This week’s topic: Recent Immigration Waves from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. How topical considering our recent discomfort with the Mevasseret Absorption Center.

Here’s our Top 5 of the Day:

1. Our first guest speaker, Professor Steven Kaplan, from the Department of African Studies and Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University. Steven spoke about “the Immigration of Jews from Ethiopia: Some Historical Background and discussion of the Challenges facing State and Community in embracing the new arrivals.”

2. Steven brought a student, Esther, along with him to “keep him in check” or something like that. Esther didn’t speak much, but when she did it was passionate, interesting, and realistic.

3. Our second guest speaker, Sveta Roberman, from the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at the Hebrew University. Sveta spoke about “the Immigration of Jews from the FSU: Immigration and Identity Patterns.”

4. Watching the film “The Name My Mother Gave Me: A Documentary Film” with the Director/Producer, Eli Tal-El.

5. Finishing the day by lighting the Hanukkah candles together as a class.