In the aftermath of the devastation that befell the State of Israel and the Jewish People which began on Simchat Torah, October 7, 2023, many may find themselves on very shaky ground. How did this happen, why did this happen, what actually happened and how can I explain how I feel and why?  These may be only some of the questions emphatically circling our consciousness. While no one can promise answers to all of these questions, we believe that a deep dive into the history of the State of Israel will offer a first step towards creating a broader, stronger foundation of knowledge on which to stand. 

The State of Israel is a vibrant, pulsating, historic, energetic, challenging and challenged heart of the Jewish People. Did we mention layered, complex and beautiful? Join us for a journey through the history of the young state. While we recognize that starting at THE beginning may necessitate a few extra sessions, we will begin our journey with the early days of Zionism. Creating a foundation of knowledge that will take us through the end of the century, and the British mandate period, we will be better equipped to experience together the founding of the State. As we traverse that Mt. Sinai-esque moment in 1948, we will continue through the earlier and more recent decades of the State of Israel, engaging with the momentous occasions, the prideful peaks, and the precarious pitfalls. These moments, of course, all accompany living and breathing entities, such as the Jewish State itself. As we conclude and look to the future, we will have had an opportunity to strengthen what we already know about Israel, add information that wasn’t previously there, and be able, regardless of our opinions about Israel, to ask ourselves (and maybe even answer), how does all this relate to us and why do we care?

Class Dates/Times:

• Sunday sessions will be offered hybrid (you can either log onto Zoom remotely or come to TBI, to log on with the group).
• Thursday sessions will be offered on Zoom only.

All sessions will be recorded, and the recordings will be made available to those registered for the class.

1. Sunday Nov. 5 - 11:30am-12:45pm (central) - HYBRID - “An Update from Israel with Uri” recording
2. Thursday Nov. 9. - 1:30pm-2:45pm (central)  - ZOOM ONLY - “Foundation of Zionism” recording
3. Sun. Nov. 12 - 11:30am -12:45pm (central) - ZOOM ONLY - “WWI and the British Mandate” recording
4. Thurs. Nov. 16 - 1:30-2:45pm (central) - ZOOM ONLY - “Setting the Stage for 1948” recording
5. Sun. Nov. 19 - 10:15-11:45am (central) - ZOOM ONLY - “Highs and Lows of the New State” recording
6. Thurs. Nov. 30 - 1:30-2:45pm (central) - ZOOM ONLY - “Nation Amongst the Nations” recording
7. Sun Dec. 3 - 11:30am-12:45pm (central) - ZOOM ONLY - “Stranger in a New Land” recording
8. Thurs. Dec. 7 - 1:30-2:45pm (central) - ZOOM ONLY - “What Happened on October 7?” recording