Baron Hirsch to Present Expert in Mid East Affairs

The Baron Hirsch Educational Institute, in cooperation with the Memphis Jewish Federation, announced that it will host Professor Mordechai Kedar of Bar-Ilan University on Shabbat, February 25th.

In making the announcement, Rabbi Shai Finkelstein, Senior Rabbi, stated, “With all of the very severe dangers which now exist between Israel and its neighbors, we are privileged to have an expert who has the ability to study the situation not just from the Israel side, but who has the background and linguistic skills to understand what the Arab nations and media is saying in their own language.  I think it is important for all of us who care about Israel to be more informed and to hear Professor Kedar’s presentations.

Dr. Kedar will speak at several times during the day at Baron Hirsch.  His first talk will be during services on Shabbat morning, when he will discuss “The Arab Spring & Implication for Israel”.  Services begin at 8:30AM, with the lecture at approximately 10:30AM.

In the afternoon, Dr. Kedar will give a class at 4:30PM on the topic of “Why the Sunnis Hate the Shiites and Everyone Hates the Jews”.  He will also speak following Mincha at 5:40PM on “Turkey and Israel - What Went Wrong?”

His final presentation at Baron Hirsch will be Saturday evening at the home of Diane and Dr. Larry Wruble.  His topic will be “Palestinian Propaganda and Incitement - Where is the Peace Partner?” and will include a video presentation.

Dr. MordechaiKedar is a Lecturer on Arabic and Islamic Studies and an Assistant Professor at Bar-Ilan University. He holds a PhD in Arabic from Bar-Ilan University. His areas of research include Islam, Islamic Movements, gender issues in Islam, Arabic mass media, popular culture in the Arab world, state and society in the Arab world.

He has been a member of several research teams: Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Israel; Herzliya Inter-Disciplinary Center, Israel - Study team: “Facing Radical Islam” and Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel - Study team: Muslim Minorities in Western Countries. Additionally, Dr. Kedar has been the author of many publications.

Dr. Kedar served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Israel Defense Forces, Military Intelligence, head of a branch in the hi-tech 8200 unit until 1995.

For more information on this program, please contact the Baron Hirsch office at 683-7485 or visit http://www.baronhirsch.org.