Chanukah: The End of Martyrdom

The legend of "Hannah and Her Seven Sons' seems to epitomize the holiday of Chanukah. Hannah's sons, from oldest to youngest, are ordered by the evil King Antiochus to violate the Torah. Each son, in turn, refuses to desecrate the Name of God and is executed. Mother Hannah urges all of her sons to die sanctifying the God of Israel. After they are all dead, she kills herself. This is the first act of martyrdom in history--believers willing to die in testament to the truth of their faith. Hannah's sons and Hannah herself are seen as the paradigm of the ancient "Hasidim," those pious Jews willing to die in 167 BCE rather than submit to a wicked Hellenist who wanted to destroy their Judaism.

Yet, the real paradigm for Chanukah is not martyrdom but defiance. Judah Maccabee's genius was in challenging the Jewish movement toward self-annihilation in the Name of God. While the pious ones refused to carry a sword on the Sabbath and allowed themselves to be slaughtered, Judah provided the alternative of fighting for survival on the holiest day of the week. The story of Chanukah is the story of defiant Jews who stood up both for religious freedom and political independence. Judah and his brothers did not want to die in the Name of God. They wanted to sanctify the God of Israel by achieving victory on the battlefield and defeating the enemies of the Jewish people. This is a stance that is far removed from the martyrdom of Hannah and her sons. In fact, the Maccabees actively rejected the cult of martyrdom.

The revival of martyrdom as a Jewish ideal arose with the decline of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel and the end of Jewish political independence. The legend of the "Ten Martyrs"--the Roman Empire's execution of the leading scholars of Judaism as part of the suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 CE--seized the imagination of Jews who were searching for empowerment in the face of defeat. Jewish chroniclers, writing a generation after the Crusader massacre of Jews in the Rhineland 900 years ago,  idealized dying in the Name of God, even if it meant that parents massacred their children rather than subject them to conversion to Christianity. Throughout most of Jewish history in the Diaspora life was good and Jews did not wander but thrived. However, when tragedy struck the Jews through persecution by Christians and Msulims, the ideal of martyrdom was trotted out as the act of ultimate faith. The tales of dying in the Name of God did serve their purpose--they strengthened the faith of the survivors and gave them fortitude to continue to live their lives as Jews.

The events of the past 100 years have impacted the role of martyrdom as a legitimate vehicle for Jewish expression of faith and piety. Judah Maccabee's rejection of dying in the Name of God and his willingness to fight back--this is the paradigm that inspires us in the post-Holocaust epoch. Zionists were not alone in rejecting "Masada's second fall." Rabbi Menachem Ziemba, a representative of the non-Zionist Agudas Yisroel in Warsaw and an Orthdox Jew to the core, advocated resistance to the Nazis based on "halakhah," Jewish law. The Jewish people and the world have forgotten Ziemba's heroic stance. In January of 1943, at a meeting of the remnant of the Warsaw ghetto leadership, Ziemba admitted that the stance of martyrdom in the face of Nazi genocide could not be defended. The Germans wanted to destroy every Jewish man, woman, and child. The Nazis would leave nobody alive to be inspired by martyrdom. Rabbi Ziemba rejected the traditional response of martyrdom, bravely recalibrating the contours of Jewish response to persecution. He stated only months before the ghetto revolt: "Halakhah demands that we fight and resist to the very end with unequaled determination and valor for the sake of Sanctification of the Divine Name."

Ziemba's stancce was a rejection of the ideal of Jews dying in the gas chambers of Treblinka with the "Sh'ma" on their lips. Rather, the ideal for Ziemba was to pick up a gun, believe in God, and fight back. He supported this even while knowing that many of the ghetto fighters were not religious Jews and would reject the Torah that he observed and adhered to in the hell of the ghetto. Although we should not place the label of "Religious Zionist" on Menachem Ziemba, his spirit of cooperation with Zionist Socialists, Bundists and Revisionists in Warsaw is in the best tradition of love for Israel of the great Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook.

