Israel Week at Charles University: The Future of Israeli Studies in the Czech Republic

On 9-15 May, the Prague Centre for Jewish Studies is organizing “Israel Week at Charles University: The Future of Israeli Studies in the Czech Republic”. The project’s aim is to identify the main subjects of Israeli studies covered by Czech and foreign scholars while also forging ties between the Czech academic world and Israeli and other international institutions. Israeli studies involves the interdisciplinary study of modern Israeli history, politics, society, culture and art. It also focuses on the study of Jewish communities in the diaspora since creation of the State of Israel. This pilot project should serve as a starting point for potential future research and teaching activities in the field of Israeli studies at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts.

PROGRAM OF THE WEEK:

THURSDAY 9/5

19:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 – "Czechoslovak gulag survivors living in Israel" - oral history project: Adam Hradilek a Jan Dvořák (The Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes)

20:00 - Celetná 20, Club K4 "Sofie's Choice Czech-style" - a project portraying the fortunes of 150 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia: Judita Matyášová (Military History Institute in Prague)

21:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 - "News on a razor's edge, or the pitfalls of journalism in Israel": Jakub Szántó (Czech Television foreign news reporter)

FRIDAY 10/5

14:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 – "Israeli literature at the turn of the millennium": Jiřina Šedinová (FA CU)

15:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 – "Czech cubism in the desert: the little-known projects of Alfred Neumann in Israel": Daniel Ziss (Architect)

16:30 Celetná 20, Club K4 – "Whither Hebrew Studies? Presentations by Hebrew Studies students on the historical context of the field, contemporary tuition policy, study opportunities in the Czech Republic and abroad and employment openings. A discussion will follow on prospects for Israeli Studies in the Czech Republic. Daniel Boušek (FA CU), Denisa Glacová (FA CU), Jan Lochovský (FA CU), Pavel Sládek (FA CU), Olga Stloukalová (FA CU), Monika Tintěrová (FA CU).

18:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 - Round table: "Old, new or none at all? Antisemitism in Europe and the conflict in the Middle East". Discussants: Pavel Barša (FA CU), Ivo Cerman (University of South Bohemia), Zbyněk Tarant (University of West Bohemia), Marcela Zoufalá (FA CU). Presenter: Jan Fingerland (Czech Radio)

SATURDAY 11/5

17:30 Celetná 20, Club K4 - "Ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Mea Shearim quarter in Jerusalem through the eyes of Czech photographer Eliška Blažková

18:30 Celetná 20, Club K4 - Sculptor David Černý talks about the artistic scene in Jerusalem and the opportunities for Czech-Israeli cultural collaboration

19:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 - Presentation of the highly effective self-defence and tactical system KRAV MAGA as conceived by Krav Maga Global Czech Section Director Jakub Otipka and other leading instructors

19:30 Celetná 20, Club K4 – A performance by PETER PAN COMPLEX, one of the most original bands today playing on the interface of alternative rock, electronic music and Israeli folk

SUNDAY 12/5

15:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 – "Our cousins - representations of Arabs in new Israeli film" - a commented screening of Ajami: Ruth Ben Hadar (FA CU and Modern Hebrew teacher in Ulpan Praha)

MONDAY 13/5

12:00 Celetná 20, room no. 138 - "Motherlands of Choice: Ethnicity, Belonging and Identities among Jewish-Latin Americans": Raanan Rein (Vice president, Tel Aviv University) IN ENGLISH

13:00 Celetná 20, room no. 138 - "`Why here? Why now?´ Representation and commemoration of the Holocaust in contemporary Spain": Luisa Juárez Hervás (Universidad de Alcalá) IN ENGLISH

TUESDAY 14/5

12:30 nám. J. Palacha 2, room no. 131 (Aula Magna) - "65 years old: Where are we going from now?": Shahar Shelef (Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Israel, Czech Republic). Presenter: Irena Kalhousová (Chief Analyst, Prague Security Studies) IN ENGLISH

13:30 nám. J. Palacha 2, room no. 131 (Aula Magna) – Days of Jerusalem in Prague June, 13-22, 2013 - Upcoming Festival presentation: David Gaydečka a Štefan Cima

WEDNESDAY 15/5

16:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 – "Israel and the Arab revolution: threat or opportunity?": Irena Kalhousová (Chief Analyst, Prague Security Studies Institute)

17:00 Celetná 20, Club K4 – "Yom Ha Shoah: How did the Day of Remembrance come about?": Zbyněk Tarant (University of West Bohemia)

All events are in Czech unless otherwise stated, all events are free of charge

For further information: