Van Leer Jerusalem Institute

Van Leer Institute

The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute is an academic institute in Jerusalem, Israel, for the interdisciplinary study and discussion of issues related to philosophy, society, culture and education.According to Daniel Gutwein it used to popularize post-Zionist ideas ^[1]

History

The Van Leer Institute was established in 1959 by the Van Leer family of the Netherlands. The stated goals of the institute are to enhance ethnic and cultural understanding, ease social tensions and promote democratic values through academic research, public policy analysis, advocacy and civil society projects. The institute organizes domestic and international conferences, symposia and workshops, and publishes books and periodicals.^[2]

Van Leer organizes domestic and international conferences, symposia and workshops, publishes periodicals, books and monographs, and promotes pluralistic public dialogue. It houses a 27,000-volume library devoted to philosophy, philosophy of science, historical sociology and political theory.^[3] According to Ofira Seliktar, a scholar specializing in anti-Israeli activities of Israeli scholars, it was used to give a measure of respectability to Post-Zionist scholars^[4]

The Institute is located in Jerusalem's Talbiya neighborhood, next door to the official residence of the President of Israel.

Notable scholars and fellows

• Azmi Bishara
• S. N. Eisenstadt
• Rachel Elior
• Ruth Gavison
• Hanna Herzog
• Paul Mendes-Flohr
• Adi Ophir
• Ruth Plato-Shinar

Selected publications

• Science in Context Cambridge University Press in cooperation with Tel Aviv University

• The Politics of Humanitarianism in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Conference Proceedings (CD)(2005)

• Men and Women: Gender, Judaism and Democracy edited by Rachel Elior (2004)

• Collective Identities, Public Spheres and Political Order in Modern and Contemporary Scenes Tal Kohavi, Julia Lerner, Ronna Brayer-Garb (2003)

• Women in Conflict Zones: Struggling With Ethno-National and Racial Conflicts Maya Kahanoff (2003)

• Policy Paper Uri Saguy and Gilead Sher (2002)

• Jewish Identity in Modern Israel: Proceedings on Secular Judaism and Democracy edited by Naftali Rothenberg and Eliezer Schweid (2002)

• The Public Sphere in Muslim Societies edited by Miriam Hoexter, Shmuel N. Eisenstadt, Nehemia Levtzion (2002)

• Lire Albert Memmi: Déracinement, Exil, Identité (2002)

Journals

Journal of Levantine Studies (English)

Contributions to the History of Concepts (English)

Identities: Journal of Jewish Culture and Identity (Hebrew)

Theory and Criticism (Hebrew)- The journal is very critical of Israel according to Ofira Seliktar, well known ctitic of the critical approach to Israeli state. ^[4]

See also

• Culture of Israel

References

Coordinates: 31°46′12″N 35°12′55″E / 31.77000°N 35.21528°E / 31.77000; 35.21528