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Hello again friends and followers! Thank you for subscribing to the monthly listing of my Seattle-area public talks, presentations, and discussions.
New! Israel Current Events now at Herzl-Ner Tamid
I am thrilled to add Herzl-Ner Tamid on Mercer Island to the list of venues for the Israel Current Events series. Two new groups will join those already underway at Temple B'nai Torah (Bellevue), Temple Beth El (Tacoma), and The Summit at First Hill (Seattle). Monthly meetings will begin on Monday evening, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, December 8 at noon. The content will not necessarily match the other four groups, but will be the same for the two sessions at Herzl. The first session will focus on what it means for American Jews, and Americans in general, to support Israel or be "pro-Israel," and what (if any) are the limits of the acceptable debate within our own community.
Attendance at the 7-session series at Herzl costs $100 (either time slot, or alternate between the two). Space is limited and advance registration is required here. You can also download this flyer to share with others.
The U.S.-Israel Relationship
The regular monthly Israel Current Events series continues at Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue and The Summit at First Hill. (For a review of the series, please see A safe space for difficult discussions by Janis Siegel in the JT News.) This month, we will consider the sometimes tumultuous, sometimes partisan relationship between our two countries, their governments, and their people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Obama at the White House on November 9. Have the two leaders gotten past their differences over the Iran deal, or is there still bad blood between them? What is the status of the security cooperation, trade ties, and diplomatic relations between the two long-time allies? How do the American public and the U.S. Congress relate to Israel—and how do election-year politics influence the discourse?
Please join us to explore the facts and consider different viewpoints in a safe and inclusive setting.
- Wednesday, December 2, noon to 1:30 p.m. at Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue. There is a $5 fee to attend ($8 for non-members of TBT), and you are welcome to bring your lunch.
- Thursday, December 3, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue. There is a $5 fee to attend ($8 for non-members of TBT), and you are welcome to bring your dinner.
- Thursday, December 17, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Summit at First Hill in Seattle. There is no charge to attend, but space is limited and advance registration is requested.
Optional pre-reading for these sessions is available at www.BroaderView.org/Current.
BDS, Israel, and Us: The Delegitimization Campaign
On Sunday, December 6, 2015, 10:30 a.m. to noon at Temple Beth El in Tacoma, we will examine the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and how is it different from legitimate debate about Israeli policies. Who is behind BDS, and what are their goals? How are anti-Israel players using commercial boycotts, celebrities and performers, the legal system, and academic associations to slander and demonize Israel? Is the anti-Israel campaign anti-Zionist, pro-Palestinian, or anti-Jewish—or some combination of these three? How does it affect us, as American Jews—and what are some potential strategies and resources that can help us respond to these attacks on Israel’s legitimacy?
Coming Up....
Next month's Israel Current Events discussions will be at Temple B'nai Torah (January 6 at noon and Jan. 7 at 7:00 p.m.), Temple Beth El (January 17, 10:30 a.m.), Herzl-Ner Tamid (January 4 at 7:00 p.m. and Jan. 5 at noon; the 7-session series requires advance registration and $100 fee), and The Summit (date TBD). Save the dates now, and watch for details in next month's update.
As always, I welcome your input. Please contact me by email or through my website with any questions or suggestions for future topics.
I'm available for more speaking!
I welcome a chance to engage with additional groups and forums. Is your synagogue, community group, book club, or any other organization interested in having an informed and open discussion about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Would you like to learn more about the settlements debate, the refugee problem, or the different viewpoints regarding Israel within the Jewish community? Would you like to bring the Israel Current Events series to an additional audience? I can also customize topics and format to any group and forum. Contact me (or just reply to this message), with no obligation, to discuss possibilities.
You are welcome to share and forward this message and to invite others to attend. If you have received this notice second-hand, you can sign up to join this mailing list.
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