthew L. Berkowitz. Passover Landscapes culminates a seven year journey of Jewish learning and art with discussion questions and vibrant gouache paintings to engage participants and enhance your Seder.

Monday March 29
Erev Pesach No Forum

PROGRAM FOR APRIL 2010

April 5
NO FORUM
End of Pesach

April 12
THE JEWS AND THE NAZIS IN NORTH AFRICA
Jim Lederman, political and economic analyst

April 19
NO FORUM
Israel Independence Day

April 26
NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS
AND DISCOVERIES IN JERUSALEM
Aaron Greener, archaeologist

PROGRAM FOR May 2010

May 3
KASHRUT IN ISRAELI LAW:
THE STRANGE BEDFELLOWS OF HALACHA
AND THE ISRAELI LEGAL SYSTEM
With Attorney Rabbi Yaakov Katzin

May 10
AN EVENING OF SONG IN HONOR OF JERUSALEM
At 7:30 pm.
Students from the Conservative Yeshiva, Jewish Theological Seminary
and Hebrew Union College will join together
to perform and showcase their talents.
Hebrew and Yiddish art songs, traditional Hazzanut,
and songs that portray the richness and beauty of Jerusalem.
In the Kreutzer Auditorium of the Fuchsberg / Agron Guest house
co-sponsored with Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue

May 17
WHAT WE EAT FOR SHAVUOT--AND WHY
Sybil Kaplan, food writer, cookbook compiler and
Jerusalem Post columnist.

May 24
THE TRUTH: WASHINGTON IS SYSTEMICALLY
INCAPABLE OF MEDIATING A RESOLUTION OF
THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN DISPUTE.
Jim Lederman, political and economic analyst

May 31
HIGHLIGHTS IN THE BIRTH OF ISRAEL
FROM 1880 TO THE PRESENT
With RABBI ELIEZER BEN-YEHUDAH,
grandson of the Eliezer Ben-Yehudah
of modern Hebrew language fame.
co-sponsored with Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue

PROGRAM FOR JUNE 2010

Monday June 7
WHAT WOULD THE RABBINIC SAGES SAY ABOUT CREATIONISM ?
Rabbi Mordecai Silverstein, Sr. Lecturer,
Project Oded and the Conservative yeshiva

Monday June 14
THE ALIENATION FROM ISRAEL OF YOUNG DIASPORA JEWS
Jim Lederman, economic and political analyst

Monday June 21
THREE YEARS AFTER THE HAMAS TAKEOVER OF GAZA:
IRAN IN SDEROT'S BACKYARD
Countering the Gaza narrative in Parliaments around the world
and the Goldstone Commission.
Noam Bedein, Founder and Director, The Sderot Media Center for the Western Negev


Monday June 28
HOW NOT TO ENJOY YOUR SUMMER VACATION:
THE MEANING OF THE "THREE WEEKS" IN JEWISH TRADITION
Rabbi Sid Slivko, Jewish Educator

PROGRAM FOR JULY 2010

Monday July 5
DOES BIBLICAL CRITICISM CHALLENGE JEWISH BELIEF AND OBSERVANCE?
Rabbi Pamela Barmash, Ph.D., is director of Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern Studies and professor of Hebrew Bible at
Washington University in St. Louis.
She is the author of Homicide in the Biblical World (Cambridge University Press), and a member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
and of the Joint Beit Din of the Conservative movement.

Monday July 12
WHAT IS AUTHENTICALLY JEWISH?
Rabbi Pamela Barmash, Ph.D.

Monday July 19
Erev Tisha B'Av - No Forum

Monday July 26
A LOOK AT TECHNOLOGY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
Aaron Greener, Archaeologist

Monday July 26
A LOOK AT TECHNOLOGY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
Aaron Greener, Archaeologist


PROGRAM FOR August 2010

Monday August 2
JEWS DOWN UNDER
Peta Pellach, Sydney's pre eminent Jewish Educator

Monday August 9
THE PEACE PROCESS: IT'S TIME TO IGNORE THE SPIN
AND FACE THE FACTS
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday August 16
SWEET-TALKING A "JEALOUS" GOD
How the month of Elul can help save our 3,500 year old marriage
Rabbi Sid Slivko, educator

