Playing with the big boys (and girls)

June 17, 2007 - 3:18 PM by Avi

Last week, over 100 scholars of the State of Israel from America and Israel gathered at Ra’anana’s Open University for the annual Association of Israel Studies conference. Yes, there are people who study Israel for a living – pundits with Ph.D.s., if you will. While everyone who watches CNN thinks they know everything there is to know about Israel, these men and women are the real deal – true scholars.

In addition to sessions on how to promote their field (a growing area! Brandeis University just announced the creation of an Israel studies center, funded by the Schusterman Foundation – “if only Israeli academia paid!” I kept on thinking to myself), like all academic conferences, scholars presented working papers – not yet ready for publication – to their peers. While scientists may give presentations about the latest research in physics, biology, or engineering, these “scientists of Israel” discussed Israel’s strategy, relations with Israel’s neighbors, as well as social issues such as inequality in Israel (I attended a fascinating discussion on how economic changes are affecting kibbutz women) or the representation of Mizrahim in Israeli cinema.

But why was I, not a professor or Ph.D. there? Simple: I had my own academic paper to present. Not the conflict, but my life: North American aliya (immigration to Israel). Not a professor or even a Ph.D. (although I do have my own graduate degree in “Israeli Society & Politics”), I got to play with the real professors.

After an hour and a half bus ride, I entered a small room on campus a few minutes before 9AM, when I was scheduled to present. While only a few other people showed up (including two professors who were also presenting papers, I was prepared. While I was competing with the early morning hours (it appears even professors like to sleep in) and about ten other fascinating sessions, for a few minutes (it’s amazing how many hours, days, months go into a presentation of only 20 minutes!), I too got to be among the big boys (and girls) as a true expert on Israel.

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