Rabbi Ziemba was cut down by Nazi bullets in the early days of the Warsaw Ghetto rebellion. He defended his faith in God and his adherence to the Torah to his last breath. But the reality of genocide forced him to reconsider the ideal of martyrdom.Martyrdom is no longer a valid Jewish response to persecution. Ziemba was a man of faith but was also a realist. He had the courage to redefine Jewish law to face human and Jewish reality. In many ways, he has a wonderful and brave harbinger in Judah Maccabee. As admirable and inspiring as the actions of Hannah and her seven sons, most Jews today would agree that--in the shadow of the Shoah and in the coming reality of a nuclear Iran--better to live in the Name of God than to die as a martyr. We must take destiny into our own hands. That, to me, is the message of Chanukah.

Rabbi Eli Kavon lectures on The Intellectual Assault on Zionism and the West

Topic: "The Intellectual Assault on Zionism and the West"
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Beth Ami Congregation
Boca Raton, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on Jew versus Jew in The Promised Land

Topic: "Jew versus Jew in Israel"
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 7 pm
Temple Sinai
Hollywood, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on The Intellectual Assault on Zionism and the West

Topic: "The Intellectual Assault on Zionism and the West"
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tradition of the Plam Beaches
West Palm Beach, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures at NSU on Cold War Politics and Realities

Topic: "From the Rosenbergs to Reagan: Reflections on the Cold War"
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University
Davie, Florida

Eli Kavon on Power and Prophecy in Midstream

My essay on power and prophecy appears in the Spring 2011 issue of Midstream, a journal of Jewish and Zionist politics and thought. "Political Power and the Prophet: Ahab, Elijah, and Naboth's Vineyard" is a study of power in the prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible. The essay is based on a paper I composed for Dr. Zohar Raviv in 2009. At the time, I was a doctoral student at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies in downtown Chicago. Thanks to Zohar for his inspiration and wisdom. Many thanks to Midstream editor Leo Haber for continuing to publish my work in his journal's pages.

Eli Kavon Presents Paper at University of Nanjing Symposium

I had the honor of presenting a paper at the University of Nanjing for an "International Symposium on Monotheism and Postmodernism." Xu Xin, the driving force behind Jewish Studies in China, invited me to the conference four months ago. I lectured on "Abraham Geiger and Abraham Isaac Kook: Messianism's Return to History." Many thanks to the other professors from the US, Israel, Japan, Canada, Australia, and for those teachers from throughout China--it was wonderful to participate in this historic event with you. I owe a great debt to Xu Xin--his students are impressive in their dedication to Jewish Studies and their keen interest in monotheism.

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on Prophecy and Power

Topic: "Prophecy and Power: The Covenant and Prophetic Legacy."
Monday, May, 9 2011.
Nova Southeastern University's Lifelong Learning Institute.
Davie, Florida.

This is the last lecture in a series on "The Confluence of Genius."

Eli Kavon lectures on The Future of Jerusalem

Topic: "Jerusalem: Divided Capital or United City?" Thursday, April 14, 2011 Forum at Deer Creek Deerfield Beach, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on Emerson and the New Americans

Topic: "Emerson and the New Americans" Monday, April 11, 2011 The Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University Davie, Florida Part of a lecture series for the LLI on "The Confluence of Genius"

Eli Kavon on "Kurosawa and the Jewish Question" in The Jerusalem Report

Please read my opinion essay on the great Japanese filmmaker Kurosawa and the influence he should have on the way Jews make movies. The essay--it appears in the current issue of "The Jerusalem Report"-- is a tribute to Japan in these tough times, although I wrote it before the catastrophe that has hit that nation.

Eli Kavon lectures on Middle East Turmoil and the Jewish Future

Topic: "A World on Fire: Middle East Turmoil and the Jewish Future"
Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 7:00 pm
Temple Sinai of Hollywood
1400 N. 46th Ave.
Hollywood, Florida 33021
(954) 987-0026

This lecture is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Broward Community Relations Committee and Temple Sinai of Hollywood.

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on The Russian Genius of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky

Topic: "Tolstoy and Dostoevsky: In Search of the Russian Soul"
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University
Davie, Florida

This is part of my continuing series on "The Confluence of Genius."

Eli Kavon lectures for CAJE Winter Hostel on The UN

Topic: "The United Nations: Global Force or Global Farce?"
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
CAJE Winter Hostel
Posnack JCC
Davie, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on The Ancient Roots of Modern Democracy

Topic: "The Ancient Roots of Modern Democracy: Athens or Jerusalem?"
Thursday, January 20, 2011
NW Regional Library
Coral Springs, Florida

Lecture hosted by the Friends of the Coral Springs Libraries for a meeting of the Friends of the Broward County Libraries.

