Ancient relations show the way
MUST there inherently be tension, strain, violence and even hatred in Jewish-Muslim relations?
MUST there inherently be tension, strain, violence and even hatred in Jewish-Muslim relations?
That was the question that Hebrew University president and former Kadima Knesset politician Professor Menachem Ben-Sasson posed before an audience of approximately 600 people at Melbourne University last Thursday at the Richard Pratt Memorial Oration.
For the past seven years, the oration has brought out a distinguished international scholar to deliver a public lecture on a topic central to Jewish knowledge.
This year, the event was formally renamed in honour of Pratt, who passed away a year ago.
Pulling back from the current conflict, Ben-Sasson couched his analysis in a historical perspective of a millennia of Jewish-Muslim co-existence.
The distinguished professor identified similarities between fundamentalist Jews and Muslims in the way they bond with their ancient past. He concluded his 45-minute lecture on a hopeful note, suggesting a way the conflicted peoples might lessen tensions by learning from lessons of history.
Also featured at the event was the awarding of a posthumous honorary doctorate in Philosophy for Richard Pratt from Hebrew University. Pratt’s wife, Jeanne, accepted the honour on behalf of her late husband.
“Richard was always pleased that, through the Pratt Foundation, he was able to help immigrant scholars study for their doctorates of philosophy in Jerusalem at Israel’s leading research university,” Jeanne said.
The evening also included brief remarks from the director of the Centre for Jewish History and Culture, Dr.¬†Dvir Abramovich, as well as University of Melbourne’s¬†Provost, and Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor John Dewar, who reminded the audience that Pratt had received another honour from his university – an honorary Doctorate of Laws – in the very same hall six years earlier.
AHRON SHAPIRO
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