Erin Darby
The speaker for Lunch with the League on Tuesday, May 1, will be Erin Darby, assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Tennessee. Her presentation will introduce attendees to the modern history of Jerusalem and explain its political, cultural, and religious significance, including its role in regional and international conflict. She was scheduled to speak at the January 16 meeting, which was cancelled due to the weather.
The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
Darby is also co-director of the ‘Ayn Gharandal Archaeological Project in southern Jordan, and she leads the UT Dig Jordan study abroad program. An expert in the archaeology and texts of the Middle East, she has traveled extensively in the region, conducting research in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus, and Syria, a press release said.
Darby is a founding member of the Partnership for the Academic Study of Early Judaism, the East Tennessee Hebrew Reading Group, the Annual Arab Fest Cultural Fair, and the Tennessee Initiative for Middle Eastern Studies, the press release said.
Lunch with the League is a public service program open to the community. Membership in the League of Women Voters is not required, and there is no cost to attend.
The presentation will begin at noon Tuesday. Lunches are provided by the Soup Kitchen and are available at 11:30 a.m. on a first-come basis for $8, or you may bring your own. Coffee and tea are provided.
The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, a nonpartisan political organization for men and women, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy, the press release said.
Leave a Reply