As part of Congregation Am Haskalah's Speakers Series, Professor Mark Stein will speak about "The Middle East: Yesterday and Today." It is impossible to understand the current situation in the Middle East without understanding the history of the region. Today's crises over Iran and nuclear weapons, Israel and Gaza, and the aftermath of the Arab Spring only make full sense in the context of earlier developments-- some as early as the seventh century. In this talk we will explore both the historical roots of some of today's key issues in the Middle East and see how the past affects the future of this vital region. Coffee and dessert will be provided.
Mark Stein is a specialist in the history of the Ottoman Empire and is Associate Professor and Chair of History at Muhlenberg College. He earned his BA in History at Northwestern and his MA and PhD in Middle East History at the University of Chicago. He has taught and lectured on Islamic, Middle East, Balkan, and Mediterranean history at numerous institutions, including the University of Chicago and Harvard. Stein is the author of Guarding the Frontier: Ottoman Border Forts and Garrisons in Europe.
Am Haskalah is the Lehigh Valley's Jewish Reconstructionist congregation, offering a creative, participatory approach to Judaism that blends tradition with innovation.