# Event Details - **Event Name**: Book Lecture: The Israeli - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 04 Feb, 2026 at 05:00 pm – Wed, 04 Feb, 2026 at 06:00 pm - **Event Description**: Author Phil Kurata joins Dr. Ritchie to discuss The Israeli, a novel reimagining spy Eli Cohen in the post-WWII Middle East.About this EventAbout the Lecture:The Israeli, a novel by veteran journalist Phil Kurata, is set in the years 1947 to 1965, after the end of World War II, when in the Middle East, newly independent countries were shaking off the colonial powers of Britain and France. It reimagines the life of famed spy Eli Cohen. Beginning in Alexandria, Egypt, it transitions to a nascent Israel and then to Syria, where Cohen spies for the Israelis. Steeped in the food and the culture of the Middle East at that formative period, it takes a hard-eyed view of racism and prejudice on both the Israeli and Arab sides. It takes the reader on a deep dive into the intractable and often vicious conflicts that split the region today.About the Speaker:Phillip Kurata is a novelist and former journalist who grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, and earned a bachelor’s degree in French literature and a master’s degree in Asian Studies from the University of Kansas. He studied at the University of Tunis in the mid-1960s, and—as a fluent French speaker—he returned to Tunisia as a Peace Corps Volunteer and a public health educator. He got into journalism while studying Chinese in Taiwan, writing for the Far Eastern Economic Review. He later worked for United Press International, Agence France Presse and Voice of America in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing, France, and Washington, DC.Phil served for many years as a writer with the U.S. Department of State, based in Washington, DC.His first novel, The Reluctant Agent, was published by Washington Writers’ Publishing House as the Fiction Prize winner. His most recent novel, The Israeli, published in 2024, is a fictionalized story of the legendary Israeli spy, Eli Cohen, and examines the destructive power of ethnic hatred.Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie is a forensic psychiatrist with special expertise in military and veterans’ issues. She has been Chief of Psychiatry at Medstar Washington Hospital Center since 2018. She retired from the Army in 2010, after holding numerous leadership positions within Army Medicine, including Psychiatry Consultant. She trained at Harvard, George Washington, Walter Reed, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and has completed fellowships in both forensic and preventive and disaster psychiatry. She is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Georgetown University, and George Washington University School of Medicine. An internationally recognized expert, she brings a unique public health approach to the management of disasters and combating mental health issues. Her assignments and other missions have taken her to Korea, Somalia, Iraq, and Cuba. She has over 250 publications, mainly in the areas of forensic, disaster, suicide, ethics, military combat psychiatry, and women’s health issues. Recent volumes include: “Forensic and Ethical Issues in Military Behavioral Health”, “Women at War”, “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Related Diseases in Combat Veterans”, “Intimacy After Injury: Restoring Sexual Health on Return from Combat”; “Psychiatrists in Combat, Clinicians Experience in the War Zone”, “Gay Mental Healthcare Providers and Patients in the Military: Personal Experiences and Clinical Care” and “Clinical Management of the Homeless Patient: Social, Medical and Psychiatric Issues." - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/washington/book-lecture-the-israeli/100001564102836689 - **Event Categories**: health-wellness, art, literary-art, nonprofit, mental-health - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 1068.91, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Washington - **state**: DC - **country**: United States - **location**: The Institute of World Politics, Commodore Barry Room - **lat**: 38.910504 - **long**: -77.03606000000002 - **full address**: The Institute of World Politics, Commodore Barry Room, 1521 16th Street Northwest, Washington, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Book Lecture: The Israeli - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/8ef3dc9f5239f303f0fb1435d83a9c71f036af23097751ab335d9c9d2904b2c4-rimg-w631-h1000-dc2e348a-gmir.jpg?v=1761852518 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Book Lecture: The Israeli being held? - **A:** Book Lecture: The Israeli takes place on Wed, 04 Feb, 2026 at 05:00 pm to Wed, 04 Feb, 2026 at 06:00 pm at The Institute of World Politics, Commodore Barry Room, 1521 16th Street Northwest, Washington, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Book Lecture: The Israeli? - **A:** Book Lecture: The Israeli is organized by The Institute of World Politics. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Book Lecture: The Israeli is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Washington, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Book Lecture: The Israeli sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Book Lecture: The Israeli", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/8ef3dc9f5239f303f0fb1435d83a9c71f036af23097751ab335d9c9d2904b2c4-rimg-w631-h1000-dc2e348a-gmir.jpg?v=1761852518", "startDate": "2026-02-04", "endDate": "2026-02-04", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/book-lecture-the-israeli/100001564102836689", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "The Institute of World Politics, Commodore Barry Room", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "1521 16th Street Northwest", "postalCode": "20036", "addressLocality": "Washington", "addressRegion": "DC", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "38.910504", "longitude": "-77.03606000000002" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Author Phil Kurata joins Dr. Ritchie to discuss The Israeli, a novel reimagining spy Eli Cohen in the post-WWII Middle East.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-05-14", "availabilityEnds": "2026-02-04", "validFrom": "2026-05-14", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "1068.91", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/book-lecture-the-israeli/100001564102836689" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-05-14", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-05-14", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/book-lecture-the-israeli/100001564102836689", "price": 0, "name": "General Admission" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-05-14", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-05-14", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/book-lecture-the-israeli/100001564102836689", "price": "108.55", "name": "Sponsorship Ticket ($100)" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-05-14", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-05-14", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/book-lecture-the-israeli/100001564102836689", "price": "535.38", "name": "Sponsorship Ticket ($500)" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-05-14", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-05-14", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/book-lecture-the-israeli/100001564102836689", "price": "1068.91", "name": "Sponsorship Ticket ($1,000)" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Institute of World Politics", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/the-institute-of-world-politics/22540152", "description": "The Institute of World Politics is a graduate school of national security, intelligence, and international affairs, dedicated to developing leaders with a sound understanding of international realities and the ethical conduct of statecraft, based on knowledge and appreciation of the founding principles of the American political economy and the Western moral tradition." } ] } ] ```