jews in the d
Growing
in Focus
M
ichigan State University
at the Taba talks in 2001. He
hosted the largest aca-
currently heads the Center for
demic conference on
Applied Negotiations and is a
Israel in its history Sept. 16-17.
senior researcher at the Tel Aviv
More than 260 faculty, students
Institute for National Security
and community members from
Studies.
East Lansing, Metro Detroit,
Other topics ranged from the
Yael Aronoff
controversies over how Jerusalem
Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids
might be divided and/or shared
attended the recent two-day con-
in future peace agreements to
ference: “Israel at 70: Complexity,
the many “lessons to be learned” from
Challenge and Creativity.”
cooperating grassroots Israeli and
The conference brought together 40
Palestinian non-governmental organi-
prominent scholars from Israel and
zations. Also, the constructive role that
throughout the United States, including
Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and UAE
MSU’s own experts, to discuss trans-
might play in the peace process was
formations in Israeli culture, society,
debated.
politics and innovation. The sympo-
As the evening keynote speaker,
sium received extensive support from
Sher gave a thought-provoking, inspir-
MSU with 14 colleges, departments and
ing vision for moving things forward
programs co-sponsoring. Provost June
to an eventual peace agreement. The
Youatt and six deans also attended the
hope for peace that infused the panels
opening lunch or dinner and various
and keynote was captured in a sing-a-
sessions.
long with Elaine Serling, accompanied
Fortuitous timing added another
by Israeli scholar Dr. Alon Tal and kib-
layer to the excitement. Just three days
butznik Cantor Bill Slott. The high-spir-
before the conference, Michael and
Elaine Serling of West Bloomfield signed ited music session ended with Elaine’s
original song, “Sing a Song for Peace,”
documents for their impactful multi-
with more than 100 people joining in.
million-dollar naming gift for the MSU
Interesting dialogues developed during
Jewish Studies Program, which officially
the portion of the conference on shifts in
becomes the Michael and Elaine Serling
Israeli society, culture and politics over
Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern
the past 70 years. Topics ranged from an
Israel. The Serlings both addressed the
examination of the portrayal of women
conference to express their excitement.
“To see my alma mater taking the lead in Israeli film to teaching pedagogies for
in the intellectual advancement of Jewish Israeli and Palestinian students studying
creative writing in the same classroom to
studies and connectivity with Israel has
been very rewarding, and it is a great joy shifts in Israeli nationalisms.
A highlight of the day was a talk by
to be able to support the bright future of
Naomi Chazan, professor emerita of
this program,” Michael said.
political science at Hebrew University,
who warned of illiberal trends in Israeli
CONFERENCE TOPICS
society and forces challenging those
At the conference, a panel present-
trends. Chazan served three terms as a
ed on American efforts to medi-
Meretz Party member of Knesset and has
ate peace between Israelis and
authored eight books on comparative
Palestinians. Moderator Gilead Sher was
politics. She is among the founders of the
chief of staff and policy coordinator to
International Women’s Commission for
former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and
an Israel-Palestinian peace.
served as chief negotiator at the Camp
Another thought-provoking panel
David summit in 2000 and co-chief
20
October 4 • 2018
jn
JORDAN NOBLE
MSU holds its largest Israel conference
as new Serling Institute is launched.
Many of the conference participants,
along with Elaine and Michael Serling,
seated at left
examined the BDS movement (Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions) and dis-
cussed the boundaries of legitimate crit-
icism of Israel and where such criticism
crosses into anti-Semitism, with empha-
sis on some of the rhetoric, accusations
and images used by the BDS movement.
The second day focused on the many
strands of Israeli innovation in agricul-
ture, water technology, the environment,
entrepreneurship, business start-ups and
biomedical engineering. For example,
Professor Oded Shoseyov of Hebrew
University talked about how Israeli
genetic engineers discovered the meth-
ods to cultivate previously unknown
substances existing in nature that can
now be used in food, water and biomed-
icine.
MSU professors Dr. Galit Pelled and
Dr. Assaf Gilad, originally from Israel,
gave presentations about their research
in biomedical engineering at the Institute
of Quantitative Health and Sciences at
Michigan State.
STRENGTH OF ISRAEL STUDIES
This conference is the outgrowth of
MSU’s existing strengths in Israel studies,
and the new endowment in Modern
Israel signifies continued growth. The
Michael and Elaine Serling Institute has
one of the most robust Israel studies
components in the country, and we are
now poised to make even greater strides.
Through the program, up to16 cours-
es a year on different aspects of Israel
studies and Hebrew are offered by our
faculty and visiting Israeli scholars, as
well as faculty leading our study abroad
programs in Israel. More than 200
MSU students have benefited from the
two faculty-led study abroad programs
in Israel. We are fortunate to have the
most generous Israel study abroad
scholarships in the country, thanks to
funds established by Ed Levy and Linda
Dresner, Albert and Sherie Gladner, and
Ed and Dot Slade.
The Levy scholarships, the new
Modern Israel endowment from the
Serlings and a recent endowment from
David and Larry Hersh in memory of
their parents, James and Anna Hersh,
will also provide internship and research
scholarships in Israel for our students.
In recent years, we have hosted seven
visiting Israeli scholars to campus in
four different colleges, offering a total of
27 courses. These Israeli scholars have
included anthropologists, architects,
screenwriters, documentary filmmakers
and directors, political scientists, envi-
ronmentalists and business entrepre-
neurs.
Our 14 annual MSU Israeli Film
Festivals have featured more than 64
Israeli films and hosted many of the
films’ directors to MSU for discussions.
We have also hosted many lectures on
Modern Israel by prominent novelists,
journalists, film directors, political sci-
entists, historians, professors of literature
and policy makers.
This “Israel at 70 Conference” is only
the most recent example of the vibrancy
of Israel and Jewish studies at MSU. I’m
proud to say MSU embraces the study
of Israel, the country’s democratic values
and its challenges, as well as its signifi-
cant achievements in science, technol-
ogy, innovation, entrepreneurship and
the arts.
The leadership at MSU and I, as direc-
tor of the Serling Institute, are enthusi-
astic about the new opportunities this
Modern Israel endowment will create for
partnering with Israelis in many endeav-
ors, including research, internships and
faculty/student exchanges. ■
Yael Aronoff is director of the Michael and Elaine
Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern
Israel and Michael and Elaine Serling and
Friends Chair in Israel Studies at Michigan State
University.