Dr. Yaron Friedman

I graduated at the Sorbonne University in Paris and wrote my Post-Doc at the University of Haifa. I studied my BA in Middle Eastern Studies and Arab Language and Culture at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. My field of research is Shi’ism and the Alawi sect. I have published Encyclopedia entries, articles and two books. My first book (Brill, 2010) focused on the history, religion and identity of the Alawis in Syria. This kind of monography was published before only in 1900, and significant sources became available more recently. My second book (Brill, 2019) is the first thorough study in research on the Shi’is in Muslim Palestine (and modern Israel). Although the focus in my research is on the medieval Islam, I am also dealing with modern topics in my studies. The monograph on the Shi’is in Palestine includes the Ottoman and modern periods. My publications also include an article on the civil war in Syria and I am actually working on another article about the Alawis in the civil war in Syria.
Arabic instructor
During my studies I included teaching certificate and in addition to my academic work, I am also an instructor for colloquial and modern standard Arabic. I always considered the Arabic language as the main tool for every study of the Arabic and Muslim world. I did not study Arabic only in formal institutions, but also as an autodidact, mainly colloquial Arabic dialects. I have worked as a Arabic-Hebrew-English translator for foreign reporters (mainly The Baltimore Sun) and visited the West Bank several times. I had intensive contact with the Arab students and scholars during my PhD studies in France. I have taught in Sorbonne – Paris IV and Lyon – Lumiere Hebrew and Jewish culture. I had many students from Arab countries as from North Africa, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq. From these contacts I have studied much about our region and improved my conduct of Arabic.
Commentator on the Middle East
I have worked as a Middle East commentator in YNET for the last nine years and publish every weekend my newsletter in Hebrew “this week in the Middle East” based on the Arab media. During my work as commentator, I have covered the turbulent events of the civil war in Syria. I am working on a book that will sum up my articles, my thoughts and my conclusions concerning this period.

Useful Links
My personal site: https://sites.google.com/site/learnspokenarabic/home?authuser=0
Ynet articles in English
Ynet articles In Hebrew
My newsletter: Middle East Weekly from The University of Haifa
Subscribe to my newsletter  
My articles in The Times of Israel

Contact

Address: Eshkol Tower, floor 15, room 1504 Office hours: Sunday, 12:00-13:00, upon appointment

Email: dyitamar@yahoo.com

Phone: 04-8249068