Eli Kavon lectures on The Future of the United Nations

Topic: 'The United Nations: Global Force or Global Farce?"
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tradition of the Palm Peaches
West Palm Beach, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on David Irving and Holocaust Denial

Topic: "David Irving, Iran, and the New Holocaust Deniers"
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Jewish Couples Club of the Palm Beaches
Boca Raton, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on Dante and The Renaissance

Topic: "The Renaissance: From Dante to Pico"
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University
Davie, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on Zionism's Rejection of Imperialism

Topic: "The Early Zionists and the Challenge to Empire"
Monday, December 27, 2010
Century Plaza Library
Deerfield Beach, Florida

This is the second lecture in a five-part series on "The Zionist Century: How The Jewish State Has Transformed Jews and Judaism."

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on Paul and the Church Fathers

Topic: "The Church Fathers: Of Orthodoxy and Heresy"
Monday, December 13
The Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University
Davie, Florida

This is the third in an eight-part lecture series on "The Confluence of Genius."

Eli Kavon lectures for Grand Edventures on The Crusades

Topic: "The Crusades: Mythology and History"
Monday, December 6, 2010
Temple Torah
Boynton Beach, Florida

My lecture is sponsored by the three-day Mini-Session of Grand Edventures.

Eli Kavon lectures on The Land of Israel in the Jewish Imagination

Topic: "The Land of Israel in the Jewish Imagination"
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Century Plaza Library
Deerfield Beach, Florida

This is the first lecture in a five-part series at the library on "The Zionist Century: How Israel has Transformed Jews and Judaism."

Eli Kavon lectures on The Western War Against Militant Islam

Topic: "The Western War Against Militant Islam"
Friday, November 26, 2010
Wynmoor
Coconut Creek, Florida

This is the last of a series on "The World at War." Note: The purpose of this class is not to attack Islam. There are extremists in the Islamic world who pose a threat to our civilization. They must be exposed. Our country and her allies in Europe and in the Middle East need to identify who are our enemies in this war. If we cannot identify our enemies, why are fighting in the first place?

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on Religion and the Renaissance

Topic: "Religion and the Renaissance"
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Classic Residence
Plantation, Florida

and

Classic Residence
Boca Raton, Florida

These two lectures are sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University.

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on The Myth of the Zionist Crusader

Topic: "The Myth of the Zionist Crusader"
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Classic Residence
Aventura, Florida

This lecture is sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University.

Eli Kavon lectures for Brandeis on Early Zionist Thought

Topic: "The Early Zionists and the Rothschilds"
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Brandeis National Committee
Pembroke Pines, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for CAJE on Zionism and Socialism

Topic: 'Marxism, Socialism and Zionism"
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Posnack JCC, Davie, Florida

This is the seventh class in a 30-week series on "Tragedy, Triumph, and Transformation: The Jewish Encounter with Modernity."

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on the Genius of Ancient Athens

Topic: "Ancient Athens: Debating, Democracy, and Dictatorship"
Monday, November 15, 2010
Lifelong Learning Institute
Nova Southeastern University
Davie, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on Western Religion in the Age of Kabbalah

Topic: "Western Religion in the Age of Kabbalah"
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Tamarac Branch Library
Tamarac, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for CAJE on The Odyssey of Nathan Birnbaum

Topic: "The Odyssey of Nathan Birnbaum"
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
CAJE of Broward County
Posnack JCC
Davie, Florida

This is the sixth in a year-long lecture series on "Tragedy, Triumph, and Transformation: The Jewish Encounter with Modernity."

