Five students at a table at the Meir Shalev event

Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies

In 1998, Shimon Peres inaugurated the first center for Israel Studies in the country at American University. The center sponsors frequent public programs, including conferences, discussions, lecture series, performances and exhibits, in addition to the Minor in Israel Studies.

Israeli writer and filmmaker Etgar Keret

Contact Us

202-885-3780

israelstudies@american.edu

Center for Israel Studies 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016-8038 United States

CIS Events

Fall 2025

October 22, Helen and Daniel Sonenshine Lecture:
John Efron, Koret Professor of Jewish History at Berkeley: “Pigs and the World Jewish Conspiracy: Meat and Jews in the Nazi Mind”
RSVP for 10/22
October 29
“Israel 30 Years after the Rabin Assassination” with Charles Freilich, former Deputy National Security Adviser of Israel, and Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
RSVP for 10/29
November 12
Pamela Nadell, Professor and Director of AU Jewish Studies Program, introduces her long-awaited and timely new book, Antisemitism, an American Tradition
RSVP for 11/12
November 16-17
Meltzer Trone Conference on US Jews and Israel with keynote speakers Franklin Foer and Dan Tadmor (Director, National Museum of American Jewish History). Events include The Diaspora Blues, Challenges to Democracy in Israel & the U.S., and Cultural Exchange: American Jews & Israel through Writers' Eyes.
RSVP for 11/16–17

Research

On March 20, 2024 AU Professor Guy Ziv discussed his recent book Netanyahu vs The Generals: The Battle for Israel’s Future.

View more videos from the Center for Israel Studies.

Join the Center for Israel Studies

We invite AU students to learn more about us in the website, attend events, or Minor in Israel Studies and apply for the Waisman Scholarship.
We invite the public to be a part of the growth of our center by attending our programs and offering your support. Your commitment and generosity will ensure that CIS will continue to serve as a model throughout the nation in this growing field.

Quick Links

Center for Israel Studies 25th Anniversary

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023, American University’s Center for Israel Studies (CIS) is one of the nation’s premier educational centers for nurturing and catalyzing Israel Studies. CIS's multidisciplinary approach goes beyond the Arab-Israeli conflict to study modern Israel’s history, vibrant society, culture, multiethnic democracy, and complex geopolitical issues. Using AU’s expertise in global education and its central location in Washington, DC, the Center serves as a national and international hub for building bridges and highlighting the diverse achievements and challenges across Israel.

News & Notes

More news

Dan Arbell spoke with Fox News about the IDF’s warning to Israeli soldiers to avoid international travel following Israel’s airstrikes across Lebanon. He also spoke with CGTN about the aftermath of the airstrikes.
Dan Arbell (Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies) appeared on CGTN to discuss a resolution aimed towards ending the Israel-Hamas war.
Washington Jewish Week published an article on the Center for Israel Studies’ “Israel at 100: Scenarios for the Future of Israel in 2048” Conference, held at American University.
Guy Ziv (Center for Israel Studies) spoke with Fox 5 about Israel’s potential response to rocket attacks from Iran. He also spoke with Spectrum News about the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel.
Michael Brenner (Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies) authored an article for The Conversation about the recruitment tactics of the Israel Defense Forces.
Guy Ziv (Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies) spoke with LAist about the Israeli Supreme Court ruling on compulsory military service for the Ultra Orthodox.
Michael Brenner discussed the origins of Zionism on NPR's Throughline