Islam is a global factor with which the West must deal. What are the bases of the faith? What exactly does it say about women? In what way does the status of women differ from that of men in belief and practice? What is the impact of Islam in Europe and the US today? What is the portent for the West? How should the West respond? These and other issues will be addressed in this topical talk. ? Buntzie Ellis Churchill served for 23 years as President of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, hosting dozens of world leaders from Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher to Henry Kissinger and George W. Bush. During her tenure she lectured frequently to national and local organizations and annually con¬ducted two or three educational trips to more than 75 countries. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, she has served as a trustee of many non-profit organizations, including Drexel University, and has been awarded several honorary doctorates. For a decade she hosted World Views, a daily radio show, interviewing experts on international issues. In 2006 she co-authored, with Bernard Lewis, the doyen of Middle East historians, “Islam: the Religion and the People.” Their “Notes on a Century: Recollections of a Middle East Historian” was pub¬lished in May, 2012. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she is, she reports, the mother of two almost perfect children. The popular Jewish Center lecture series continues as well-known writers, artists, scientists, educators and other scholars share their insights and learning. Preceded by lunch at noon in the social hall, the programs, including questions and answer periods, generally conclude by 1:20 pm. The lectures are open to the public, so plan to bring a friend along with a dairy or parve lunch. (No meat or shellfish, please.) Coffee, tea and cookies will be provided.