Eli Kavon lectures at Wynmoor on The World at War

Topic: "World War I: The War to End All Wars?"
Friday, November 5, 2010
Wynmoor
Coconut Creek, Florida

(First in a four-week series on "The World at War")

Eli Kavon lectures for Brandeis on Russia and the Czars

Topic: "Twilight of the Czars: The Russian Empire"
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Brandeis National Committee
Hills Chapter Study Groups
Pembroke Pines, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on The Founding Fathers and Judaism

Topic: "America's Founding Fathers and Judaism"
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Carlisle
Lantana, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for Coral Lakes Hadassah on The UN

Topic: "The United Nations: Global Force or Global Farce?"
Monday, November 1, 2010
Coral Lakes Hadassah
Boynton Beach, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on Jewish Power in the Shadow of the Holocaust

Topic: "Jewish Power in the Shadow of the Holocaust"
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Morris Alex Culture Club at Huntington Pointe
Delray Beach, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for Grand Edventures on Holocaust Denial

Topic: "David Irving, Iran, and the New Holocaust Deniers"
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Temple Emeth, Delray Beach, Florida

The lecture is part of a three-day program sponsored by Grand Edventures

Eli Kavon on "The Hebrew Revival" for CAJE of Broward County

Topic: "Ben-Yehudah, Bialik, and Agnon: The Hebrew Revival"
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Posnack JCC, Davie, Florida

(Fourth in a series for CAJE of Broward on "Tragedy, Triumph, and Transformation: The Jewish Encounter with Modernity.")

Eli Kavon lectures on the Myth of the Zionist Crusader

Topic:"The Myth of the Zionist Crusader"
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Classic Residence
Boca Raton, Florida
Sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University

Eli Kavon lectures on the Myth of the Zionist Crusader

Topic: "The Myth of the Zionist Crusader"
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tradition of the Palm Beaches
West Palm Beach, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on The Confluence of Genius for Nova Southeastern University LLI

Yesterday I began a year-long series of lectures on "The Confluence of Genius" for the Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University. In the first lecture I asked the question--"What is Genius?" Upcoming lectures in the series include ancient Athens, Bible prophets, the Church Fathers, Renaissance Humanists, the French Enlightenment, Russian literary genius, and "Emerson and the New Americans."

For more information on this series or the LLI, call (954) 262-8471.

In Memory of Cantor Paul Kavon (1924-1999)

Tonight and tomorrow--my father's eleventh yahrzeit. Cantor Paul Kavon was an exceptional man, a person who devoted his life to his people and to his family. From the forests of Germany in 1945 to serving as a Hebrew tutor in Florida after his retirement--a great person, a true mentsch. We all miss him. His memory is a blessing to all who knew him.

Eli Kavon lectures on Modern Judaism for Orloff CAJE Midrasha PLUS

Lecture Series: "Tragedy, Triumph and Transformation: The Jewish Encounter with Modernity"
Wednesdays--October 2010-June 2011
Orloff CAJE of Broward County Midrasha PLUS

Eli Kavon lectures on The Myth of the Zionist Crusaders

Topic: "The Myth of the Zionist Crusaders"
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Carlisle
Lantana, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for Grand Edventures on Stalin's Russia

Topic: "Josef Stalin: A Study in Tyranny"
Monday, September 27, 2010
Grand Edventures
Boca Dunes Country Club
Boca Raton, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on Lenin, Stalin, and the Soviet War on Religion

Topic: "Lenin, Stalin, and the Soviet War on Religion"
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Stratford Court
Boca Raton, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on Lenin, Stalin, and the Origins of the Cult of Personality

Topic: "Lenin, Stalin, and the Origins of the Cult of Personality"
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Covenant Village
Plantation, Florida

This lecture is sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida.

Eli Kavon lectures on Western Religion in the Age of Kabbalah

Topic: "Western Religion in the Age of Kabbalah"
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Carlisle
Lantana, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on Holocaust Denial for Nova Southeastern University

Topic: "David Irving, Iran, and the New Holocaust Deniers"
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Classic Residence in Aventura, Florida
Sponsored by NSU's Lifelong Learning Institute

Eli Kavon lectures on The Myth of the Zionist Crusaders

Topic: "The Myth of the Zionist Crusaders"
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Forest Trace
Inverrary, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for Grand Edventures on American Power in the 21st Century

Thank you to Seth and Dave of Grand Edventures for giving me the opportunity to lecture this morning at Temple Torah in Boynton Beach, Florida on "American Power in the 21st Century." I was glad that the students had many questions and even challenged me on certain points in my presentation. I look forward to future classes!

Eli Kavon lectures on Israel and the US National Interest

Topic: "Israel and the US National Interest"
The Hostel at Home
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
La Quinta Inn, Coral Springs, Florida

(This lecture is part of The Hostel at Home, a three-day program. Registration for the complete program is required).

