Identity and Belonging Through Israeli Arts & Culture

A four-part lecture series with Vavi Toran

Zoom link + IDENTITY

Exploration of the complex concepts of identity and the sense of belonging. What shapes these concepts for us and for the diverse population of Israel? How can these concepts live side by side and why do they sometimes clash with each other? Each session will be 1 hour plus Q&A. All sessions use the same link.

Session One: Introduction to the Series Thursday, July 15 at 7pm Arabs and Jews in Israel – How to Coexist We will examine the relationship between Arabs and Jews in Israel through the lens of arts and culture. In view of recent violent occurrences in May 2021 we will see how artists from both sides responded.

Session Two: Immigration and Displacement Thursday, July 29 at 7pm Three women - a Russian immigrant, an Ethiopian immigrant, and a native Arab-Israeli, express their identity and sense of belonging through visual art. We will look at the similarities and differences of their experience, and discuss what makes them Israelis.

Session Three: The Language of Identity Thursday, October 21 at 7pm Poets, who write in Yiddish, Hebrew, and Arabic, explore the boundaries of their mother tongue. How does the language they heard at home affect the perception of their identity and how does society at large view them. We will discuss how Language can be both a connector and a divider.

Session Four: Homeland Songs (Shirey Moledet) as Identity Builders Thursday, November 4 at 7pm Shirey Moledet is the most typical musical genre of Israel’s early years. We will embark on a journey of songs and glean through them the connection and relationship with the homeland, events that shaped morale and national mood, and changes in attitude.