Special Events

2010 The Behind the Scenes Story of Operation Solomon:
        The Exodus of Ethiopian Jews to Israel — Then and Now
        Asher Naim
Asher Naim was born in Libya, immigrated with his family to Palestine in 1944, fought in Israel's War of Independence, graduated with the degree of Master of Jurisprudence from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and served in Israel's Foreigh Ministry from 1956 until his retirement in 1999. As ambassador to Ethiopia in the Fall of 1990, Mr. Naim oversaw Operation Solomon, the daring rescue of thousands of Falashas who had kept their faith for nearly three millennia despite war, prejudice and persecution. In this operation more than 14,000 Falashas were flown to Israel in only 24 hours. After the last plane departed Mr. Naim remained behind to negotiate with the rebels for the exit of the remaining Ethiopian Jews. For his part in that Operation, Ambassador Naim was awarded the highest recognition by President Hayim Herzog as the number one civil servant of Israel, in 1991. Although he had just returned to Jerusalem from his assignment in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Naim boarded the next flight to New York to represent Israel to the Third Committee of the United Nations to deal with the "Zionism equals Racism" issue. He succeeded in repealing this infamous resolution, the first UN resolution ever to be repealed. As he stated in his speech to the United Nations, "Now for the first time in African history, black Africans left Africa for Israel to freedom." Mr. Naim who believes that education is key to the successful integration of the immigrants from Ethiopia into modern Israeli society, continues to work tirelessly for Ethiopian Jewry. He has created the Scholarship Fund for Ethiopian Jews and he has dedicated his life to promoting the education of the Israeli Ethiopians, "so that they may take their rightful place in our society as useful and worthy citizens".

2008 Why Hollywood Avoided Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust
        Thomas A. Idinopulos
Dr. Idinopulos is Professor of Comparative Studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is a native of Portland and is the Director of Judaic Studies at Miami University. He is a prolific author and lecturer. Among his books are the popular Jerusalem Blessed, Jerusalem Cursed, Land Weathered by Miracles.

2007 An Evening with Israel Scholars
        Margalit and Shmuel Shilo
Margaret Shilo is professor in the Land of Israel Studies Department at Bar-Ilan University. Her most recent book, Princess or Prisoner?: Jewish Women in Jerusalem 1849-1914, describes the world of women in the ultra-Orthodox Jewsh community of Jerusalem toward the end of the Ottoman rule in the Holy Land. Shmuel Shilo, professor of Law, recently retired from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, presently heads the Herzog College at Yeshivat Har Etzion. Among the books and srticles he authored are: Dina Demalkhuta Dina, (The Law of the State is Law) and Sacrificing One's Life to Save Another.