Eli Kavon lectures on King David and the Politics of Israeli Archaeology

Topic: "King David and the Politics of Israeli Archaeology"
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Temple Sinai
Delray Beach, Florida

(Lecture is for members of Brandeis of Boca Raton)

Eli Kavon lectures on The Myth of the Crusades

Thank you to Hostel at Home organizer Ethne Chesterman for giving me the opportunity to lecture today at the La Quinta Inn in Coral Springs for her program. I lectured to enthusiastic students on the way Muslim jihadists have distorted the history of the Crusades in the service of robbing Israel of its right to exist. The libel of the "Zionist-Crusader" is a popular image in the Middle East--but this is just not true. Obviously, Jews are not European knights and a foreign element in the Land of Israel. Jews trace their origins to the Holy Land and have an integral connection to the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea scrolls and many other important events and literature of the Middle East. Thank you Ethne! Thank you to the students!

Eli Kavon to Speak at NA'AMAT USA National Convention

Topic: "Israel and Iran: What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us"
NA'AMAT USA National Convention
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Marriott Boca Raton
Boca Raton, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on Ancient Israel, the Bible, and Archaeology

I will be teaching a four-week course on "Ancient Israel: The Story Behind the History" for the Orloff CAJE MidrashaPlus program.

Wednesday, July 7: "King David and the Politics of Israeli Archaeology"

Wednesday, July 14: "The Maccabees: Power and Politics"

Wednesday, July 21: "Masada and Yavneh: A Tale of Two Paradigms"

Wednesday, July 28: "Bar Kokhba: Rebel Hero or Failed Messiah?"

I will teach the course at the JCC in Davie (in the Katz Building) from 10:30-Noon.

Cost: $75 for all four classes or $25 per lecture. All students must be registered. For more information contact Judy Asuleen at (954) 660-2074.

Eli Kavon lectures on France and the Jews for the Hostel at Home

Topic: "The French Revolution and the Jews"
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Hostel at Home
La Quinta Inn, Coral Springs

Thank you to CAJE summer students

Many thanks to all the students who participated in my four-part course for CAJE of Broward on "Fundamentalism: Religious Extremism in Our Time." We covered a large amount of material regarding fundamentalism in Western Religion--I believe it was worth the effort, especially when considering the importance of the topic to today's headlines.

Eli Kavon lectures on America's Founding Fathers and Judaism

Topic: "The Founding Fathers and American Jewry"
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tradition of the Palm Beaches
West Palm Beach, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures on Jihadist Islam

I begin a four-part lecture series on "Fundamentalism: Religious Extremism in Our Time" for CAJE of Broward County. The first class is tomorrow, June 2--I will explore the roots of extremism in Islam. The call for jihad has its roots in medieval Islam. It predates the creation of the State of Israel by 500 years and was formulated many centuries before European imperialism in the Middle East.

Eli Kavon versus Anne Roiphe in The Jerusalem Report

In its "Viewpoint" section, The Jerusalem Report presents two views on the course modern Jewish history has taken since the emancipation of the Jews 200 years ago. I argue that the granting of citizenship to Jews in Europe and America has contributed to the erosion of Jewish identity and life in the Diaspora. Ms. Roiphe makes a strong--but very flawed--case for the benefits of the Jewish embrace of modernity. I thank the editors of The Jerusalem Report--especially, Viewpoint editor Leslie Susser--for giving me a forum in which I could express my thesis on an important topic. I also welcome Ms. Roiphe's essay, despite my disgreement with her on the issue.

Eli Kavon lectures on the Myth of Zionist Imperialism

Topic: "Israel at 62: The Myth of Zionist Imperialism"
Tuesday, May 18 at 1:30 pm
Stratford Court
Boca Raton, Florida

Eli Kavon Lectures on Jonestown Tragedy

Topic: "Reverend Jim Jones: Rise and Fall of a False Messiah"
Monday, May 17, 10 am
Nova Southeastern University's Lifelong Learning Institute
Davie, Florida

(For LLI members and their guests only. To find out more, call (954) 262-8472).

Eli Kavon lectures on The Politics of Israeli Archaeology

Topic: "King David and the Politics of Israeli Archaeology"
Thursday, May 6, 2010, 2:00 pm
Garden Plaza at Inverary

The lecture is sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University.

