In addition to the film lineup shown from February 3 to 8, 2018, the Department of Jewish Studies at Universidad ORT Uruguay the cultural event with a series of talks on various topics. The lectures took place from Monday, February 5, to Wednesday, February 7, in the Indigo Room at the Punta del Este Resort & Spa (formerly Mantra) and were open to the general public.
The activities during those days ranged from book presentations to lectures on both historical and highly topical issues. For example, Uruguayan political scientist Alberto Spektorowski—a professor at Tel Aviv University—spoke about the motivations and implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision regarding Jerusalem. Similarly, Argentine Gustavo Perednik—a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (cum laude), and author of one of the most talked-about books on Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman—addressed the topic of “Why Is Jerusalem the Capital Issue?” Both are visiting professors at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
The schedule of activities was as follows:
Program
Monday, February 5
7:30 p.m. – Presentation of the book *Maimonides: Thought for the 21st Century* by Mario Cohen. The presentation was led by Esther Mostovich de Cukierman. The author, Mario Cohen, is a professor of history in the Maimonides Endowed Chair at the university of the same name. President of the Center for Research and Dissemination of Sephardic Culture (CIDICSEF). King Juan Carlos of Spain awarded him the Order of Civil Merit for his contributions to Sephardic Jewish culture (1994). In 2016, he was awarded the Medal of the Four Sephardic Synagogues of Jerusalem.
8:15 p.m. – Lecture: “World War II and the Holocaust: A Contemporary Perspective,” presented by Roberto Cyjon. Mr. Cyjon holds a degree in Engineering from the Technion in Israel. He has a Master’s degree in Political History from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the Republic. He is a former president of the Central Israeli Committee of Uruguay (2012–2014). He is a visiting professor at Universidad ORT Uruguay. He is the co-editor and author of numerous books.
9:30 p.m. – Lecture: “Israel and Liberalism,” presented by Alberto Spektorowski. Dr. Spektorowski holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a professor of Political Theory and Comparative Politics at Tel Aviv University. He served as a political advisor to former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami. He is a visiting professor at Universidad ORT Uruguay. He is the author of numerous books.
Tuesday, February 6
7:30 p.m. – Lecture: "Trump’s Decision on Jerusalem: Motivation and Implications," by Alberto Spektorowski.
8:45 p.m. – Lecture: “Why Is Jerusalem the Key Issue?”, presented by Gustavo Perednik. Gustavo Perednik is a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (cum laude), and completed his Ph.D. in Philosophy in New York. He studied the humanities at the Sorbonne (France), San Marcos (Peru), and Uppsala (Sweden). He is a visiting professor at Universidad ORT Uruguay. He is the author of numerous books.
Wednesday, February 7
7:30 p.m. – Lecture: “Design and Memory: Remembering the Shoah,” presented by Gastón Boero. Gastón Boero holds a degree in architecture from the University of the Republic. He is the Dean of the School of Architecture at Universidad ORT Uruguay. In 2015, he led the presentation by the Faculty of Architecture at Universidad ORT Uruguay the Solar Decathlon held in Cali, Colombia, where the proposal won the competition. First prize in the National Competition for the Memorial to the Holocaust of the Jewish People, declared a National Historic Monument in 1995.
8:45 p.m. – Lecture: "The Dawn of Peace in the Middle East," by Gustavo Perednik.
Interview with Gustavo Perednik, author of *Morir por la Argentina* —an interview published in *En Perspectiva* on February 6, 2018
Book Presentation: “Maimonides: Thoughts for the 21st Century” at the Universidad ORT Uruguay Center- article published on diariojudio.com on February 6, 2018
Interview with Engineer Cyjon on Radio Sarandí - January 29, 2018
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