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September 14, 2011 | 15 Elul 5771
Dear readers,
Welcome back after what we hope was a relaxing and enjoyable summer. At the Shalem Center, we are looking forward to a year of continued progress toward the opening of Shalem College, Israel's first liberal arts college. The entire Shalem Center Family wishes you and your family a Shana Tova. May you be blessed with abundant health, happiness, and success in the new year.
Shalem Press Publishes First Hebrew Translation of Hegel's Philosophy of Right
As part of the Shalem Press Leviathan series, which brings classics of Western political thought to Hebrew readers, Shalem Press just released its translation of Hegel's Elements of the Philosophy of Right. A foundational text of modern political philosophy, it represents Hegel's definitive statement of his legal, moral, social, and political views. Publication was supported by the Founding Leadership Gift for the Publication of Great Texts by the Gilbert and Elisa Palter Family Endowment in Toronto, and by the Goethe Institute through the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. View the complete Shalem Press catalogue in Hebrew and English.
Joseph Weiler to Deliver Bernstein Lecture on "Religion in Israel's Public Square"
Eminent jurist Professor Joseph Weiler will deliver the annual Zalman C. Bernstein Memorial Lecture in Jewish Political Thought on "Religion in Israel's Public Square: Insights from the Experience of the European Democracies." Weiler, an expert on international, comparative, and European law, is Joseph Straus Professor of Law, and European Union Jean Monnet Chair at New York University School of Law, where he also serves as Director of The Tikvah Center for Law & Jewish Civilization and The Straus Institute for the Advanced Study of Law & Justice. The lecture, in Hebrew, with simultaneous English translation available, will be held on Thursday, September 15 at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. Click for more information and to register, and learn more about the Bernstein Memorial Lecture.
Shalem International Conference Breaks New Ground in Study of the Bible
The Shalem Center sponsored an international academic conference on "Philosophical Investigation of the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, and Midrash" in Jerusalem from June 26-30, 2011. The conference, Shalem's second in a series about "Bible and Philosophy," was part of a project in philosophical theology supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Twenty-six speakers from five continents came together to evaluate the Hebrew Bible for its philosophical content and its contributions to ethics, political thought, and metaphysics. Watch Shalem College President-designate Martin Kramer's opening remarks, and Shalem Center Provost Yoram Hazony's lecture, "Wrestling with God." The conference and its thought-provoking ideas were featured in Jewish Ideas Daily, which also previewed Hazony's forthcoming book, The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture: An Introduction, to be published by Cambridge University Press.
Suzanne Stone Heads Tikvah Summer Institute at Oxford
Chairwoman-designate of the Liberal Studies Department at Shalem College, Suzanne Stone, served as the Academic Director of The Tikvah Summer Institute on Religion and Politics at Oxford University. The program focuses on the conceptual and historical relationship between religion and politics and introduces the various ways Jewish, Christian, and Islamic texts address critical questions of war and morality, dignity, and equality. Stone, a recognized expert on the intersection of Jewish thought, legal theory, and the humanities, lectured on civil and public religion in Jewish and Zionist thought. International Summer Institute participants included undergraduates from Hebrew University's Amirim Honors Program and undergraduate and graduate students from the UK, Europe, former FSU, and North America. Learn more about Suzanne Stone and the Tikvah Summer Seminars.
Daniel Gordis Article Sparks Ongoing Debate
The controversy ignited by publication of Shalem Center Senior Vice President and Senior Fellow Daniel Gordis's June Commentary magazine article, "Are Young Rabbis Turning on Israel?" continues. So voluminous was reader response around the world, the magazine devoted to it a special section in its September edition. In "Commentary Controversy," Gordis addresses some of the letter-writers and shares his views about educators' responsibilities in teaching future rabbis and leaders about the Jewish state. Follow the exchange between Gordis and his readers at Commentary online. Gordis's June article inspired additional reactions in the media to his "particularist" stance on the obligations of Jews to their own communities. Read "The Risks of Jewish Particularism."
Shalem Press Publishes Taylor's The Malaise of Modernity
Shalem Press recently released its Hebrew translation of Charles Taylor's The Malaise of Modernity. As relevant as when it first appeared twenty years ago, Taylor's collection of essays about the ills of modern society is also a manual on how to rehabilitate the public intellectual discourse about philosophy, morality, and ethics. What is the author's prescription for helping the modern world live up to its potential? A healthy dose of dedication to public service and community activism. Read more and purchase the book from the Shalem Press catalogue.
Azrieli Book on the Strength of Canadian Zionism Praised in Azure
In the summer edition of Azure, the Shalem Center's quarterly journal, Senior Editor Marla Braverman reviews David Azrieli's Rekindling the Torch: The Story of Canadian Zionism. "What emerges from Azrieli's book," she says, "is a sense of just how surprisingly large, even disproportionate, the contribution of individual Canadian Zionists and the community as a whole has been to the State of Israel from its very beginnings." Read "Praise Canada."
