LECTURES

For lectures for Jewish organizations, please contact the Jewish Speakers Bureau.

 

For all other lecture and media inquiries, please contact Gershom directly: gershomg@gmail.com.

Lecture Topics

 

War of Shadows: Defeating the Nazis in the Middle East

At the midpoint of World War II, German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel was on the verge of conquering the Mideast. To stop him, Allied codebreakers needed to find and silence the Nazis' greatest espionage source. Gershom Gorenberg tells how they succeeded, at the last possible moment.  

Read more about War of Shadows

How I Found the Woman Who Defeated Rommel: 

A Historian's Hunt for Forgotten Heroes

 Her name appeared in long-secret documents. She rose from clerk to intelligence analyst, and uncovered the Nazis' most valuable source. Like the men and women she worked with, she was erased from history. Gershom Gorenberg will describe his detective work in finding her story, and theirs.

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The Hidden Holocaust: 

The Nazis in the Middle East

Memory of the Nazi genocide places it firmly in Europe. Yet in 1942, Jews in Libya were trucked to a concentration camp and Germany's most famous general, Erwin Rommel, was on the verge of bringing the SS to Cairo and Tel Aviv. Only a last-minute espionage triumph saved the Jews of the Mideast. Based on his latest book, War of Shadows, Gershom Gorenberg tells the story. 

Read more about War of Shadows

The Accidental Empire:
Israel's Settlement Dilemma

Drawing on his groundbreaking research on Israel's settlements in occupied territory, Gershom Gorenberg describes their surprising history—and explains why, despite the settlements, a two-state solution is still possible and necessary. 

Read more about The Accidental Empire

The Battle for History:

Israeli and Palestinian Narratives in War and Peacemaking

Israelis and Palestinians tell drastically different versions of their shared history. Supporters of each side often repeat shouting points of "facts and myths" about the past. In this session, Gershom Gorenberg will examine the opposed narratives, their role in perpetuating conflict, and their place in making peace.

Read more about the Israeli and Palestinian Narratives in

Articles

How It Broke, How to Fix It:

The Crisis of Israeli Democracy

Israeli historian and journalist Gershom Gorenberg will discuss the policies that threaten Israel's democracy, the little known history behind them, and the new direction that Israel needs to take to remain a democratic and Jewish state. 

Read more about The Unmaking of Israel

About that Sacrifice: Actually Abraham Said No to God

In the Book of Genesis, Abraham pleads with God not to destroy Sodom - yet seems to remain silent when told to sacrifice his own son. Taking a close look at the text together will help us to understand two approaches to religion - one that evades modern uncertainty by demanding blind obedience, and one that stresses the moral responsibility involved in interpreting sacred texts.