History & Philosophy of Islam

THURSDAY SERIES

January 5, 12, 19 & 26

History & Philosophy of Islam

1:00-2:00 PM EST

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Jahiliyyah – Arabia before Islam

What was Arabia like before Muhammad had his visions? Who were the tribes that comprised this world? What were the main systems of knowledge, economics and politics? Join us as we dive into the "Age of Ignorance" - the time before the Prophet arrived.

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Muhammad and His Visions

Who was Muhammad? How did he come to unify the Arab world? How does one person's vision and code of ethics and morality unify a people? What was Muhamad's major unifying message? What was the attraction that eventually caused so many to convert?

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Aisha, Fatima and the Sunni-Shia Split

What was the role of women in general in the rise of Islam? We will 'meet" Aisha and Fatima and other powerful women surrounding Muhammad and then explore the redirection of Islam into a dynastic system.

Thursday, January 26, 2023

The Hajj - The Pilgrimage to End All Pilgrimages

Join us as we delve into the origins of the Hajj ritual, the place it takes within Islamic culture and the surprising connections between the Hajj and the Chagim.

Dr. David Mendelsohn supervises the entire academic program of Kivunim. His areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. His current research examines the influence of Hebrew on the dialects of Arabic spoken in Israel. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationships between Middle East countries and militant organizations. David holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. Classics / Linguistics, an M.A. in Archaeology / Linguistics and an Honours B.A. in Classical Studies. David is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors, The Trudeau Prize and a world class Judo Gold Medal winner. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Roni and 3 children.

This program is presented by the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program and sponsored by the TBS Adult Learning Committee.