The Israel Center is proud to bring you:
Scholars-in-Residence Series:
Engaging Minds
The series offers a chance to interact with
Israel's most visionary thinkers and artists

Yair Shragai, Musician and Scholar of Israeli Music (Zemer Ivri)

Shragai has expertise and experience in all aspects of Israeli folk and contemporary music and Zemer Ivri (literally: Hebrew song). He is the arranger, songwriter and producer of records and CDs of artists including Shlomo Arzi, and acts as producer and program director of many Israeli festivals. Read article on Shragai

Residency: October 21 through November 9, 2004.

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Professor Yael (Yuli) Tamir, Israeli Parliament Member

Tamir is a current member of the Israeli Knesset and served as Minister of Immigrant Absorption. She is a professor of political philosophy at Tel-Aviv University, a research fellow at the Hartman Institute of Jewish Studies, and a member of the boards of the Jerusalem Foundation and the Israel Institute of Democracy.

Residency: November 1 through November 8, 2004.

Thursday, November 4. 8:00 pm. Rabin Memorial Lecture, Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake St, San Francisco (see Special Events)

Saturday, November 6. 7:00 pm. Breit Tzedek Ve'Shalom, 1534 Campus Drive, Berkeley. Lecture. More info: Moli- 510-524-1993.

Sunday, November 7. 10:30 am. Congregation Kol Shofar ,215 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon. Lecture. More info: Arlene- 415-381-9350.

Sunday, November 7. 06:00 pm. Temple Beit El , 1700 Alamida de las pulgas, Palo Alto. Lecture. More info: Arnold- 650-520-0722.

Monday, November 8. 07:30 pm. Stanford University. Lecture to students and Community. More info: Tali Golan 650-723-4599.

Tuesday, November 9. 08:00 pm. Berkeley Hillel, UC Berkeley. Meeting with students. More info: Gordon 510-845-7793.

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Zali Gurevitch, Sociology Professor and Poet

Zali Gurevitch is a professor in the department of sociology and anthropology at Hebrew University. He has published four volumes of poetry and lectures on many topics in Israel and abroad, including anthropology of the Israeli/Jewish place, language and culture.

Zali offers fascinating and unique talks on Israeli Culture and literature.

Residency: February 11 through February 18, 2005.

Friday, February 11, 8:00 pm. Temple Emanu-El, San Francisco.

Saturday, February 12, 8:00 pm. PJCC, 800 Foster City Blvd. Foster City. Hagesher & Habait. In Hebrew. The Place - Between Israelis and Jews. Discussion of the notion of Place, Conversation on the different perspectives of Israelis and American Jews.

Monday, February 14, 7:00 pm. Paul Hamburg @ Morison Library. UC Berkeley. Co-Sponsord By GTU, Berkeley Hillel and Congregation Netivot Shalom.

Friday, February 18, 8:00 pm. Congregation Rodef Sholom, 170 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael, CA 94903. Phone: 415-479-3441. co-sponsord by Congregation Rodef Sholom and Osher Marin JCC.

Optional lecture topics

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Robbie Gringras, Performer and Educator

Robbie Gringras is a playwright, director, performer and educator living on top of a hill in the Galilee. Until his aliyah in 1996 he worked in the UK with his Jewish theatre company Besht Tellers.

He works as a freelance director throughout Israel, and tours with his solo shows around the world.

Robbie performs three shows and offers educational workshops:
About The Oranges, Shabbes and The Gift (Story Telling and conversation for families)

Residency: April 1 through April 8, 2005

FEATURE EVENT

Monday, April 4, 2005, 7:30pm. Berkeley Hillel, 2736 Bancroft, Berkeley, 94704. Info: (510) 845-7793. About The Oranges.

OTHER SHOWS

Thursday, March 31, 2005, 8:00pm. hosted by Congregation Shomrei Torah, @ the CST/Christ Church United Methodist facility 1717 Yulupa Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95405. More info: 707-578-5519. Tickets are $7 at the door, $5 in advance. About The Oranges.

Friday, April 1, 2005. 7:30pm. Congregation Beth Sholom, 1455 Elm St., Napa, CA 94559 Info: (707) 253-7305. Stories of Peace.

Saturday, April 2, 2005, 4:00pm. Congregation Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Rd., Los Altos Hills, CA 94022. Phone: 650-493-4661. Shabbes.

Tuesday, April 5, 2005, 7:00pm.UC Davis, Wyatt Theatre. Shabbes.

Other scholars who visited this year

The Consulate General of Israel in San Francisco
is proud to bring you:

Lecture Series: Voices from Israel

Info: The Consulate General of Israel 415.844.7504. www.israelemb.org/sanfran/

Hagai El-Ad, Director of Jerusalem Open House

Gay Life in Israel

Mr. El-Ad, one of the leading gay activists in Israel, is the
director of Jerusalem Open House, the LGBT Center that will host World Pride 2005 for the first time in Israel.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004. 5:00 pm, SF Hillel, San Francisco.
Info: 415.333.4922

Wedneday, September 29, 2004. 8:00 pm, Metropolitan Community Church, San Francisco, Info: 415.863.4434

Israeli Author Orly Castel-Bloom

Living and Writing in an Uncertain Reality

One of the most talented writers of her generation. Her latest novel, Human Parts, chronicles the grisly after-effects of a suicide bombing and celebrates the power of the human spirit.

