Learning about Israel in your own way
CIE places a high priority on informing adults without polemics, only context. We believe that adult enrichment about Israel is vitally important. Additionally, we learned from the Hamas genocide of October 2023 and afterward that understanding the politics, sectarianism, and religious motivations in the Middle East is an essential context for understanding US interests and those of her allies, especially Israel.
We host periodic webinars with experts on historical issues and contemporary topics. Recorded and archived CIE webinars serve as learning platforms.
CIE’s On-Demand Israel Courses allow users to learn and absorb information at their own pace. These include the formation of Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in two parts, the origins and development of Zionism, and the link between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.
For more personalized experiences or a desired focus on a particular Zionist, Israel, or Middle Eastern topic, please visit the Explore & Learn section and scroll through the available Topics and Types.
Explore Adult Learning Materials
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Hamas-Israel War Webinars | Watch our collection of weekly Wednesday webinars with expert analysis and insights into the war and related topics, and register for the next webinar. |
| Israel@75 Webinars | Throughout the State of Israel’s 75th year, the Center for Israel Education plans to provide opportunities for online learning through live and recorded discussions with experts in a range of fields. These conversations will provide insight into how Israel has evolved and where it is headed, both domestically and internationally. |
| Israel in Context: 30 Years After the Madrid Middle East Peace Conference | This hour-long webinar, recorded Oct. 27, 2021, is part of the Center for Israel Education’s “Israel in Context” series and is incorporated into an extensive set of documents, study guides, videos and other resources CIE has compiled to mark the 30th anniversary of the Madrid Middle East Peace Conference, when Israel first sat at the same table with all of its immediate Arab neighbors to talk peace. |
| 40 Years Since Camp David | Center for Israel Education President Kenneth W. Stein applies decades of document-based research, interviews and scholarship, including new insights gleaned from the study of detailed minutes in the Israel State Archive, to examine the Camp David Accords 40 years after Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin signed the agreement Sept. 17, 1978, that concluded 13 days of fraught negotiations led by President Jimmy Carter. |
| What’s Behind Israel’s Accords with UAE and Bahrain? | An expert on the history of Middle East peace effrots and a former Knesset member explain the context and implications of the Abraham Accords. |
| Options and Realities for Biden’s Foreign Policy in the Middle East | In a collaboration with Atlanta congregation The Temple’s Tamid learning program Jan. 12, 2021, CIE founder and President Ken Stein previews the possible foreign policy approaches of the Biden administration in Israel, Iran, the rest of the Middle East and beyond. |
Adult Learning Events
| Title | Description | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Politics and History of Israel: From Jewish Peoplehood to Israel’s Next 25 Years | Session 1: Jewish Peoplehood to Sovereignty (1880-1949) The origins of Zionism, identity formation as a nation, linking people to the land and state building. Nation-building and identity formation Zionist development through immigration and land purchase Arab responses to Jewish state-building Critical turning points from the Shoah to statehood Session 2: The Journey to Recognition (1949-2023) Why didn’t the 1949, 1967 and 1973 Wars generate peace with its Arab neighbors? The Middle East as Israel's setting Israel's military, demographic, and economic development Impact of regional wars and peace initiatives Sadat's unique path to peace Examining elements for the elusive two-state solution Session 3: Charting Israel's Future Why did negotiations work in the 1970s but have a greater hill to climb in 2024? Why is peace so elusive? Where do we go from here? Comparing October 1973 and October 2023 Hamas/Hezbollah - what next? Iran as Israel's nemesis U.S.-Israel relations in the next administration Domestic issues and diaspora Jewry's role | December 2, 2024, 6:45 pm - December 16, 2024, 8:30 pm |
| Israel-Hamas War 2023: Where Are We, and Where Do We Go From Here? | Dr. Kenneth Stein, Emeritus Professor at Emory University and President of the Center for Israel Education, speaks to members of Atlanta-area synagogues. He addresses Hamas' motivations, Israel's goals and Diaspora Jews' responses. He also addresses the situation of Jewish students on campus and provides suggestions on navigating the college environment. | October 31, 2023 |
| Context & Consequences of Israel’s Proposed Judicial Overhaul – Dr. Ken Stein | As Israel turns 75 this spring, it is in the throes of a dynamic controversy over governance. Where might this ‘crisis’ or potential ‘political earthquake’ fit into Zionism’s history and Israel’s tomorrows still to come? | March 31, 2023 |
| Religious Pluralism in Israel: Challenges and Opportunities | CIE's Eli Sperling presented this discussion on Religious Pluralism in Israel for the Anti Defamation League. | October 25, 2018, 1:00 pm |
