January was a big month for elections in the Arab world.  While attention this week has focused on Iraq, the election in the occupied territories may have been as important.  The future of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict may be as significant for the future of the clash between Jihadis and the West as is the course of events in Iraq.  The Palestinian election also raises similar issues of whether the elected government can control their territory, never mind the fact that in each case the government may be accused of collaboration with a foreign, occupying state.  And, of course, winning such elections may not be the safest career move.

So, Abbas, lets see what you’ve won…  We’ll try to figure out the answer on Friday, February 4, at the weekly Public Affairs Discussion Lunch.  Peter J. Haas, Professor and Chair of the Department of Religion and Director of the Samuel Rosenthal Center for Judaic Studies, will speak on, “Mahmoud Abbas and Prospects for Israel and Palestine.”

The brown-bag lunch will be 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the Toepfer Room of Adelbert Hall.

THERE WILL BE COOKIES.  Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa (sorry, that may be more appropriate for February 25)…. I’m very sorry about last Friday, it’s all my fault.

Best regards,
Joe White

About Our Guest

Peter Haas received his B.A. in Ancient Near East History from the University of Michigan in 1970 and then attended Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, from where he received ordination as a Reform rabbi in 1974. After ordination, he served as an active U.S. Army chaplain for three years. Upon completion of active duty, Rabbi Haas enrolled in the graduate program in religion at Brown University, earning a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies in 1980.

He joined the Vanderbilt University Department of Religious Studies in 1980, where he taught courses in Judaism, Jewish ethics, the Holocaust and Western religion. He has published several books and articles dealing with moral discourse and has lectured in the United States, Germany and Israel. His most recent work is on the relationship between science and moral discourse.

Professor Haas joined the CWRU Department of Religion in January, 2000.

Spring 2005 Semester Schedule

February 11, Crawford Hall 14: Steven Litt, Art and Architecture Critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer,  “Rebuilding Cincy: The Architectural Makeover of the University of Cincinnati Campus”

February 18, Crawford Hall 14: Lee Fisher, CEO, Center for Families and Children and former Attorney General, State of Ohio,  “Life at the Intersection: Perspectives and Lessons Learned From a Life Lived at the Intersection of the Public, Private, and Nonprofit Sectors.”

February 25, Crawford Hall 14: Zev Garber, Rosenthal Visiting Professor of Judaic Studies, “Forty Years Since Nostro Actate: Reappraising a Generation of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue.”

March: 4: TBA

March 11: Spring Break

March 18, Crawford Hall 14: Dick Baznik, Director, Case Western Reserve University Institute for the Study of the University in Society, “Notes on the History of Case Western Reserve University.”

March 25, Crawford Hall 14: Amos Guiora, Visiting Professor of Law and Lt. Colonel, Israeli Defense Forces,  “Morality in Armed Conflict”

April 1: TBA

April 8: TBA

April 15: TBA

April 22: TBA

April 29: TBA

Parking: People who due to mobility concerns need to make special arrangements for parking for the Public Affairs Discussion Group Friday Lunch Series can send their request for parking to, patricia.cornacchione@case.edu or you can call 216-368-4440 and speak to Pat or Fay to make arrangements.