Lectures
The following are some of the lectures available in English from Oranim College’s top-notch faculty:
- Leadership and Creating a Dialogue with the Other, Dr. Anat Geller, lecturer in Early Childhood Education and Professional Retraining and Development.
- History of the Kibbutz, Dr. Jack Pastor, former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and the Humanities.
- Ethnic and Minority Groups in Israel, Dr. Rhonda Sofer, lecturer in Sociology.
- Jewish Peoplehood in the 21st Century, Prof. David Mittelberg, Associate Professor for Sociology on the Faculty of Graduate Studies and former Chair of the Department of Sociology at Oranim College, as well as a well-known pioneer in the field of Jewish Peoplehood studies.
- Galilee as a Multicultural Space, Dr. Moshe Shner, lecturer in Jewish Thought and Multidisciplinary Studies.
- School in the Holy Land: An Insider’s Look at the Israeli Educational System, Dr. Micha Balf, senior educational consultant, Israeli educator, and former shaliach (Israeli representative) in the US.
- Israel-Diaspora Relations: Then, Now, and in the Future, Prof. David Mittelberg, Dr. Micha Balf, and Dr. Roberta Bell-Kligler, Director of Oranim International School.
- Current Events in the Middle East, Dr. Udi Manor, lecturer in Land of Israel Studies, Middle East Studies, Civics and Democracy, and History.
For a more extensive list of lectures, please see here.
Encounters with Israelis
The following are opportunities for encounters with Israelis from diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds:
- Mifgash (Encounter) with Oranim Students: Dialogue with Oranim students from diverse backgrounds about identity, values, and Israel.
- Mifgash with the Arab-Israeli Community: Your encounter can include home visits, school visits, and discussions with prominent politicians and activists, as well as cultural and gastronomical encounters.
- Mifgash with the Russian Community in Israel: Meet young Russians living, working, and raising their children in Israel. Discuss the dilemmas of their lives as immigrants and the issues of Jewish identity that are critical to understanding their place in Israeli society.
- Mifgash with Soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force: Meet Israeli soldiers and find out what the Israeli army looks like from the inside.
Site Visits as Encounters
Through text study, interactive activities, games, values clarification, debate, street surveys, and role plays, participants relive episodes of Jewish history and grapple with issues faced not only by our ancestors but also by modern-day Israelis. We have distinct, hands-on, and exciting educational modules for the following sites:
- Keren Ha-Carmel/Muhraqa (from Biblical times, Elijah the Prophet)
- Caesarea (2nd Temple period)
- Beth Shearim (from the days of the Talmud)
- Tzippori (2nd century city)
- Kinneret Courtyard and Cemetery: In the Footsteps of the Pioneers (2nd Aliyah)
- Kibbutz Degania (the first kibbutz in Israel)
- Rabin Square (November 1995)
Workshops
The following interactive workshops on Israel, Jewish identity, and Jewish Peoplehood encourage dynamic dialogue and discourse:
- Israeli Identity in the Multicultural Society of Modern Israel: How can we understand the individual and collective identities of Israelis within the changing parameters of a diverse Israeli society that no longer conforms to stereotypical views from previous decades?
- Israel-Diaspora Relations: These workshops encourage participants to think about themselves in the contexts of Israel-Diaspora relations and Jewish Peoplehood. What is the connection between Jews in the Diaspora and Jews in Israel? Can we continue to talk of one people?
- Personal and Communal Jewish Identity in the New Global/Glocal World: How do Jews in Israel define their identity? How does Israeli society deal with the “other?” Are there commonalities as well as differences? How does Israeli society encounter differences –ethnic, religious, political, and sexual?
- Beit Midrash: An exploration of the place of the “other” utilizing traditional Jewish texts and tying them into social realities of immigrants, economic gaps, and questions of ethnicity. Can the Jewish tradition provide relevant directions for the issues that impact our daily lives?