The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is long and touches many of us locally in a personal way because of ties of family, faith, community or work. For many, the conflict presents moral and spiritual dilemmas. We will look at the history of the population and settlement of the land, the rise of and philosophies within the Jewish and Palestinian national movements, and major periods such as 1947-1949, 1967 and its aftermath, and the Oslo peace period. What is the situation today and what are the visions of what is possible? We will try to answer questions, be rooted in facts and acknowledge biases. The instructor is a rabbi who has studied and lived in Israel for two extended periods and has been involved in the religious Zionist peace movement.

This course will discuss a selection of current and recent Supreme Court constitutional cases. Possible subjects include Janus v. AFSCME, about whether labor unions can require nonmembers to pay union dues; Drumpf v. Hawaii, about the travel ban; and South Dakota v. Wayfair, permitting states to collect sales taxes on internet sales. The actual cases addressed will evolve as new cases are decided and the class members' interests are expressed.