My time here is drawing to a close. Just two full days remain on my itinerary, the first a Muslim day of rest and the second a Jewish day of rest. I can feel the time flying by.

My research has gone well, perhaps a little better than I’d expected. Just today I made two very good research contacts at Hebrew University: Dr. Yehuda Moraly and the university’s media librarian, whom I know only as Wendy (we didn’t get a chance to meet face-to-face). Moraly and I met on campus, and he made some recommendations for films that I could include in my course syllabus.

Yehuda Moraly

Moraly’s picks include a number of films dealing with religious themes. I was surprised to hear him say that he’s not a fan of the 1999 film Kadosh, one of my favorite films on Israeli culture, in particular the Orthodox Jewish community of Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem neighborhood. Moraly went so far as to suggest the director Amos Gitai’s work borders on anti-Israel. I’ll be interested to check out some of the films Moraly recommended.

I’m grateful to Moraly for taking time to meet with me and for offering to help me build my contacts on the subject of Israeli cinema. He seemed to relish the opportunity to show off the Hebrew University campus, and I can’t blame him. Sure, the Champlain College campus has its scenic spots, but check out this view from a patio next to the Hebrew University faculty club (…faculty club?):

al-Haram al-Sharif