Episode 10: Schmooze with Ofer Idels, Fellow at University of Calgary, Israel Studies

This week on The Schmooze, we sit down with Ofer Idels, an Israeli historian and postdoctoral fellow in Israel Studies at the University of Calgary.Ofer breaks down Zionism in both academic and plain language, and explains why debates around “anti-Zionism” often function as debates about whether Jews are allowed to be active agents in history, rather than passive participants judged by others’ moral frameworks.We also discuss:Zionism as a modern response to the crisis of Jewish life in Europe“Self-determination” and what it means in lived termsWhy semantic debates can become a cul-de-sac, and what to focus on insteadThe campus climate in Calgary, and why Ofer’s experience has been unexpectedly positiveHow the Calgary Jewish community can better use academic resources already hereCommunity events mentioned:Feb 12 (12:00 PM MT, Zoom): Ofer’s speaker series talk, “From Horse Cadavers to Garden Plots: Concepts of Non-Human Nature and the Łódź Ghetto.”Feb 8 (JCC): Friends of JNF Canada event, “Diaspora Israel and the Go-Forward,” featuring Charlotte K. (Jerusalem Education Institute / StandWithUs).Connect with Ofer:Ofer can be found via his University of Calgary profile, and he welcomes community outreach for lectures, initiatives, and collaboration.