Eli Kavon lectures on Israel in the Age of Extremism

Topic: "Israel in the Age of Extremism"
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Grand Edventures
Temple Emeth, Delray Beach, Florida

(This lecture is part of a three-day program. Registration is required).

Eli Kavon Lectures at NSU on Bolshevik Revolution

Topic: "Lenin, Stalin, and the Gulag: A Study in Tyranny"
Monday, April 19 at 10 am
Nova Southeastern University's Lifelong Learning Institute
Davie, Florida

Registration with the LLI is required to participate in this ongoing lecture series on the revolutions that have created the modern world. For more information, call (954) 262-8472.

A Thank You to Congregation Beth Shalom

Last night (4/11/10) I participated as a speaker in a moving Yom Hashoah commemoration in Coconut Creek, Florida. Thank you to Israel Spaizer and Rabbi Leon Rosenblum of Congregation Beth Shalom for the opportunity to participate with Holocaust survivors and their liberators in an important tribute.

Eli Kavon Lectures for Grand Edventures

Topic: "The French Revolution: Liberation and Terror"
Monday, April 12, 2010
Grand Edventures Mini-Sessions
Boca Raton, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for Holocaust Remembrance Day

Topic: "David Irving and the New Holocaust Deniers"
Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Temple Beth Shalom, Coconut Creek, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for NSU on The French Revolution

Topic: "The French Revolution: Liberation and Terror
Monday March 29, 2010, 10:00 AM
Lifelong Learning Institute of Nova Southeastern University
Davie, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for Coral Lakes Hadassah

Topic: "President Obama and Israel: Will America Abandon the Jewish State?"
Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 9:30 AM
Coral Lakes, Palm Beach, Florida

Eli Kavon lectures for Parkland Hadassah

I lecture tomorrow night--Wednesday, March 24--on the "Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls" for Parkland Hadassah of South Florida. The lecture will take place at Temple Beth Am in Margate, Florida. I will focus on the significance of one of history's great archaeological finds--what it means to Jews today and what it tells us about the Jewish past.

Eli Kavon on The Damascus Blood Libel of 1840

I conclude teaching my course on "Milestones in Jewish History" for Pembroke Pines, Florida Brandeis. The last lecture in the series--an exploration of the implications of the arrest and torture of Jews in 19th-century Damascus on the charge of ritual murder--is set for tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday March 24 at the Florida Career College. A special thanks to Valerie and to the students who have attended the lectures.

Eli Kavon to lecture in Chicago for NA'AMAT

Topic: "Will Israel Confront Iran?"
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wilmette, Illinois
NA'AMAT Midwest Area

Eli Kavon at The Century Plaza Library, Florida

Thank you to the staff and the friends of the Century Plaza Library in Deerfield Beach, Florida for sponsoring my four-part lecture series on "Traditional Societies Confronting Modernity." The lecture series investigated the way in which traditional societies and institutions responded to the major changes in social and political life since the French Revolution. Many thanks to those students who attended the lectures and participated in the discussion after each lecture. I hope to return to the Century Plaza Library in the fall with a new and thought-provoking series of lectures.

Thanks to Shosh and Samantha!

Thank you for your responses to my Jerusalem Post essay on "The Myth of Zionist Imperialism." The reason I wrote the essay was to counter the libel of Israel as a racist and apartheid state. It is a tragedy that the discourse on many college campuses in the US and throughout the world is so blatantly anti-Israel and anti-Semitic. We must speak out to defend the only Jewish State on the planet. We must speak out in defense of the truth.

Lecture Series--Modern Jewish Literature

Topic: "Found in Translation: The Masters of Modern Jewish Literature"

"The Yiddish Masters"--Monday, October 6, 2008, at 1:30 pm.

"The Hebrew Renaissance: Bialik and Agnon"--Monday, November 17, 2008, at 1:30 pm.

"Isaac Babel: The Jewish Cossack"--Monday, December 15, 2008, at 1:30 pm.

Location: The Tamarac Community Library, 8701 W. Commercial Blvd.

For more information, please call (954) 720-2209.

