Adam Scott Bellos, or in Hebrew אברהם שמואל בן–דוד, or by his pen name אחד אדם, is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a senior at the University of Arizona studying Judaic and Near Eastern Studies. Prior to Arizona, Adam studied Zionism, Jewish history, and the Arab‐Israeli conflict at Tel Aviv university, and prior Tel Aviv he lived in Chicago producing live improv theater, his show "Sitcom Live" still holds the opening day recoded for most seats sold on an opening night at Theater Building Chicago . Adam has had the opportunity to study intensely with many professors on his campus and in the field of Judaic and Israel studies, and is currently working on a thesis concerning Israeli discourse on the effects of the intifada, the Oslo accords and Anti‐Semitism within Palestinian nationalism. Adam also recently finished a study on the Palestinian Identity and narrative with Palestinian Nationalist and Anti‐Zionist Scholar Maha Nassar. On campus Adam is an active writer of Jewish themed slam poetry, runs the holocaust education program and is the head activist for Israel for his University’s Hillel, and holds a seat on their board of directors. As well Adam has been published numerous times in his schools newspaper “The Daily Wildcat”combating Anti‐Zionist and Anti‐ Semitism propaganda. He is involved with fundraising as well for the University’s Chabad and just completed his term teaching Sunday school for 4th and 6th graders at a local synagogue in Tucson. Finally, Adam is also a part of the JNF’S future leaders program where he spoke at the national convention in Philadelphia, and just returned from Israel for the second time on the JNF’s alternative break programs to Israel. After graduation, Adam plans to return to Israel to complete his education, literacy, and fluency in Hebrew and Arabic and enter into the masters program at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Adam’s Paper: "L’Dor Va’Dor: The ancient ethic of the importance and spiritual strength of the Jewish identity" - Presentation on his essay stems from his Kavana over the last year. Adam will present his belief that the Jewish people will once again be faced with the same obstacles that every generation of Jews are faced with. Here he will present what he believes is to be the major challenge for his generation of the Jewish people, and how they should overcome their generational task, which is to revitalize the Jewish Identity amongst the Diaspora and to increase the connection between Jews in exile to the Land of Israel. His presentation and essay deal with the problem of the loss of Jewish identity amongst the global Jewish community in which he believe is related to the rise of many things all working together to destroy what keeps the Jewish people together which, is their identity. The forces in which he will touch on are Assimilation, intermarriage, consumer culture, and the global rise in both Anti‐Semitism and Anti‐Zionism. The title of his essay is called לדור ודור : the ancient ethic of the strength and spiritual power of the Jewish identity.
This presentation was delivered at the Sinai Scholars Academic Symposium 2010. The Sinai Scholars Symposium is a yearly conference for university students, hosted by the Sinai Scholars Society. Students from around the world gather with an esteemed panel of Ivy League professors, world-class Torah scholars and experts in their field to study, discuss and present their thoughts on various subjects that deal with Judaism and the modern world. Each student prepares an academic paper which they present to their colleagues and a panel of judges.
Paper: L’Dor Va’Dor
