My travels with Abraham ibn Ezra

My talk on Abraham ibn Ezra went ahead on Thursday at Haifa University as planned.

The seminar room was full of friends, members of faculty and research students. I found the whole thing terribly moving, especially Dr. Yossi Chajes' introduction - during which he mentioned that I'd made aliyah just two days after the War, worked with the churches in Britain and other matters. He even remembered to mention that as the book is now in paperback it's actually affordable:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deconstructing-Bible-Abraham-Ezras-Introduction/dp/0415444446

This is just one of the many events at which Yossi has appeared:

http://collegerelations.vassar.edu/2006/2096/

Because of the lecturers' strike, the anticipated buffet had been cancelled, but a member of the English department, and expert on John Bunyan,

http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/john-bunyan.html

brought in dried fruit to make up for it, and also because it's just round the corner to Tu B'shvat, New Year for Trees. I've been asked to perform for the Boston Haifa Connection on Monday night.

http://www.aish.com/tubshvat/tubshvatdefault/default.asp

http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Israel/Partnerships/Regions/Haifa/About+Us

As I spoke about Abraham ibn Ezra's quest to reach the centre of circle, I bore in mind previous times and places I'd spoken about the subject:

Manchester Jewish Historical Society - when 100 people attended, many of whom thought AIE wasn't really kosher, but were interested in the book nevertheless:

http://www.jhse.org/html/about_us.html

Glasgow Orthodox Women's Forum -  the Scottish sister-in-law of the Chief Rabbi bought a copy of the book. En route by train, the man sitting opposite asked to purchase the book. He turned out to be one of the UK's expert nuclear physicists. In subsequent years, he told me that he would do his best to stop the academic boycott of Israel. This lady invited me:

http://www.paih.org/archive/misc/judith_tankel.htm

Cambridge University - on two occasions - one as visiting lecturer in the Divinity School:

http://www.srcf.ucam.org/cujs/index.php?p=culanu

and

http://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/

Trinity College, Dublin. Snow caused the cancellation of the flight from Manchester Airport, but the next flight got there just in time. Wonderful audience - many people from the media, who knew both Hebrew and Arabic. Amazing! Plus there was Arabic and Hebrew music afterwards.

http://www.tcd.ie/

Israel Center, Jerusalem. Much to the astonishment of many, including myself, the Jerusalem Post advertised this as the city's cultural event of the week

Florida International University. One of the audience had been our neighbour in Manchester when I was a baby. She remembered things about my mother that I didn't know:

http://www.fiu.edu/

And then here in Haifa yesterday. It was like chatting to one's family - friendly and not critical, as I had expected.

Unlike what's going on at Manchester University at present:

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/01/british-academi.html

Very sad.

After the talk, I received wonderful feedback. Then in the evening was invited to a gathering of Americans and Canadians in the north of Israel (I was the only person from the UK). On the way back, one of the organisers asked if I'd ever consider becoming musical director of the Haifa English Theatre.

And on Friday morning, the Reali School over the road asked if I'd consider giving a talk to the English department and some of the students on blogging!

Yes, Israel is surely a place where the unexpected is a normal occurrence. It simply defies definition.

And even the lecturers' strike is now over, thank goodness!

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/945898.html