2008 Woodie Awards
RSSPsychology professor visits from Israel
By Samantha Gladstone
Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: News
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Now, with one son finished in the army and one finishing his duty in three years, Klar said he felt ready to leave his home just outside of Tel Aviv.
"We had been planning it for a long time," Klar said, "and it wasn't until this year that we were relatively free to go."
Klar came to the U.S. to teach at Lehigh this fall with his wife, Yonat, and their 15-year-old daughter.
He is teaching two courses each semester in Lehigh's department of psychology. This semester, he is teaching a course on the social-psychological dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which he said he regards "as one of the most protracted and volatile conflicts around the globe." He is also teaching a decision-making course for seniors.
Klar received his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy from Tel Aviv University and has been a faculty member in its department of psychology since 1990. He holds the position of social psychology senior lecturer and has spent time lecturing at the University of Kansas, Carleton University in Canada and the University of Connecticut.
As a social psychologist, the Israeli scholar has done his primary research in social cognition, decision making and social comparison processes. However, in the last decade, he has spent more of his time and teaching efforts on issues shaping the Israeli existence. His research examines how Israelis deal with the moral implications of the Jewish-Arab conflict and the legacies of the Holocaust in Israeli moral discourse.
Upon coming to the U.S., Klar said he worried his course covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be difficult for Lehigh's students.
"I was afraid that students at Lehigh would find my course quite difficult," Klar said. "People lack the knowledge about what is going on in that part of the world, and many don't understand why there has been fighting for so many years."
He said his students have been interested and ready to learn about both psychology and international relations.
Klar cites physical distance between the Middle East and the U.S. as a reason for Americans' lack of knowledge.
"Coming to America, I can understand why it is really difficult to understand emotionally what is going on in other parts of the world," Klar said. "It is very hard to grasp it from here. If I were an American student, it would seem so far to me. They would seem like crazy people that are fighting each other."
Klar also said he understands why some American students may not be concerned with Israel's affairs.
"Part of my research is to discover empathy towards groups around the world," Klar said. "Until you are really thrown into a hard situation, it is hard to be interested."
Israel has a compulsory military draft for 18-year-olds. Men must serve three years, women two. Thus, Israeli university students are older than Lehigh's students, Klar said.
