Zvi Gitelman
University of Michigan
Zvi Gitelman is Professor of Political Science, Preston Tisch Professor of Judaic Studies, and a former Director of the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies and of the Center for Russian and East European Studies, all at the University of Michigan. He is the author or editor of fourteen books and many scholarly articles, and is now writing a book on Jewish identities in Russia and Ukraine. He is currently conducting research on the Holocaust in the Soviet Union; on Jews in the Soviet military during World War Two; and on the Jewish role in Communist terror.
The “Russian Revolution” in Israel
Israel
About one in five Israeli Jews was born in the Soviet Union or its successor states. They represent the single largest aliyah in Israeli history, about 1.1 million people. This talk analyzes their impact on the Israeli economy, culture, society, and, in particular, politics. It also focuses on the challenges presented by the 300,000 non-Jews who have become Israelis as part of this aliyah.
Can Israel Be Both a Jewish and a Democratic State When One Of Five Israelis Is Not Jewish?
Israel
How can Israel be a “Jewish state” when one of five Israelis is an Arab, most of them Muslims, who are supposed to enjoy equal rights since Israel also claims to be a democracy? Although the political status of Israeli Arabs has improved, it was only in 2006 that an Arab Muslim was made a government minister. No Arab party has ever been included in the governing coalition. Yet, the position of Israeli Arabs compares favorably with that of minorities in other countries. Can an “ethnic democracy” arrangement preserve Israel’s democratic and Jewish characters simultaneously?
The Jewish Future
A Global Perspective
Zvi Gitelman,
Gustavo Gitlin,
Ruth Ellen Gruber,
Abe Sterne
In an increasingly flat world in which ideas, trends, and people migrate back and forth, what are the distinct challenges that Jews from the Former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Latin America face? What characterizes their relationship to American and Israeli Jewries? How do their unique challenges and opportunities inform what will become of Jewish life in the future?
What Does Being Jewish Mean in the Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe?
Identity and Responsibility
As part of a symposium on Jewish identity, Zvi will examine how post-Soviet Jews perceive their Jewish identity. Based on collected data by the speaker, we will see how very different this is from perceptions held in Western countries and Israel and how this poses challenges for mutual recognition.
