Israel Institute opens in D.C.

-

A new research center focused on Israel was launched in Washington.

The Israel Institute, initially funded by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, began operations last year and will support scholarships, teaching and research to advance the study of modern Israel, according to a news release.

Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington, will serve as the institute’s new president.

“The State of Israel is an intellectual, scientific, artistic and technological hub,” Rabinovich said in a statement. “Discussions of Israel, however, often focus on conflict, and while this issue merits careful analysis, there are other aspects of Israel worthy of study in the policy community and the academy. The rise of Israel Studies presents an opportunity to connect students, intellectuals, artists and policymakers to Israel’s vibrant society and culture and provide resources and relationships that can help the fruits of their work reverberate out in wider circles.”

The institute plans to proffer academic exchanges between Israel and other countries, as well as host academic conferences, support educational seminars for university leaders in Israel, and support the development of research and academic tools.

JTA


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Huge Japan Quake Cracked Open Seafloor

-
The March 2011 megaquake off the coast of Japan opened up fissures as wide as 6 feet (3 meters) in the seafloor, a new study finds. The fissures now scar the seafloor where peaceful clam beds once lay, according to Takeshi Tsuji, a researcher at Kyoto University in Japan . Along with seismic studies, the fissures, revealed by manned submersible vehicles that investigated the seafloor after the quake, show how the crust around the quake's epicenter expanded and cracked.
Read more

Index for a million documents on Polish Jewry to go online

-
Researchers of Polish Jewry are set to gain online access to more than 1 million new documents following an agreement signed by the Polish State Archives. Under the agreement signed last week, Jewish Records Indexing-Poland will receive indices to the documents from the Polish archives authority and place them on the website of the online database within one year, a JRI-Poland statement read.
Read more

A lot of the bread in the US will no longer be kosher

-
The largest baking company in the United States will be removing kosher certification from nearly all of its bread and rolls. Bimbo Bakeries USA confirmed to JTA that it will be removing the certification. The company produces brands including Arnold, Sara Lee, Stroehmann, Freihofer’s and others. Two of its major brands, Entenmann’s and Thomas, will remain certified kosher. So, kosher eaters, your crumb doughnuts and English muffins are still safe. A couple of rye breads also will retain their certifications. “Removing the kosher certification from some of our products was strictly a business-process decision to enable more efficient operations, and it was one we did not make lightly,” Bimbo said in a statement. “Thomas’ and Entenmann’s products as well as Arnold’s and Levy’s Rye Breads will remain kosher-certified. It is important to note that we have heard our consumers’ concerns and are working with kosher certification organizations and discussing alternative solutions.” The c
Read more