This 10th Anniversary Spotlight Series features alumni, students, and friends of Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law & Israel Studies. These individuals are leaders in their fields and communities, and contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of the Institute.
Itay Fishhendler holds the chair of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Department of Geography. Fishhendler is a world-renowned scholar on Middle Eastern water policy and transboundary water institutions. He has published more than 50 articles in leading journals, including those dealing with conflict resolution, geography, ecological economics and environmental journal. Fishhendler was a visiting faculty member at the Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law, Israel Studies during the 2014-2015 schoolyear. He returned to Cal in the fall 2018. He was the instructor of a course called “Transboundary Water Conflict Resolution: An Israeli-Arab Case”.
How did your curiosity about the Helen Diller Institute come to be?
My post-doctoral studies took me to UC Berkeley for the first time in 2003. It was a great experience for me and my wife. Berkeley was the birthplace of our first daughter. After that, I returned to Israel to continue teaching at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. My wife and I decided to go back to Berkeley ten years later when I was eligible to take a sabbatical. Ken Bamberger, the Institute’s Faculty Co-Director was the first person I met in a restaurant in Israel. He wanted to ensure that I was qualified to teach in Berkeley and that my values and goals aligned with those of the Institute. It was like meeting a match made in Heaven. The Institute’s spirit and freedom, as well as the ability to hear and share different points of view, appealed to me. In 2014, the Institute was still relatively young, just a few years after its establishment, I began teaching there.
What does being associated with the Institute mean for your time at Cal?
The Institute gave me the tools I needed to make the most of my time at Berkeley as a visiting professor. Because of their managerial support, I was able start teaching within a week after arriving from Israel. They helped me market my courses and with administration. This was a huge help to me, as I was unfamiliar with the system. The Institute was also instrumental in facilitating a wonderful community of visiting scholars from Israel who were present at Berkeley during my time there. We were able to communicate, have academic and personal exchanges, and make friends through the Institute staff. This community was invaluable during my time at Berkeley.
Ken and Rebecca (Institute Executive Directors) were instrumental in this. They made it possible for us to be friends by organizing joint meetings, seminars, and social gatherings. They created a platform, not forced us to interact. The teaching was excellent and it was a pleasure to interact with students. I could also give all the clichés that other people would use, but the true value of the Institute was its ability to facilitate community.
In 2018, you returned to the University as a visiting professor. Was that a good experience?
After the incredible experience I had my first time, Ken and Rebecca recommended I return. I was quick to agree. The financial and administrative support provided by the Institute, as well as my prior experience in being part of a community, were the only reasons I was able to do so. The second time, my wife and I experienced the same thing. We weren’t alone; we were part a larger Israeli community. Regular seminars on Israel were offered to me, which allowed me to continue to learn and was always open to new ideas. The same course was delivered to a different group of students through the geography department and Goldman School of Public Policy. My kids always ask me if I’d like to go back to Berkeley, even though the possibility of a new Sabbatical is still an option. It was a wonderful experience, both with the University and the Institute.
You did research with two of our Undergraduate Fellows while you were a visiting professor. Can you tell me more about this experience?
Professors don’t usually have the time or desire to work closely with students, and they do not expect them to be able publish in high-ranking academic journals. They think they don’t need as much training. I see things differently. Students are motivated and talented. It is not enough to have exceptional talent. If you have the right circumstances, you can help students by working together as a team and guiding them along the way. This is what I did with Alexandra Bar and Nir Maoz, two students from UC Berkeley affiliated with the Institute. Both of them approached me to say that they were interested and had never done research. They were both young and had good writing skills, but they didn’t know how to use them properly. These students were supported by the Institute, who even allowed Alex to visit Israel to continue his research. Alex and Nir worked together on energy politics issues. Two papers were ranked in the top 10 percentile of energy, which is a rare feat for academics. It was amazing to be able to do this with two undergraduates who were really guiding the process.
What are your current projects?
Today, I am focusing my attention on energy politics, particularly in the areas of geopolitical conflicts. I am interested in the transition to renewable energy in areas like the West Bank or Gaza strip. My research revealed that Gaza has been a leader in the adoption of renewable energy. It is home to more renewable energy per capita than California. We found that Gazans are often green because of the conflict with Israel and the geopolitical stress. They rely on solar power to get through the geopolitical conditions.
The Helen Diller Institute houses two core programs, the Program on Israel Studies, a nationally-recognized initiative for the study of Israel, and the Program on Jewish Law, Thought and Identity, the only program of its type in the western United States.
The Institute’s programs encourage faculty and student engagement by providing opportunities for programming, research, mentorship, and bringing scholars and visiting faculty to UC Berkeley. They also organize colloquia and classes to enhance academic inquiry and discourse on the Berkeley campus.
The Institute was established in 2011. It has 22 members from the following disciplines: Political Science, Sociology and Economics, History and Jewish Studies, Music and Law.
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