Daniel Polisar to be Scholar-in-Residence at KJ on September 16-17
Shalem Center President Daniel Polisar will be hosted by Manhattan's Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Shabbat of September 16-17. His lectures will counter the prevalent negativism towards Israel. In a talk entitled, "Od Lo Avda Tikvateinu, Our Hope is Not Lost – Israel's New Zionists," Polisar will challenge the growing conviction that Israel's youth lack the passion and purpose of their Zionist forefathers. He will highlight dynamic Israeli institutions, and their as yet unsung heroes, that are revitalizing core values of citizenship, service, and Zionism among Israel's young people. In his second lecture, "How Israel Can Weather the Arab Spring and Islamic Summer," Polisar will outline the external threats and opportunities facing Israel and propose why he thinks the country is well-positioned to deal with these weighty challenges. Read about Daniel Polisar.
Shalem Event to Explore Silence Surrounding Destruction of Arab World's Jewry
Azure magazine, the Shalem Center's quarterly journal, will host a seminar evening in Hebrew titled, "The Destruction of Jewish Communities in Arab Lands – the Hidden Tragedy" at ZOA House in Tel Aviv on Thursday, September 15. The event is chaired by Azure Editor-in-Chief Assaf Sagiv, and will feature historian Dr. Chaim Sa'adon of the Open University and the Ben-Zvi Institute; Adi Schwartz, an independent investigative journalist; and Dr. Ada Aharoni, a writer, poet, and lecturer in literature and sociology. See details and registration information. The seminar follows publication in the summer issue of Azure of Schwartz's article, "A Tragedy Shrouded in Silence: The Destruction of the Arab World's Jewry." Read the article in Azure.
Summer Interns: "Shalem is at Cutting Edge of Modern Zionist Thought"
Nine interns from Harvard, Princeton, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, and Hebrew University completed the Shalem Center Summer Internship Program, supported through the generosity of the Leichtag Family Foundation of San Diego. Participants researched, edited, and wrote with Shalem scholars on a vast range of topics in Jewish and Zionist thought, Middle East history and politics, and Jewish law. They enthused about the "exciting ideas floating around," and the "uninterrupted conversation between Western values and Jewish texts" at Shalem. They also praised the unparalleled opportunity to learn from their peers. Said one student: "Through discussions both during and after work with the other interns, I examined my own identity and challenged many of my preconceived notions about Judaism and the State of Israel in profound ways." View photos and learn more about the Summer Interns Program.
"Weizmann Institute Rated Best Academic Workplace Outside of US"
An annual survey by The Scientist magazine named Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science the "best place to work in academia" outside the United States. Weizmann, one of the world's leading multidisciplinary research institutions, consistently ranks among the top five international institutions, repeatedly gaining the top spot. The institute has received increased funding from Israeli and European Union sources in recent years, even as US government funding has dropped off.
"Humanities and Social Sciences are Vital to U.S. Competitiveness, Says Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission"
According to a special commission of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the humanities and social sciences are crucial to the global competitiveness of the United States. Commission member Jim McNerney, CEO of The Boeing Company, sees liberal arts as the path toward becoming an effective leader. "The breadth of the education experience is a primary source of leadership," he said.
In Memoriam
The Shalem Center remembers Shulamit Shamir, mother of Shalem Foundation Board Chairman Yair Shamir. The wife of former Israeli Prime Minister Yizhak Shamir, Shulamit fought together with him for Israeli independence from the British during the Mandate period, after arriving in Palestine as an illegal immigrant during World War II. For many years, Shulamit Shamir z"l was active in non-profit and other public organizations, including the Public Council for the Senior Citizen and the Board of Trustees of Friends of Assaf Harofeh Medical Center. She passed away on July 29, 2011 at age 88. Read more about the life of Shulamit Shamir.
The following web addresses provide an easy to access directory of all Shalem Center sites:
The Shalem Center: www.shalemcenter.com
Azure: www.azure.org.il
Techelet: www.techelet.org.il
Bible and Philosophy: www.bibleandphilosophy.org
Yoram Hazony: www.yoramhazony.org
Martin Kramer: www.martinkramer.org
Daniel Gordis: www.danielgordis.org
We want to hear from you. Please send comments and questions to e-news@shalem.org.il. To receive the Shalem E-Newsletter in Hebrew, send an e-mail to heb-news@shalem.org.il. Technical note: Because various e-mail programs handle links differently, broken links sometimes occur. If this happens, you may need to copy and paste both parts of the URL (address) into your Web browser.
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