Go and Learn: Local Opportunities to learn about Israel, Zionism and the Middle east

Professor Eli Pollak on A Zionist response to the delegitimization of Israel
Sunday, January 8 at 7:30PM @ CBI, 1630 Bancroft Way Berkeley

Professor Eli Pollak is Chairman of the Department of Chemical Physics at the Weizmann Institute. He is the founder and Chairman of Israel’s Media Watch and a member of the board of Professors for a Strong Israel. He has a weekly column (on Thursdays) in the Jerusalem Post, appears frequently in the Israeli media, is active in media related legislation, and has appeared frequently in the Knesseth as an expert on media related issues.

StandWithUs presents Dr. Mitchell Bard Discussing His Book The Arab Lobby
Monday, January 9 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco JCC, 3200 California Street San Francisco

Dr. Mitchell Bard, a scholar and foreign policy analyst, lectures frequently on U.S.-Middle East policy. Recently, he has appeared on Fox News, MSNBC, NBC, CBC, Al Jazeera and other local and national television and radio outlets. As a recognized authority on Mideast regional issues, Dr. Bard is the Executive Director of the nonprofit American- Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE) and Director of the Jewish Virtual Library, the world’s most comprehensive online encyclopedia of Jewish history and culture. Dr. Bard’s book, The Arab Lobby, investigates the scope and activities of the Arab Lobby, exposing 70 years of coercion by Saudi Arabia and the impact on American education and policies—both domestic and foreign.
Dr. Bard will also be appearing January 8th at 9:30am at Kol Emeth in Palo Alto 4175 Manuela Avenue

Palo Alto, Start-Up Nation: Is the Party Over or Just Beginning?
When: Tuesday, January 10th, 6:30pm
Where: Fenwick & West, 801 California Ave., Mt. View
Cost: Members Free (join @ http://jhtc.org/memberships)
$15 Guests before 1/8/12; $25 @ Door
$10 Full-Time Students/Seniors (65+)

StartUp Nation is fast becoming Israel’s brand as its fame and success in creating startups spreads through the world of innovation. Yet is this success destined to be short-lived as Israel weathers the world’s economic crisis, faces increasing competition from other countries, a growing social protest movement and economic inequality internally, and political isolation potentially leading to boycotts and slowed economic growth. Jon Medved, a 30 year veteran of Israel’s Startup scene (both as a VC and entrepreneur ) will analyze this situation and tell you if the StartUp Nation party is about to abruptly end, or is it just gearing up for the next and bigger wave of accomplishments.

Jon Medved:
- Venture Capitalist
- Vringo CEO
- Founder and GP of Israel Seed Partners
- Israel’s unofficial Tech Business Ambassador

Co-sponsored by:
Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley
Congregation Shir Hadash

Israeli journalist Shmuel Rosner speaks at Congregation Beth Israel on Israel’s Political Landscape and Social Battles
Saturday, January 21, 2012, 6:30—8:30 p.m. @CBI, 1630 Bancroft Way Berkeley

Shmuel Rosner is Senior Political Editor for the Jewish Journal, columnist for Israel’s Maariv Daily and writer of the popular blog “Rosner’s Domain”. He is a frequent contributor to Slate Magazine and the Jewish Forward. His book Shetl, Bagel, Baseball, On the Wonderful Dreadful State of American Jews was published in Israel by Keter (Hebrew, 2011).
Sponsored by: Bridges to Israel-Berkeley, Congregation Beth Israel, East Bay Partnership for Israel, Jewish Community Relations Council, UC Berkeley Law Center for Jewish and Israel Studies and Rohr Chabad Jewish Student Center of UC Berkeley.