Eighteen Days in October (Postponed)
This event has been postponed until further notice. Please check back for an updated event date!
The Lessans Family Literary Series Presents:
Uri Kaufman, Eighteen Days in October: The Yom Kippur War and How It Created the Modern Middle East
Ticket: $18
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, The Lessans Family Literary Series is thrilled to welcome Uri Kaufman author of Eighteen Days in October. Please join us for this meaningful program and discussion of Uri’s new book.
For more information, please contact Marcie Blackman at mblackman@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3808.
ABOUT THE BOOK
October 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, a conflict that shaped the modern Middle East. The War was a trauma for Israel, a dangerous superpower showdown, and, following the oil embargo, a pivotal reordering of the global economic order. The Jewish State came shockingly close to defeat. A panicky cabinet meeting debated the use of nuclear weapons. After the war, Prime Minister Golda Meir resigned in disgrace, and a 9/11-style commission investigated the “debacle.”
Uri Kaufman argues, from the perspective of a half century, the War can be seen as a pivotal victory for Israel. After nearly being routed, the Israeli Defense Force clawed its way back to threaten Cairo and Damascus. In the war’s aftermath both sides had to accept unwelcome truths: Israel could no longer take military superiority for granted—but the Arabs could no longer hope to wipe Israel off the map. A straight line leads from the battlefields of 1973 to the Camp David Accords of 1978 and all the treaties since. Like Michael Oren’s Six Days of War, this is the definitive account of a critical moment in history.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A graduate of New York University School of Law, Uri Kaufman is an award-winning real estate developer, specializing in adaptively restoring historic buildings. He has worked on this book for over twenty years, visiting the battlefields, speaking to participants, and reviewing literally thousands of pages of material. He lives with his family in Lawrence, New York.
INTERVIEW WITH URI KAUFMAN
We sat down with Uri Kaufman to discuss his book ahead of the event on October 12. In this brief interview, Kaufman discusses his own memories of the Yom Kippur War, why this book required twenty years to bring to life, the story’s relevance for modern Jewish audiences, and why the conflict is “a story for the ages.” Watch the interview below! A link to a full transcript can be found underneath the video.
