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News fromzerici the Jewish Studies Program and the Center for Israeli Studies Fall 1999 From the Directors ediAUt, the newsletter of the Jewish Studies Program and the Center for Israeli Studies in the College of Arts and YSciences at American University, is dedicated to building bridges between countries, among disciplines, and across time. The Pamela Nadell, Director, Jewish key links in our bridges are the many programs, courses, and events Studies Program we sponsor. In future issues, our news and feature articles and profiles will address a wide range of issues in Jewish and Israeli studies. We welcome your ideas as we nurture YediAUt, and our programs, from strength to strength. Howard Wachtel, Director, Center for Israeli Studies AU Launches the Center for designed to become a national and international The Arts and Literature in Jewish and Israeli Studies at AU hub for the creation and dissemination of knowl- Israeli Studies edge about Israel, including its performing and visual arts, literature and letters, economy, environment, n the first year of the Center for Israeli Studies, artist in residence Nahum Tevet by Howard Wachtel, Director law, and society. The center’s two inaugural installed his exhibition Arrangement for Six Units in AU’s Watkins Art Gallery. Israeli events—a reception for the Batsheva Dance The center establishes a n the fall of 1998, the Cora and John H. Davis Company and the awarding of an honorary degree author and writer in residence David Grossman gave a public reading from his to former Prime Minister Shimon Peres at the 1998 I Foundation presented American University with bridge from Israel to the work and discussed writing with graduate students in the Department of Literature’s a generous grant to mark the occasion of the commencement of the College of Arts and I Creative Writing Program (cosponsored by the center, Jewish Studies Program, and United States . 50th anniversary of the founding of the state of Sciences—as well as 14 other recent programs, Israel. Several AU faculty and a representative indicate this breadth of interest. The center Visiting Writers Series). Two choreographers in residence from the Batsheva Dance sponsors three primary initiatives: conferences of interest to Americans and Israelis both inside and Company of Israel taught AU dance students a scene from Anaphase, which the outside the academy; in-residence Israeli scholars, students then performed publicly in December 1998 and again during the annual writers, policy makers, and artists, who teach uni- meeting of the Association for Israel Studies the following May. versity classes and participate in public programs for the wider community; and AU’s World Capitals In addition to these activities, the center mounted an exhibit of historic posters, study abroad program in Israel. In January 1999, Zionism and Israel, in the Bender Library and accepted from Eliahu Ben-Elissar, the the Association for Israel Studies moved its head- quarters to American University and is now housed former Israeli ambassador, a collection of books and videos for the library. Writer in residence David in the center. We are excited about this bridge to Grossman. the association. The Center for Israeli Studies is a new venture, which former Ambassador Ben-Elissar characterized as courageous. I take his statement seriously and add my own description of ambitious. The center establishes a bridge from Israel to the United States, introduces the many contributions of Israeli AU President Benjamin Ladner designated by President Benjamin Ladner decided society—its life and culture—to the public and uni- and Shimon Peres, former prime that the university could best commemorate Israel’s versity communities, and offers a perspective that, minister of Israel, just before creation by establishing a permanent center in the best tradition of a university, provides an Peres received an honorary dedicated to the scholarly and intellectual explo- open forum where many ideas and people can be doctorate from American showcased. Our task in the year ahead is to University to mark the founding ration of Israeli society and culture. develop the resources appropriate to the center’s of the Center for Israeli Studies The Center for Israeli Studies has become a unique university-based institution in Washington, D.C., courageous and wide-ranging ambitions. Israeli ambassador Eliahu Ben-Elissar presented a collec- tion of documents and other materials to the Bender Library. From left to right, Ambassador Ben-Elissar, Patricia Wand, university librarian, and Howard Wachtel, director of the Center for Israeli Studies. Courses in history, Hebrew language and 1998 summer model institute, Hebrew Bible, Profile of Israel African American–Jewish