The lecture is open to the public. Admission is $3.00. Free admission for members of Friends of the Tamarac Library,

Lecture Series--The Origins of Western Religion

Topic: "The Origins of Western Religion"

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 6:30 pm--"Judaism and the Monotheistic Revolution"
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 6:30 pm--"Christianity: From Jewish Sect to Religion of Empire"
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 6:30 pm--"Islam and Empire"

Location: South Regional/BCC Library
7300 Pines Blvd.
Pembroke Pines, Florida

For more information, call (954) 201-8849

The lecture series is free and open to the public

Shabbat Lunch and Learn

Topic: "Spinoza--Hero or Heretic?"
Saturday, August 16, 2008, at 12:00 pm
Temple Beth Israel
10197 West Sunrise Blvd.
Plantation, Florida 33322

For more information, call (954) 742-4040.

Note: The lecture and lunch will take place after Shabbat morning services. The cost for the meal is $8.00. Please call the synagogue for reservations.

Lecture Series--The Origins of Western Religion

Topic: "Islam and Empire"
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The Tamarac Community Library
8701 W. Commercial Blvd.
Tamarac, Florida
For more information, call (954) 720-2209

Note: This is the final lecture in a three-part series. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Lecture Series--The Origins of Western Religion

Topic: "Christianity--From Jewish Sect to Religion of Empire"
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The Tamarac Community Library
8701 W. Commercial Blvd.
Tamarac, Florida
For more information, call (954) 720-2209

This lecture is the second in a three-part series. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Lecture Series--The Origins of Western Religion

Topic: "The Roots of Judaism--The Monotheistic Revolution"
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The Tamarac Community Library
8701 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac, Florida
For more information, call (954) 720-2209

Note: This is the first lecture in a three-part series. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Israel Independence Day Lecture

Topic: "A Reckoning for Religious Zionism: Future of a Lost Movement"
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The Tamarac Community Library
8701 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac, Florida
For more information, call (954) 720-2209

Note: The lecture is free and open to the public.

Holocaust Remembrance Day Lecture

Topic: "Jewish Power in the Shadow of the Holocaust"
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The Tamarac Community Library
8701 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac, Florida
For more information, call (954) 720-2209

Note: The lecture is free and open to the public.

Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat

Topic: "The Issues that Divide Jews: Are We One People?"
Friday, February 8, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 9:00 am
Congregation Beth Shalom of Coconut Creek
1447 Lyons Road
Coconut Creek, Florida
For more information, call: (954) 975-4666

Lecture--Israel at 60

Topic: "Israel at 60--Do the Borders Define Us?"
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 8:00 pm
B'nai Aviv
1410 Indian Trace, Weston, Florida
For more information, call: (954) 384-8265

Lecture--Ancient Judaism

Topic: "Bar Kokhba: Rebel Hero or Failed Messiah?"
Monday, January 28, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The Tamarac Community Library
8701 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac, Florida
For more information, call (954) 720-2209
Note: The lecture is free and open to the public.

This is Eli's fourth and final lecture at the Tamarac Community Library on "Ancient Judaism: The Story Behind the History."

Lecture--Religious Zionism

Topic: "A Reckoning for Religious Zionism: The Future of a Lost Movement"
Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 10:30 am
The Levis Jewish Community Center
21050 95th Avenue S., Boca Raton, Florida
For more information, call (561) 558-2520
Note: Fee for the lecture is $5.00.

Lecture--Ancient Judaism

Topic: "The Rise and Fall of the Jews of Alexandria"
Monday, December 17, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Tamarac Community Library
8701 W. Commercial Blvd.
Tamarac, Florida
For more information, call: (954) 720-2209
Note: Lecture open to the public. Admission is free.

This is the third lecture in a four-part series at the Tamarac Community Library on "Ancient Judaism: The Story Behind the History."

Lecture

Topic: "The Irving Trial and the New Holocaust Deniers"
Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 10:30 am
The Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center
21050 95th Avenue S.
Boca Raton, Florida
For more information and to make a reservation, call: (561) 558-2520

Note: Admission to the lecture is $5.00

Lecture

Topic: "The Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls"
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 6:30 pm
South Regional/Broward Community College Library
7300 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, Florida
For more information, call: (954) 201-8849
Note: The lecture is free and open to the public.

