Israeli professor brings politics into the classroom

Author: H. Kay Merriman

This semester, the college is hosting Rosenbloom Visiting Scholar-in-Israel Studies David Nachmias. Nachmias brings copious amounts of experience, study and even controversy to the two courses that he is teaching: "Politics in Israel," and "Political Corruption and Governance."

Nachmias was raised in Israel by parents who fled Bulgaria during the Nazi invasion and found refuge in what was then Palestine. From the early stages of his education, Nachmias was interested in politics. "With politics, you can change things for the better," he said.

Nachmias has also enjoyed an illustrious career in academia. He received his B.A. from Tel Aviv University before coming to the United States to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Oregon. Throughout the course of his studies, Nachmias has specialized in democracy, public policy, methodology of social sciences and Israeli politics. With an interest in both politics and academia, he had a hard time determining which career path to pursue. Deciding that he was more comfortable teaching in an academic arena, Nachmias wrote and published many books concerning the topics of his specialization and guest-taught at numerous universities across the country. Prior to coming to Middlebury, he was at Washington University in St. Louis.

The scenery and the students of Middlebury have most impressed Nachmias. He enjoys long walks outside and interacting with his students, who he said are challenging and interesting.

"It is gratifying to have such smart students," he said and elaborated that he is fortunate to teach students from diverse backgrounds who can bring an international perspective to the classroom. Their experience, he explained, is particularly valuable in his "Political Corruption" class because some of his students come from countries governed by corrupt democracies.

Nachmias's students, in return, appreciate the experience that he brings to the classroom.

"David is such a witty and engaging teacher whose passion for politics is contagious," said Mia Lieb-Lappen '10. "He is constantly providing thought-provoking facts and encouraging us to look at issues from various perspectives."

"It's very refreshing to have a professor from Israel who has taught at a university in Israel as a supplement to the other experts in Middle Eastern Studies already at the College," said Dave Wood '08. "David gives valuable insight into the intellectual world of Israel, which previously had been a weak point in Middlebury's Political Science Department."

Many of these experiences originate from Nachmias' tenure as a Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Israel Democracy Institute and the Romulo Betancourt Chair in Political Science at Tel Aviv University. Nachmias' teaching is also enriched by his participation as a political activist in Israel. He is a member of the volunteer organization Sikkuy: The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel. "Sikkuy" means "chance" or "opportunity" in Hebrew, and its Web site defines its mission as "to advance equality between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel in government budgets, resource allocation, hiring policy, land usage, access to government services, etc."

His study of and involvement with Israeli politics has led Nachmias to develop an enthusiastic appreciation for the political traditions of his home country.

"The Israeli society is very diverse," he said. "There are a variety of subcultures and ethnic backgrounds that make Israel a fascinating place to visit and to study. I'm really proud of Israel because it has succeeded in maintaining a democratic system and a democratic culture in spite of adversity."

Nachmias has seen and experienced how a nation facing turbulent times can work to sustain a democracy. So, will Nachmias continue to teach about Israeli politics or will he leave behind academia in favor of a full-time political career? Nachmias joked that when President Woodrow Wilson was asked how he transitioned from being president of Princeton University to president of the United States, he responded that he found that presidential politics were actually much easier than academic politics. For now, though, Nachmias is content dealing with the academic politics and teaching about presidential politics.