Jewish (taught in Jerusalem) and Relations in the United States, Arrangement of Six Units by artist in residence Nahum Tevet Studies at AU History of Israel, and Nazi students joined with Prof. Germany and the Holocaust. Russell Adams, chairman of Bialik Prize–winning poet Howard University’s Depart- uring 1998–1999, in Moshe Dor, best known to ment of Afro-American Studies, addition to our rich American audiences as writer of and Prof. Pamela Nadell in an D internship opportunities, the song “Erev Shel Shoshanim,” exploration of the history and An exhibit of historic posters, Zionism and Israel, in Bender students chose from more than taught undergraduates the current state of African Library, cosponsored by the Jewish Studies Program and Center 16 Jewish studies courses: General Education course Voices American–Jewish relations. for Israeli Studies ancient and modern Jewish of Modern Jewish Literature. In a 2 3 Spotlight on Our Visiting Faculty at AU News from the Affiliated Faculty of the Jewish Studies Program n its inaugural year, the Center for Israeli with the AU community. In 1999–2000 the Center for Israeli Studies is delighted to host Hebrew Studies launched a program of in-residence ohammed Abu-Nimer, School of 1998), a finalist for the National Jewish Book University professor Yakir Plessner for the academic Israeli scholars and artists. Designed to build International Service, has just had pub- Award in Women’s Studies and just published in I year. Plessner is associate professor and chair of the bridges, the extended visits of the scholars in lished Dialogue, Conflict Resolution, and paperback. Nadell also serves as book review edi- Department of Agricultural Economics and M tor for American Jewish History. residence allow them to share their cultural, artistic, Change: Arab-Jewish Encounters in Israel (SUNY Management at Hebrew University and fellow and and scientific achievements with students and Press, 1999). Amos Perlmutter, Department of Government, secretary of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. published Making the World Safe for Democracy: A Yakir Plessner, 1999–2000 faculty and our wider community. In 1998–1999, Leila Gal Berner, Department of Philosophy He was formerly deputy governor of the Bank of Century of Wilsonianism and Its Totalitarian Center for Israeli Studies environmental scientist in residence and Ben and Religion, has a forthcoming book, A Israel and economic advisor to the minister of scholar in residence Gurion University professor Pedro Berliner shared Mediterranean Jewish Community. Challengers. finance of Israel. his research on agroforestry systems in arid zones Richard Breitman, Department of History, David Rosenbloom, Department of authored Official Secrets: What the Nazis Planned, Government, coedited Classic Readings in What the British and Americans Knew (Hill and American Politics with Pierto S. Nivola. He has Wang, 1998), a finalist for the National Jewish Book coauthored several articles on public management Award in Holocaust Studies and just published in reform in Israel in English and in Hebrew. In AU’s World Capitals Program in Jerusalem paperback. Breitman also serves as editor in chief winter 1999–2000 Rosenbloom will teach the New of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Public Management and Administrative Reform Gershon Greenberg, Department of course at Hebrew University. By Dani Schydlowsky, Professor of university’s English-language academic offerings in Philosophy and Religion, has a new book out, Daniel Schydlowsky, Department of Economics, spent spring semester 1999 in Economics the historic heart of Israel. To ensure an effective Faith and Holocaust as Issues of Jewish Religious start to the program, Daniel Schydlowsky, professor Thought in the USA, 1938–1948: An Annotated Jerusalem launching AU’s first World Capitals n spring 1999, the Center for Israeli Studies of economics and Center for Israeli Studies faculty Listing of Articles and Books, (Bar Ilan University, semester in Jerusalem at Hebrew University. inaugurated AU’s World Capitals Program in associate, was on site for the semester as program 1999). Greenberg also published “Wartime Simona Sharoni, Washington Semester Jerusalem. Housed at the Hebrew University’s I director. He also offered a special Jewish Studies American Mizrahi and Agudat Yisrael Religious Program, is the author of Gender and the Israeli- Rothberg International School, the semester Program seminar, Profile of Israel. Responses to the Holocaust” in Mikha’el, in 1999. Palestinian Conflict: The Politics of Women’s provides participants with access to Israel’s premier Participating students took courses in Hebrew Gregg Ivers, Department of Government, is the Resistance. language and modern Arabic, plus Halacha and the author of To