Monday August 23
BIBLICAL WOMEN IN MODERN FICTION
Sybil Kaplan, journalist

Monday August 30
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN THE MEDIA,
40 YEARS IN ISRAEL AND 60 YEARS ON EARTH
Anecdotes covering the news in Israel,
followed by short film shot on location
in the UNRWA Palestinian refugee camps.
David Bedein, Director, Israel Resource News Agency
& Center for Near East Policy Research

Monday August 30
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN THE MEDIA,
40 YEARS IN ISRAEL AND 60 YEARS ON EARTH
Anecdotes covering the news in Israel,
followed by short film shot on location
in the UNRWA Palestinian refugee camps.
David Bedein, Director, Israel Resource News Agency
& Center for Near East Policy Research

PROGRAM FOR SEPTEMBER 2010

Monday Sept 6
PREPARING FOR THE HIGH HOLY DAYS SEASON
Rabbi Ed Romm, Director Of Education, Fuchsberg Center

Monday Sept 13
JONAH'S JOURNEY: SELF, LEADERSHIP
AND THE UNBEARABLE BURDEN OF PROPHETIC SUCCESS
Rabbi Matt Berkowitz, Director of Israel Programs
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Jerusalem Office

Monday Sept 20
A LOT IS HAPPENING
IT’S TIME TO TIE THE THREADS TOGETHER
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday Sept 27
NO FORUM: HOL HAMOED SUCCOT

PROGRAM FOR October 2010

Monday October 4
IT’S NOT THE ECONOMY: THE ECONOMY IS DOING FINE- IT’S THE BUDGET!
Jim Lederman, economic & political analyst

Monday October 11
A FIELD ARCHAEOLOGIST: THE INSIDE “SCOOP”.
A fascinating look into the world of archaeology and how a dig is done and documented.
Aaron Greener, archaeologist

Monday October 18
SPEAKING AS A JEW: A JEWISH APPROACH
TO INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
Peta Jones Pellach, Dir. Of Educational Activities,
at the Elijah Interfaith Institute

Monday October 25
JERUSALEM, A CITY RICH IN JEWISH HISTORY,
AWAITS DISCOVERY BY BOTH TOURISTS
AND LONG-TIME RESIDENTS.
Where is the grave of Nicanor? How was it discovered?
Why are there two places called Givat Shaul?
Where was the city's first zoo?
How did Geula get its name?
Where can you walk on the roof of the Old City?
Dr Jay Levinson, author of the newly published
“Jewish Journeys in Jerusalem”
answers these and many other questions.
His book will be available.

PROGRAM FOR NOVEMBER 2010

Monday November 1
TAKING STOCK: ISRAEL’S STABLE POLITICAL MESS
Jim Lederman, political and economic analyst

Monday November 8
KRISTALNACHT AS PRELUDE TO A FATEFUL ESCAPE OF A CHILD FROM NAZI GERMANY: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT
Dr. Pesach Schindler, Rosh Yeshiva Emeritus, Conservative Yeshiva

Monday November 15
SHUK SHOPPING: THE FACES AND PLACES OF MACHANEH YEHUDAH
Sybil Kaplan, itinerate shuk shopper, Jerusalem Post columnist and journalist

Monday November 22
A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN THANKSGIVING DAY CELEBRATIONS AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
Rabbi David Geffen, noted writer on American Jewish Lore, author of the “American Heritage Haggadah”

Monday November 29
RESCUED IN THE NICK OF TIME: THE FASCINATING STORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
Aaron Greener, archaeologist

PROGRAM FOR DECEMBER 2010

Monday Dec. 6
WHY 8 DAYS OF HANUKKAH ? NOT A SIMPLE ANSWER!
Rabbi Ed Romm, Director of Education, Fuchsberg Center

Monday Dec. 13
JUDAISM UNDER SIEGE -- LESSONS FOR OUR TIME FROM THE FAST OF TEVET
Rabbi Sid Slivko, Jewish educator

Monday Dec. 20
CYBER WARFARE: ISRAEL’S GREATEST SECURITY CHALLENGE.
Jim Lederman, political and economic analyst

Monday Dec. 27
THE NEW YEAR, WHY WAS IT NEVER JANUARY 1ST IN EGYPT, BABYLON AND ISRAEL OR EVEN EARLY EUROPE?
Ancient cultures all ran an annual cycle but for them
other starting dates were much more significant.
What were those dates, and why?
Dr. Stephen Rosenberg, Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem.