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

 

Forgotten Geniuses: The Tech Wizards Who Defeated Hitler's Greatest General

At the midpoint of World War II, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel was on the verge of conquering the Middle East. Working in total secrecy, Allied codebreakers invented ways to crack the Germans' seemingly impregnable codes and provided the intelligence that led to the first great defeat of the Nazis - the turning point in the war. Gershom Gorenberg tells how they did it, and lays out lasting lessons for today's tech world. 

The Secret No One Believed:

Decoding the Holocaust

Drawing on his latest book, historian Gershom Gorenberg tells the amazing story of the Allied codebreakers who first learned of the Final Solution, of the messages from hell that were kept hidden, and the newspapers that didn't believe the secret even when it became public.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

Abraham v. Abraham: Fundamentalism and Humanism in the Torah

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 to authority, and one that stresses the moral responsibility involved in interpreting sacred texts. 

© 2020 Gershom Gorenberg. Site Design: Yasmin Gorenberg