B'Rehov Rupin

One of the many things I like about Tel Aviv is the street names. There is a Syrkin Street, a Spinoza Street, even a Jean Jaurès Street. A great intellectual or fighter for social justice behind every street. Needless to say, I was delighted and honored to learn that my street is named (appropriately enough) after a sociologist. And not just any sociologist, but "The Father of Jewish Sociology," Arthur Rupin (1876-1943). What's more, Rupin founded the sociology department at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where I will be teaching this semester. Surely it's no mere coincidence that I'm living on Rupin Street. It's a sign, as my friend T. would say, and so I have enthusiastically added Dr. Rupin's 1934 book The Jews in the Modern World to my spring reading list.

Sharing my excitement about this discovery, my friend M. proclaimed Rupin "the Bill Sewell of Israeli sociology," and my friend J. wrote: "That's incredible, a sociologist and a Zionist!" Soon they'll rename the street after me, she said, "the last true Zionist living in Tel Aviv." Call me old-fashioned.