Movie Discussion Series

The movie discussion series presents and discusses DVDs, consisting of features, documentaries, and artistic performances, as well as guest lectures, related to a specific theme selected annually by interested UL residents. Previously selected annual themes include The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Ethnic Political History of the U.S.; The U.S. Culture Wars; Humor as Social Change; Africa; China; Latin America, and Windows on Russian Culture. The theme selected for 2010-2011 (October-April) is From the Nazi Holocaust to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Origins of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict are exceedingly complex, dating back to biblical times as well as embracing numerous, more contemporary issues. This discussion series focuses on the impact of Jewish assimilation into German society during the 1930s and the subsequent Nazi Holocaust on establishment and growth of present-day Israel, as well as its conflict with the Palestinians. Sources of information include a series of feature and documentary DVDs and assigned readings. A syllabus (From the Nazi Holocaust to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict) provides a detailed schedule and summary descriptions of materials. The recommended texts for this discussion series are The Holocaust Is Over: We Must Rise from Its Ashes by Avraham Burg (Palgrave Macmillan, a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 2008) and Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978 by Kai Bird (Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2010).

This series is co-sponsored as a Fall 2010 Course by the UM Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.