Bina Initiative
KU HILLEL PRESENTS
THE BINA INITIATIVE:
EXPLORING ISRAEL
A Unique Opportunity to Think Deeply About Israel!
A chance to engage with other Jewish faculty and students!
$200 honorarium will be given to each participant upon completion of the program.
Applications for The Bina Initiative are due by 12pm Tuesday January 31st.
Download Application
The Bina Initiative: Exploring Israel is an opportunity available to Jewish students and faculty/staff from the University of Kansas. Participants will be immersed in an intensive 10-session education and discussion forum about the many facets of Israel. We will be discussing politics, culture, history, current events, and religion through guest speakers, articles, short stories, music, poetry, and self-reflection.
The goal of this breakthrough program is to create a close-knit group of students and faculty with a sophisticated understanding of how they feel about Israel and how Israel factors into their Jewish identity. This is an opportunity to challenge your assumptions and define and refine your relationship with Israel. It is intended to foster an ongoing, open dialogue in a safe and pluralistic environment.
Participants will be expected to attend and prepare for all sessions. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:00 pm, February 7 through April 25. Please see the schedule for exceptions. Participants will also work together to create a presentation for the University of Kansas and KU Hillel communities on the evening of Tuesday May 2.
Each participant will receive a $200 honorarium and all necessary educational materials.
Please apply by 12pm on January 31 by filling out the following short application and sending it to taltman@kuhillel.org, or giving it to Tracy Altman at KU Hillel.
Participants will be selected by a committee of KU Hillel and Hillel International representatives and will be notified of their selection by February 3nd.
For further information, contact Tracy Altman at taltman@kuhillel.org or Lauren Rabinowitz at lrabinow@ku.edu.
This program is made possible by a generous grant from the AVI CHAI Foundation.
Discussion Schedule
5:30-7:00PM at KU Hillel
Week 1 (Feb 7) Israel and Your Jewish Identity
Week 2 (Feb 14) Israel Through Biblical and Rabbinic Texts
Week 3 (Feb 21) The Zionist Narrative: The Classical and Modern Day Zionists Philosophies
Week 4 (TH Mar 2) The 2006 Israeli Election and the Israeli Political Process
Week 5 (Mar 7) Israel Through Short Stories, Songs, and Poems
Week 6 (Mar 28) Different Voices: Israel Through the Eyes of the Palestinians
Week 7 (Apr 4) The Path Toward Peace: Discussing the Israeli Peace Process
Week 8 (Apr 11) Judaism in Israel: Exploring Issues of Religion and State
Week 9 (Apr 18) Beyond the Conflict: Israeli Society Today
Week 10 (Apr 25) Wrap up and Evaluation
May 2 Presentation of the Bina Initiative to the University of Kansas and KU Hillel Communities
Dates and topics are subject to change