Lecture Series--Ancient Judaism

Topic: "The Masada Complex: The Heroism and Folly of the Jewish War Against Rome"
Monday, November 19, 2007, 1:30 pm
Tamarac Community Library
8701 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac, Florida
For more information, call: (954) 720-2209
Note: The Program is free and open to the public. This is the second lecture of a four-part series at the Tamarac Community Library.

Lecture

Topic: "Life After Life: Jewish Views on the World After Death"
Thursday, November 8, 2007, 10:30 am
Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center
9801 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton, Florida
For more information, call (561) 852-3200
Note: There is a $5.00 charge for admission

Lecture Series--Ancient Judaism

Topic: "The Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls"
Monday, October 15, 2007, 1:30 pm
Tamarac Community Library, 8701 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac, Florida
For more information call: (954) 720-2209
Note: Program is free and open to the public. This lecture is the first of a four-part series at the Tamarac Community Library.

Lecture

Topic: "Hitler's Professors: The Third Reich's Intellectuals"
Thursday, October 11, 2007, 10:30 am
Adolph and Rose Levis JCC, 9801 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton, Florida
For more information call: (561) 852-3200
Note: There is a $5.00 charge for admission

Hostel at Home, Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Lecture
La Quinta Inn, 3701 University Drive, Coral Springs, Florida
For more information, fees, and times, call (954) 429-9666
Topic: "Jewish Power in Medieval Spain"
Note: Lecture open only to those who have registered for the complete program

Recent published essays by Eli Kavon

"No to Assimilation, Yes to Acculturation," The Jerusalem Post, December 22, 2006

"Eichmann: The Man, His Crimes, and His Trial," Midstream March/April 2007

"Revelation and Revolution," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, May 21, 2007

"Tisha B'Av Meditation--Bar Kokhba: Rebel Hero or Failed Messiah?" Midstream July/August 2007

"Why the Ninth of Av Still Matters," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, July 24, 2007

"A Graveyard's Testimony: Tel Aviv's Old Cemetery," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, September 18, 2007

"Hanukkah: The Maccabees in the Zionist Imagination," Midstream, November/December 2007

"Chanukah: Hard Times Now, Hard Times Then," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, December 4, 2007

"Zionism Renews Tu Bishvat," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, January 22, 2008

"A Tisha B'Av Meditation: Jewish Power in the Shadow of the Holocaust," Midstream, July/August 2008.

"Tisha Be'av in the Shadow of Auschwitz," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, August 10, 2008.

"Both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, August 14, 2008.

"Religious Zionism: Future of a Lost Movement," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, August 31, 2008.

"Sergeant Cohen's War: A Memoir of Victory, Liberation, and Loss," Midstream, September/October 2008.

"The Medieval Roots of Islamic Extremism," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, September 11, 2008.

"Beyond the Israeli-Palestinian Problem," The Jerusalem Post Online Edition, September 23, 2008.

"Emancipation's Final Failure?" The Jerusalem Report, May 24, 2010.

"The Messianic Pretension," The Jerusalem Report, August 30, 2010.

A podcast is available for Eli's lecture on "Israel in the Age of Extremism," delivered on November 16, 2006 at the South Regional/Broward Community College Library located in Pembroke Pines, Florida

A podcast is available for Eli's lecture on "The Mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls," delivered on November 20, 2007 at the South Regional/Broward Community College Library located in Pembroke Pines, Florida

Lecture and Service for Ninth of Av

Temple Beth Israel
10197 West Sunrise Blvd. (Nob Hill and Sunrise--behind Walgreens)
Eli Kavon will lead reading of Lamentations (Eichah)
Monday, July 23, 2007, 8:30 pm
For more information call (954) 742-4040

Hostel at Home, Thursday, July 26, 2007

Lecture
La Quinta Inn, 3701 University Drive, Coral Springs, FL
For more information, fees, and times call (954) 429-9666
Topic: "King David and the Politics of Israeli Archaeology"
Note: This lecture is only open to those who have paid for the complete program

Hostel at Home, Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Lecture
La Quinta Inn, 3701 University Drive, Coral Springs, FL
For more information, fees, and times call (954) 429-9666
Topic: "Israel in the Age of Extremism"
Note: This lecture is only open to those who have paid for the complete program

Lectures

Haredim: The World of the Ultra-Orthodox
Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - 7PM
Levis Jewish Community Center, 9801 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton
561-852-3200
Open to the public - Admission $5