Community Lecture: “Changing Realities: Israel After the Elections”

Changing Realities: Israel After the Elections
presented by Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence, Professor Paul Liptz

The elections of November brought about the most dramatic change in political life with the success of the radical religious right who joined the coalition and the failure of the left parties to cooperate with each other. This session will deal with contemporary realities and the Diaspora responses to Israel in 2023.

Professor Liptz’s community lecture at Congregation Emanu El is part of the 29th Bunny and Leo Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence Program, “Israel at 75: The Fascinating Story of Modern Israel,” February 13 – 28, 2023.

More information about the Bunny and Leo Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence series can be found online at erjcchouston.org/Horvitz.

• Click here to view the brochure.

Full Bio: 

Professor Paul Liptz, a social historian, was on the Tel Aviv University faculty for 40 years, teaching Israeli graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Middle East and African History, and five years at the International School. Prior to that, he was at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem which included activities with the Melton Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. He taught graduate students at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem for 25 years and for the World Union for Progressive Judaism. His wide range of topics include the Yishuv (Pre-State), the Modern State of Israel, Nationalism in the Middle East, Modern Jewish History, Israeli Society, and the Contemporary Middle East. In the Israel Army reserves, he was involved in the 1982 War in Lebanon and, after serving in a field unit, he transferred to the education section where he lectured officers and non-commissioned officers on non-military realms. Professor Liptz is still active in Israel and is involved in various academic and educational fields. Since the 1970s, he has traveled the world, serving as a lecturer/scholar/facilitator in some 20 countries, including Poland, Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. He has interacted with many groups during some 15 visits to the United States and in January 2020 he was the month-long Scholar-in-Residence with the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program. Since March 2020 he has been occupied with PowerPoint zoom presentations on a wide range of topics and is now meeting missions and students in Israel. Born in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Professor Liptz came to Israel as a volunteer on June 4, 1967, one day before the Six Day War. He stayed, became a citizen, and married Brenda. They have 4 children and 12 grandchildren.