With a New Name and Transformative Gifts, AU鈥檚 Center for Israel Studies Turns 25
麻豆传媒鈥檚 Center for Israel Studies has received a joint, multi-million-dollar commitment from Amy Meltzer and Board of Trustees member Alan Meltzer, CAS/BA 鈥21, and AU friends Jaime and Andrew听Schwartzberg. The gifts will support the center鈥檚 groundbreaking work to catalyze the field of Israel Studies and build bridges between nations, religions, and cultures.
In recognition of this generous commitment, the center will be named the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies.
鈥淭wenty-five years after AU established the first Center for Israel Studies in the United States, we begin a new chapter with a new name,鈥 says Michael Brenner, who serves as the center鈥檚 director and as 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Seymour and Lillian Abensohn Chair in Israel Studies. 鈥淭he generous gift of the Meltzer and Schwartzberg families will enable us to add new classes, to increase the financial support for our students, and to build academic bridges between 麻豆传媒s and Israelis, Israel and the Arab world, and a divided Israeli society.鈥
The gifts were announced on Sunday, April 16, at the center鈥檚 25th anniversary celebration dinner at 麻豆传媒 Washington College of Law鈥檚 Claudio Grossman Hall, in front of more than 150 invited guests. The celebratory event, with guest speaker former US ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro, served as the culmination of 25 years of Israel-focused scholarship and a festive opportunity to thank the center鈥檚 friends and philanthropic donors.
鈥淭he Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies is a vital hub of learning, culture, and bridge building at 麻豆传媒, says听Linda Aldoory, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淲e are incredibly grateful for this generous gift from longtime friends and supporters Alan and Amy Meltzer and Andrew and Jaime Schwartzberg, and we cannot wait to see what the center will accomplish in the next 25 years.鈥
Visionary Supporters
The Meltzers' gift follows their previous support to the center, including the Alan L. Meltzer and Amy Meltzer Fellowship, and a lead gift with the David and June Trone Family Foundation to create an endowed fund for the center鈥檚 annual conference. In all, the Meltzers have given more to the Change Can鈥檛 Wait campaign than any other individuals to date.
鈥淭hrough taking classes, attending events, and working with the outstanding faculty and staff, I鈥檝e seen firsthand the important work of the Center for Israel Studies to fight antisemitism, to build bridges, and promote inclusivity. The center takes a multidisciplinary approach to a complex history, culture, and geopolitical challenges. We鈥檙e proud to support the center鈥檚 impactful work," says Alan Meltzer.
The Schwartzbergs, longtime friends of the Meltzers, were inspired to join in making this commitment in recognition of the center as a national leader committed to welcoming a diversity of thought and fighting antisemitism.
鈥淧reserving our Jewish heritage is something our family is very passionate about,鈥 says Jaime Schwartzberg. 鈥淎dvancing knowledge in Israel studies can help make significant contributions to a variety of academic disciplines and promote cross-cultural understanding. We feel honored to be a part of this incredible organization.鈥
Bridge Building and Common Ground
The Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies, housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, was a pioneering enterprise from its beginning. It was inaugurated in 1998 by Israel鈥檚 prime minister and future president Shimon Peres, and it became the first center of its kind in the United States dedicated to studying the modern state of Israel. Under Brenner鈥檚 leadership, the center acts as a hub of Israel scholarship at 麻豆传媒, working with more than 25 faculty advisors and affiliates across 15 academic disciplines.
The center鈥檚 academic work focuses on the forefront of the study of Israel鈥檚 history, politics, society, and culture. It comes at a critical time for Israel and the world, when understanding and bridge building is crucial. 鈥淣ever has it been more important to teach and to undertake research on Israel than today. With antisemitism on the rise, and Israel often at the center of antisemitic stereotypes, it is vital to educate about the history of the Jewish people and the Jewish state," says Brenner. 鈥淲ith Israel divided as never before, it is more crucial than ever to build bridges. We will continue to do so in our broad range of classes, our international conferences, our community outreach programs, our Global Israel embassy series, and our numerous opportunities for students to intern in Israel-related organizations and to study in Israel.鈥
The center鈥檚 33 international conferences to date have explored themes as varied as Israel and Water: Scarcity, Innovation and Cooperation; Israeli Innovation in Greentech; Religions and Society; The Arab Population of Israel; Israeli Cuisine; and Challenges to Israel鈥檚 Democracy. Scholars invited to campus and supported by the center include Morad El Sana (the first Meltzer Fellow and a member of the Bedouin group in Israel), Dorit Beinisch (the first female Chief Justice in Israel), former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, President Isaac Herzog, and leading academics from across the world.
