Education

Each Monday and Wednesday from 8-10am I audit a class at the Tel Aviv University. It's a lot of fun. The lecturer is interesting as is the subject (Archaeology of the land of Israel from the prehistoric to the destruction of the second temple). The lecturer (Israel Finkelstein) is quite character. He is an engaging fellow and the time flies by quickly. Most unIsraeli he is a complete stickler for promptness. He will not allow people into the class late. Now Israeli students are an argumentative lot. Every class we have to listen to someone arguing with him about how it's not OK that he will not let them in. We have heard threats of his being taken by them to the Dean of Students. We have had doors slammed and people refusing to move from the entrance to the room. All to no avail I am happy to say. As he said last week: "from 8:15am till 9:45 I am the King of Gilman 221 (the humanities building) and what I say goes". I like this, educating Israel, one late student at a time.