According to the speaker, it is in this regard that “we may perhaps find the origin of some of the conflicts between the traditional Jewish world and Zionist ideological currents, and later, between religion and the state in Israel. Tracing a process spanning more than 2,000 years will allow us, in turn, to focus on some key moments in the history of the Jewish people, from antiquity to the issue of Jewish nationalism in the modern era.” Ambassador Goren will also address the fundamental difference on this topic between the Jewish religion and the Christian and Muslim religions.
Program:
Tuesday, April 23. 7:30 p.m. – First lecture: “The ‘Absence’ of Political Thought in Judaism”
The speaker analyzed some political ideas that existed in Judaism in its early days, and the historical experiences of “engaging in politics” during the era of the First and Second Temples.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013. 7:30 p.m. – Second lecture: “Pluralism vs. Religious Rigidity: From the Loss of Central Religious Authority to the Shulchan Aruch.” The speaker discussed the political consequences of exile: a dispersed people with no need for politics. More specifically, he will delve into how the development of halakhic thought influenced the attitude of Jews toward the concept of the State. It is a historical analysis spanning from the destruction of the Second Temple to the end of the Middle Ages.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013. 7:30 p.m. - Third lecture: "The Crisis of Jewish Nationalism in the Modern Era."
The speaker analyzed the consequences of the emancipation and integration of Jews into Gentile society following the French Revolution and their various responses to a new reality: conversion, assimilation, emigration, participation in new ideological movements, and Zionism.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013. 7:30 p.m. - Fourth lecture: "Israel: Jewish State or State of the Jews?"
The speaker analyzed the ideological origins of Zionism, its birth, and its development leading to the creation of the State of Israel. He will address the complex relationship between Zionism and religion as the source of some contemporary conflicts in the State of Israel.
Goren holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Philosophy and a Master’s degree in Latin American Political History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and Security Studies from the University of Haifa and the Israel National Defense College. He entered the diplomatic service in 1985, having served in various positions at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in diplomatic missions in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and France. He has been the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Uruguay since 2009.
Admission is free.