The notion that Jewish identity is connected with the desert has a rich tradition in scripture, theology and history. The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick will present The Ruth and Alvin Rockoff Annual Lecture on Thursday, September 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Douglass Student Center, Trayes Hall, 100 George Street, New Brunswick. Yael Zerubavel, professor emeritus of Jewish studies and history, Rutgers University, will discuss her new book, “Desert in the Promised Land: Nature, Settlement, and the Politics of Space,” which explores the multiple meanings of the desert as both a geographic region in Israel and a symbolic landscape in Zionist and Israeli culture.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Parking is free but vehicles must be registered online. To RSVP for the lecture and to register your vehicle, contact the Bildner Center at [email protected] or 848-932- 2033.