Monday January 2
HOW TO WRITE A MODERN MIDRASH:
MAKING THE TEXT COME ALIVE
Reba Carmel, educator

Monday January 9
ONE YEAR AFTER ABBAS'S ELECTION: IS THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY CREATING AN ANTI-SEMITIC STATE?
David Bedin, Bureau Chief, Israel Resource News Agency

Monday January 16
WHAT THE POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE REALLY MEANS FOR ISRAEL'S FUTURE
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday January 23
A NIGHT WITH THE AUTHOR: YAKOV AZRIEL
presents his highly acclaimed book
"Threads From A Coat Of Many Colors" - Poems On Genesis.

Monday January 30
INTERNET BRINGING THE JEWISH WORLD CLOSER TOGETHER.
Rabbi Sidney Slivko,
"Web Master" for MASA - long term projects in Israel.
This evening is co-sponsored with Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue.

PROGRAM FOR FEBRUARY 2006

Monday February 6
EMMANUEL LEVINAS, A UNIQUE PHILOSOPHER
Dr. Jenny Weil, Ph.D. N.Y. U. Lecturer, Touro College

Monday February 13
AN EVENING WITH LIAT TAIBER BEN-DAVID,
a fourth generation SABRA, who, will discuss her book "YAHRZEIT”,
in which four generations of strong, dedicated women
live through one of the greatest, most intriguing and dangerous times
in Jewish history – 120 years of Zionism.

Monday February 20
WHO REALLY RUNS THE COUNTRY?
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday February 27
ANOTHER LOOK AT THE MITZVAH OF YESHUV ERETZ YISRAEL (SETTLING THE LAND OF ISRAEL)
Rabbi Mordecai Silverstein,
Sr. Lecturer in Midrash & Talmud,
the Conservative Yeshiva and Project Oded.

PROGRAM FOR MARCH 2006

Monday March 6
HEROES AND VILLAINS IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER
Prof. Naomi Cohen, historian.
Co-sponsored with Congregation Moreshet Yisrael.

Monday March 13
THE REAL STORY OF ESTHER AND HAMAN:
AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS.
Dr. Stephen Rosenberg, archaeologist and
author of "Esther/Ruth/Jonah Deciphered"

Monday March 20
SO WHAT IS THE ELECTION REALLY ALL ABOUT?
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday March 27
THE NAZIS' SECRET KILLING SQUADS
This documentary tells the story through the eyes of
Benjamin Ferencz, the charismatic ex-prosecutor
who at the age of 27 lead the trial charging 22 Einsatzgruppen
officers with directing the murder of more than 1 million people.
With Laura Wiesen, writer, producer and director of the documentary.
PROGRAM FOR APRIL 2006

Monday April 3
ISRAEL P.R. IN THE UNITED STATES: OLD PATTERNS, NEW DEVELOPMENTS
with Mr. Moshe Fuchs, Israel Foreign Service.
Co-sponsored with Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue.

Monday April 10
WHY THE "FOUR QUESTIONS" ARE NEVER ANSWERED
Rabbi Ed Romm , Director of Education,
Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center

Monday April 17
Hol Hamoed Pesach - No Forum

Monday April 24
YOM HASHOAH PRESENTATION:
THE SHOAH AS PORTRAYED IN ART
Maxine Blendis , art historian

PROGRAM FOR MAY 2006

Monday May 1
"YOM HAZIKARON"
Israel Memorial Day Begins
No Forum

Monday May 8
THE LESSONS OF THE ELECTION
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday May 15
THE ANCIENT SITE OF SHILO REVEALED:
WAS THERE EVER A TABERNACLE?
Dr. Stephen Rosenberg, PhD. archaeologist

Monday May 22
THE INDIGENOUS JEWISH COMMUNITY OF UGANDA
A MOST UNUSUAL STORY
With Gershom Sizomu, the first Ugandan rabbinical student
(This presentation is in conjunction with Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue).

Monday May 29
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF CUBA
with Dr. Jay Levinson, PhD. , writer and researcher.

PROGRAM FOR JUNE 2006

Monday June 5
WHO’S AFRAID OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH?
How is one to understand and evaluate the theological revolution of Christianity’s attitude towards the Jewish People and its faith?
And how does it square with such recent developments as the mainline Protestant Churches’ decision to “disinvest” in Israel?
Retired Israeli diplomat Moshe Aumann,
author of Conflict & Connection: The Jewish-Christian-Israel Triangle,
tackles these and other questions.

Monday June 12
THE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN POLITICAL CULTURES IN CRISIS: ENTITLEMENT OR ENLIGHTENMENT?
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday June 19
THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IN JERUSALEM
Amnon Elian, Community Officer of the Project, Jerusalem Municipality. student (in conjunction with Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue).

Monday June 26
ESCAPE ROUTS OF MARANOS/ANUSIM FROM THE CANARY ISLANDS TO THE CARIBBEAN
Gloria Mound, Institute for Anusim/Marrano Studies.

PROGRAM FOR JULY 2006

Monday July 3
THE PROBLEM OF EVIL IN THE BIBLE
Rabbi Dr. Pamela Barmash, Director of Jewish, Islamic and
Near Eastern Studies and Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible
and Biblical Hebrew, Washington University in St. Louis.

Monday July 10
WILL THE PRISONERS' DOCUMENT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
A LOOK AT THE CURRENT SITUATION IN ISRAEL.
Jim Lederman, Political & Economic Analyst

Monday July 17
"THE THREE WEEKS" IN ART
Tisha B"Av themes as expressed by both modern artists and the Masters. Maxine Blendis, art historian, with slides.

