American University Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies


Academic Conference: “Israel at 100: Scenarios for the Future of Israel in 2048.” You’re invited to attend our international conference (In Person and Virtual)!

Date: Sunday, November 10, 2024 7:00 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time (ET).

Opening Keynote: “Israel at 100: An Unconventional Demographic Scenario” with David Passig (Bar-Ilan University), futurist, lecturer, consultant, and best-selling author of The Fifth Fiasco

Academic Panels: November 11, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Eastern Time (ET)

Lunchtime Keynote: “Avoiding the Collapse: How Israel shifted to a Federalist Model by 2048 and Saved Itself” by Eugene Kandel (Hebrew University emeritus), Chairman of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange/President of RISE Israel

As Israel approaches its 100th anniversary in 2048, we invite you to explore the future as modern futurists, utilizing contemporary foresight approaches.

The State of Israel grew out of a utopian vision. Theodor Herzl published his concept of a future Jewish state in 1896, and six years later he wrote his utopian novel Old New Land that described how the Jewish state would look twenty years later. Twenty-four years from now, in 2048, the state which Herzl conceived will celebrate its 100th anniversary. On November 10-11, 2024 we will convene scholars, economists, politicians, and activists at the country’s most difficult hour, to explore potential future scenarios for the Jewish state.

As we delve into various scenarios concerning Israel’s future, we will address such topics as its religiosity, sustainability within its desert geography, Palestinian and Arab relations, ongoing conflicts, the remarkable “startup nation” economy, and the intricate connections between Israel and diaspora Jewry.Link to full schedule and in-person registration:https://www.american.edu/cas/israelstudies/nation-torn.cfm

ZOOM link to watch all sessions: https://american.zoom.us/j/92454699833?pwd=nJlwc7Us0BVTbrtORZaoaHZaImBaty.1

Co-sponsored by American University Kogod School of Business and College of Arts and Sciences