Tuesday, October 26. 7:30 pm. Jewish Community Library, SF
Info: 415.567.3327;

Wednesday, October 27. 7:30 pm. Annual Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Lecture, Berkeley Richmond JCC. Info: 510.839.2900;

Saturday, October 30. 4:00 pm. Congregation Beth Am, Beth Kehilla. Info: 650.493.4665;

Thursday, October 28. 7:30 pm. Osher Marin JCC. Info: 415.444.8000; Sat, 30 Oct 2004, 8 pm. (In Hebrew) Cubberley Community Center, Room H1, Palo Alto;

Efraim Inbar, Professor and Director of the Begin-Sadat Center

Professor of Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University, specializing in Middle Eastern strategic studies with a special interest in the politics and strategy of Israeli national security.

Residency: November 21 through November 23.

Monday, November 22. 12:00 pm. Berkeley International House.
Info: 510.643.8300

Eyal Zisser, Middle East Studies Professor

Zisser chairs the Department of Middle Eastern and African History and is a senior research fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University. He has written extensively on the modern political history of Syria, Lebanon and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Residency: November 21 Through November 25.

Tuesday, November 23. 12:00 pm. Stanford University, Encina Hall
Must RSVP: Prof. Dean Wilkening, 650.723.9742. wilkening@stanford.edu

Rodger Claire, Author of Raid on the Sun

Contra Costa Jewish Book Festival. Investigative journalist Claire tells the story of one of the most daring and successful military air strikes in history.

Festival: November 9 through November 21.

Tuesday, November 16. 7:30 pm. CCJCC, 2071 Tice Valley Bl, Walnut Creek. Info: 925.938.7800 www.jfed.org/bookfestival.htm

Amos Oz in Conversation with Michael Krasny

Israel's most revered literary master in conversation with KQED Forum host Michael Krasny, with questions from the audience.

Oz will be speaking about his new autobiography, A Tale of Love & Darkness, his literary career and his involvement in the Israeli peace movement.

Sunday, December 5. 7:30 pm. Osher Marin JCC, Hoytt Theater, 200 N. San Pedro Rd, San Rafael. Info: 415.444.8000
www.marinjcc.org

Special group deal for Tzavta! Call to buy discounted group tickets: $15 instead of $20. Must be reserved before Friday, December 3 at 12:00pm. 415-512-6424 or tzavta@sfjcf.org.

Seeking Common Ground-American and Israeli Societies Compared

Thought-provoking critical examination of American and Israeli society. Led by Avner Even-Zohar, director of the Campus Division for The Israel Center of the JCF.

This five-session class will offer an honest and thought provoking critical examination of American and Israeli society, culture, and people. The course will focus on significant documents such as the American and Israeli Declarations of Independence, as well as popular culture (poems, songs, and movies), and short stories as a starting point for the comparison between the United States and Israel. We will examine the cultural and historical forces that shaped the documents and made the two societies what they are today. Co-sponsored by the Israel Center.

Sessions: Sundays, 6:30 - 7:45 PM October 24 - December 5, No Class: 11/28. Lehrhaus Judaica, 2736 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. Info and registration: 510.845.6420 www.lehrhaus.org / http://www.lehrhaus.org/catalog/register.html

Edna Aphek, Education Professor

Singing History: the Israeli Popular Song as a Reflection
of Israel's History

A seasoned lecturer who has worked extensively as a scholar and consultant to the Israeli education system and an expert
of language acquisition, creative thinking and Israeli culture.

Saturday, January 8, 2005. 8:00 pm. (in Hebrew), Palo Alto, location TBA. Contact us to schedule English engagements.

Breaking the Ice

The Story of the Israeli-Palestinian Expedition to Antarctica,
with Doron Erel, expedition leader, and Olfat Haider, team member.

February 2005. Location and dates TBA.

Professor Israel Knohl -The Divine Symphony

Professor Knohl is a distinguished professor of bible at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His most recent book, The Divine Symphony, offers the contemporary reader a way into reading the bible as a tapestry of multiple voices, authors and interests, radically changing one's understanding of that ancient, yet ever present text.

The topic: The Divine Symphony as well as considering whether the bible can be a model for religious pluralism.

Thursday, March 10. 7:00 pm. Bob and Bob, 151 Forest Avenue, Palo Alto.

The HAPH Conference on Hebrew Language and Literature

An International Conference on Hebrew Language, Literature and Culture, and the annual meeting of the HAPH, the professional organization of professors and instructors specializing in Hebrew language and literature of ancient, medieval and modern periods.

June 19 through June 21, 2005. Stanford University. Info: 650.725.0577. hebrew.stanford.edu/events.

Israel Center sponsored and co sponsored events:

"Singing Myself To Myself": A Tribute to Natan Zach
Donny Inbar, The Musical Duo
Monday, June 20, 2005. 8:00 pm
Sheraton Hotel

Post Conference Event: Lunch and Roundtable: Israel Engagements Through Literature
Speakers include: Arnold Eisen (Stanford University) Steven M. Cohen (Hebrew University) and Shlomi Ravid (Israel Center.)
Excursion: A walk to the The B. Gerald Cantor Rodin Sculpture Garden features 20 bronzes by Auguste Rodin, including "The Gates of Hell," and to the Cantor Museum, Stanford University
Wednesday, June 22, 2005. 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Wallenberg Hall, building 160 (open to the public)