Monday July 24
JERUSALEM IN THE TIME OF KING DAVID
Rabbi Dr. Pamela Barmash.

Monday July 31
A COUNTER TO THE IMAGE OF VIOLENCE
Richard Oestermann, Veteran foreign correspondent and
author of "Every Second Counts: True Stories From Israel"
has lived in Israel since 1961, when he arrived to cover the trial
of war criminal Adolf Eichmann. Since then he has worked
as a Middle East correspondent and political commentator
for the press in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

PROGRAM FOR AUGUST 2006

Monday August 7
SO WHAT IS THE WAR IN LEBANON REALLY ABOUT?
Jim Lederman, economic and political analyst

Monday August 14
CIVILIANS AS VICTIMS: A PERSPECTIVE FROM JEWISH AND INTERNATIONAL LAW.
Dr. Donald Goldstein, Institute for Defense Analyses,
Alexander, Va. (affiliation for identification only)

Monday August 21
THE END: JEWISH VIEWS OF THE AFTERLIFE.
Probably no other topic is so little understood and so misrepresented than Judaism's views of life after death.
Professor Benjamin D. Sommer, Director, the Crown Family Center
for Jewish Studies, Northwestern University

Monday August 28
THE JEWS, THE IRISH AND THE MUSLIMS:
WORLD WAR II AND AFTER
Murray Greenfield, a volunteer in the Aliyah Bet, and a Founder of the AACI, will talk about the experiences behind his book, "The Jews’ Secret Fleet," (Gefen Publishing House) detailing the true story of North American volunteers who helped rescue Holocaust survivors and smashed through the British blockade to safe haven in Palestine.

PROGRAM FOR SEPTEMBER 2006

Monday Sept 4
WHERE DOES THE LEBANESE WAR LEAVE US?
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday Sept 11
FIGHTING THE MEDIA WAR
Calev BenDavid, Director, The Israel Project
This program is co-sponsored by Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue

Monday Sept. 18
THE NEW YEAR: WHY 5767?
Dr Stephen Rosenberg,
Fellow of the Albright Institute of Archaeology. Jerusalem

Monday Sept 25
AN EASY WAY OUT OF HOLIDAY COOKING:
AMERICAN STYLE WITH ISRAELI INFLUENCES
Mindy Ginsberg, an imaginative cooking expert will teach you how to make holiday cooking painless and enjoyable. Learn how to prepare some of her favorite recipes with an elegant flair: Taste some of her famous salads
(a post "Tzom Gedalia" treat). Her new book, Easy and Elegant: 300 Kosher International Jewish Recipes for Friends and Family, (Gefen Press) will be available.

PROGRAM FOR OCTOBER 2006

Monday October 2
No Forum - Yom Kippur

Monday October 9
No Forum - Chol Hamoed Succot

Monday October 16
JEWISH GENETICS
Dr. Thea Pugatsch, Coordinator for Research and Development,
Dept. of Pediatrics at Hadassah, Mt. Scopus .
This program is co-sponsored with Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue.

Monday October 23
APOCALYPTIC AND MESSIANISM
AMONG THE PROPHETS AND THE RABBIS
The end of days as portrayed in prophecy and post-biblical Judaism, focusing on Isaiah, Daniel, and rabbinic Judaism,
including a look at contemporary Jewish movements.
Professor Benjamin D. Sommer, Director,
the Crown Family Center for Jewish Studies, Northwestern University

Monday October 30
IN THE IMAGE OF GOD: MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM
A look at the mystical Book of Zohar
Shaiya Rothberg, PhD. candidate, Hebrew University

PROGRAM FOR NOVEMBER 2006

Monday November 6
HOW DO WE KNOW IT WAS SIX MILLION ?
Dr. Yaacov Lozowick , Director of Archives Division, Yad Vashem.
This lecture is co-sponsored with Congregation Moreshet Yisrael.

Monday November 13
CONFRONTING PAINFUL EVENTS IN LIFE’S JOURNEY
Rabbi Eugene (Gene) I. Kwalwasser,
Clinical Pastoral Educator and author of "Beyond The Tears"

Monday November 20
WHAT THE ARABS DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT ISRAEL
Jim Lederman, Political and Economic Analyst

Monday November 27
Laura Ruth Polk Memorial Lecture
THE SEARCH FOR THE TOMBS OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID
Prof. Gabriel Barkay PhD.
Archaeologist, Land of Israel Studies, Bar Ilan University.
Prof. Barkay is a world authority on Jerusalem.

PROGRAM FOR DECEMBER 2006

Monday Dec 4
WHAT THE ISRAELIS DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT ISRAEL:
THE CIVIL INSURRECTION
Jim Lederman, political & economic analyst

Monday Dec 11
POST APARTHEID: IS THERE A FUTURE FOR
SOUTH AFRICAN JEWRY?
The challenges of politics, crime, demography and Israel
facing this unique community.
Rabbi Adi Sultanik, International Director
of the Keren Hayesod Rabbinic Forum.

Monday Dec 18
THE 4TH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH MUSICAL PROGRAM FEATURING JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY CANTORIAL STUDENTS
Traditional Chanukah refreshments served.
Co-sponsored with Congregation Moreshet Yisrael

Monday Dec 25
AN EVENING WITH MAGGIE ANTON,
AUTHOR OF "RASHI’S DAUGHTERS"
Winner of Best Books 2005 Historical Fiction Award,
2006 Benjamin Franklin Award,
2006 IPPY Best Historical Fiction Award,
and ForeWord Book of the Year:Fiction