鈥淲e are planning our fall annual conference, dedicated to the topic of 鈥淏uilding Bridges,鈥 and we will focus on the major gaps in Israeli society: religious-secular, left-right, Mizrahi (Jews of Middle Eastern origin), Ashkenazi (Jews of European origin), and Palestinian Arabs and Jews,鈥 says Brenner. 鈥淲e do not want to concentrate only on academics here, but also invite important bridge builders of Israeli society. I also intend to invite Meltzer Fellows who work on ways to build bridges between the different segments of Israeli society and the Middle East in general.鈥
Students, Peace, and the Global Community
The Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies has a long history of preparing 麻豆传媒 students to serve the global community and wage peace. The center's students graduate to jobs at think tanks, embassies, NGOs, government agencies, and other prestigious institutions, where they spread the knowledge they acquired at 麻豆传媒.
Alumnus Daniel Hammerman, SIS/BA 鈥15, currently works at Moishe House. As he looks back at his time at AU, he says he is grateful for the opportunities the center provided for him to engage with Israel, both inside and outside the classroom. They included internships at the 麻豆传媒 Israel Public Affairs Committee,听Seeds of Peace, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. 鈥淣ot only was I intrigued by the material for my required courses as an Israel Studies minor, but I was riveted to observe the relevance of my course topics to current events by attending public forums the center organized with high-profile speakers," he says. 鈥淚n addition, I greatly benefited from the mock Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiation in my senior capstone course, which gave me a much deeper understanding of important issues that I still dwell on today.鈥
The center facilitates study abroad exchanges between AU and Israeli institutions, expanding students鈥 world views and perspectives. Alumnus Jared Rosenthal, SIS/BA 鈥17, says he received a听travel award to study at Tel Aviv University, where he pursued a master's degree in security and diplomacy. He currently works as head of CRM for an online marketing company in Tel Aviv. "The center had one of the most profound impacts on my life since being a student at 麻豆传媒 almost 10 years ago," he says. 鈥淚t provided a home and a safe space for dialogue and learning about Israel and its complex geopolitical history."
The center also connects students with internships at the Embassy of Israel, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and other institutions. Alumna Jessica Horst, Kogod/BA 鈥19, had her interest in Israel kindled while working at the center as a four-year intern. She later interned with Israel鈥檚 Ministry of Health and now works at Israel鈥檚 Shalom Corps. 鈥淭he center has been a core community and an open and safe space to learn about current events in Israel, hear diverse opinions, and discuss everything about Israel," she says. 鈥淚t introduced me to the scope of Israeli contributions to global development efforts, which was a major motivator for me to pursue a master's degree in emergency management in Israel and begin a career in humanitarian action.鈥
Perhaps one of the center鈥檚 most fundamental accomplishments is bridge building on campus, welcoming everyone into a supportive learning community, one that leaves students and alumni with a deep sense of gratitude. Tamara Listenberg, SIS/BA 鈥24, says, 鈥淭he center brings people from different backgrounds, religions, and beliefs together. They manage to generate a respectful dialogue in all their settings about one of the most complicated conflicts in the world.鈥 Fellow student Zachary Barkley, SIS/BA 鈥24, agrees. 鈥淭he center has given me a voice, allowing me to explore my passions and interests through interacting with and learning from a diverse array of perspectives.鈥
Fueled by the Generosity of Lead Supporters
Since its earliest days, the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies鈥 impact has been fueled by the generosity of lead supporters from the 麻豆传媒 community. They include Lillian Klein Abensohn and her late husband Seymour, for whom the Seymour and Lillian Abensohn Endowed Chair in Israel Studies is named, the position currently held by Distinguished Professor Michael Brenner.
In addition, Daniel and Helen Sonenshine established the Sonenshine Lecture Series and the Helen and Daniel Sonenshine Professorship Fund to endow a permanent faculty position devoted to Israel and Jewish Studies. Larry Swillinger鈥檚 generous estate gift will endow the Lawrence D. Swillinger Fund to support center priorities and the Jewish Studies Program at the College of Arts and Sciences.
About the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies (CIS) is one of the nation鈥檚 premier educational centers for nurturing and catalyzing Israel Studies. CIS's multidisciplinary approach goes beyond the Arab-Israeli conflict to study modern Israel鈥檚 history, vibrant society, culture, multiethnic democracy, and complex geopolitical issues. Using AU鈥檚 expertise in global education and its central location in Washington, DC, the center serves as a national and international hub for building bridges and highlighting the diverse achievements and challenges across Israel.
About the Change Can鈥檛 Wait Campaign
The naming of the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies comes at a time of great momentum for our university. Our Change Can鈥檛 Wait $500 million campaign is fueling the aspirations laid out in the Changemakers for a Changing World strategy. Across disciplines, we are transforming educational opportunities, creating space for diversity of thought, and fostering innovation.