In this 4-sessions series, we will explore different voices and perspectives from various segments of Israeli society in light of the ongoing situation in Israel.

Perfect Enemy: Book Talk and Discussion on Israeli Society in Today's Traumatized Times
with Dr. Alex Sinclair

Israel is a country in trauma. That's always been the case, but all the more so after October 7th. How do we, as Israelis, respond to trauma? How do we navigate between knee-jerk desires for revenge, doubling down on military might, and persistent but elusive hopes for peace? How do mainstream Israelis win the war against our external enemies while also keeping in check the pressures of our extremist, messianic religious right?

These questions are the backdrop for Perfect Enemy, Alex J Sinclair's debut novel. Perfect Enemy is an exciting, suspenseful thriller, set in contemporary Israel, which, as well as being "a page turner" (The Jewish Standard), raises these issues and more. In this session, we'll read a few short extracts from the novel (but no spoilers!) and discuss how they shed light on Israel's core challenges in 2024 and beyond.

Alex Sinclair is Chief Content Officer at Educating for Impact, and an adjunct lecturer at the Melton Centre of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has written and spoken widely on Jewish education, Israel-Diaspora relations, and Israeli politics, in both academic and popular contexts. He has worked or consulted for many of the finest Jewish educational and communal institutions in North America, Europe and Israel, including the Hartman Institute, the Schechter Institute, Hebrew Union College, Hebrew College, and as a full-time or adjunct member of faculty for almost two decades at JTS. His first book, published in 2013, Loving the Real Israel: An Educational Agenda for Liberal Zionism, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and his debut novel, Perfect Enemy, was published in November 2023. He holds an M.A. (Oxon) and M.St. from Balliol College, Oxford, and a Ph.D. from Hebrew University. He lives with his wife and three children in Modi'in, Israel.

Register below.  There are a limited number of Perfect Enemy copies available.