The Brandeis University Summer School would like to congratulate one of our summer instructors, Randy GellarRandall Geller, on winning the prestigious Glatzer Prize.

The Glatzer Prize is awarded each year to the most exceptional doctoral dissertation in the NEJS Department. The prize is named for Nahum Glatzer, who served as the Philip W. Lown Professor of Jewish Thought at Brandeis and served as Chairman of the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department at Brandeis from 1957 to 1969.

Mr. Geller will be teaching NEJS 189a: The Arab-Israeli Conflict this summer.  This course explores the origins and development of one of the most intractable conflicts of our time – the Arab-Israeli conflict. Students will examine the diplomatic and military options the two sides have used, within the limitations of international constraints, to achieve their objectives. The impact of oil, religious fundamentalism, and political militancy will be evaluated in this context. Special attention will be given to the developments of the last decade, including the building of a separation wall between Israelis and Palestinians beginning in 2004, the Second Lebanon War of 2006, the Gaza War of 2008-2009, and current plans and prospects for the peaceful resolution of the more than century-long conflict. Mr. Geller’s course will make extensive use of newscasts, documentaries and portions of dramatic movies to illuminate the history of the conflict.

This evening class is open to all students and meets in the first Summer Session (May 31-July 1, 2011) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11AM – 1:30PM.  Interested students can review a course syllabus for NEJS 189a: The Arab-Israeli Conflict online.  To find out more about this course, and other Brandeis Summer School courses, visit the Summer School website.