REBECCASHIMONISTOIL.COM

Rebecca has spoken on a wide array of topics to a very diverse assortment of groups, ranging in age,

interest, background and knowledge levels. 

 

The topics on which she speaks can be grouped more or less into the following categories:

 

Israeli Politics

               

• Israel and America: New beginnings/Aging partnership

             Israel has a new coalition and America is approaching midterm elections, with speculation already beginning for                2016. What does it all mean for Israel's geopolitical situation, as well as for Israel's internal politics?

• One Knesset, 120 Voices

             Who's in? Who's out? And how does the Knesset get anything done at all? I explain the different forces at work,                    and some of the major issues facing Israel politicians and  legislators. (This can be appropriate for all knowledge                  levels, and can even be run for adults and teens as an interactive "game" on retreats/shabbatonim.)

• Coalition for Change or a Blast from the Past?

            Religious politics in Israel, from separated busses to Tel Aviv's clubs. From drafting yeshiva students to the Women             of the Wall. What is the state of Israeli Judaism and what directions might it take in the future?

 

Security and Defense

 

• Coming of Age in a Tough Neighborhood

           The Arab Spring, the Syrian Autumn, the Iranian bomb and the Turkish chill. What challenges does Israel face                    from its closest neighbors, and what can be done about it?

• Homefront Under Fire

           Civilian and military challenges in protecting Israel's homefront, from rocket-started wildfires to bomb-proof                        preschools.  Strategies, stories, and an intimate look at civilian life under rocket fire and in the shadow of                              bombings.

• The Army that Built the Nation

           How the IDF serves as a powerful tool for creating integration and understanding among Israel's diverse groups.                  What has the country gained from it and how can that balance be maintained?

               

Personal Experience

 

• "What are you doing here?"                                                                                                                                                                                     Rebecca offers her own intimate story of her aliya experience, her service as the only female combat soldier in an       Armored Corps combat unit in Gaza and the West Bank, the Second Lebanon War, the Second Intifada and                     offering a front-seat view of pretty much anything else newsworthy that has happened in Israel since 2001.