A Zoom class with Professor Paul Liptz

The October 7, 2023, attack on Israel can be compared to 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. Where does this tragic event fit into the history of Israel’s wars? Join Professor Paul Liptz to explore the impact of the 1967 Six Day War and the October 6, 1973, Yom Kippur War on Israeli society; the history of the Gaza strip and development of Hamas; and Israel’s internal tensions in recent years. As we attempt to understand these realities, we will ask: “What went wrong?” and “What should we do now”?

Professor Paul Liptz is the teacher everyone loves and still talks about decades later. Born in Rhodesia, he made aliyah in 1967 one day before the Six Day War. He taught for four decades at Tel Aviv University and for 25 years at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem on modern Jewish history, Israeli society, and the Middle East.

Paul has been very involved in the Reform movement, teaching adults and teens in Israel and as a visiting scholar in many Reform congregations and with travel groups in over 20 countries. Paul is married to Brenda and they have 4 children and 12 grandchildren. Two granddaughters are now in the Israeli army.