The Iran deal. Support for Israel. Liberalism and conservatism.

These are among political issues dividing the American Jewish community that are exploited to garner votes, says Samuel G. Freedman, a religion columnist for The New York Times, author and professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Freedman will present his lecture “Pigskin Isn’t Kosher: American Jewry as Political Football,” at 7 p.m. March 22 at Palmer Commons Forum Hall. This Frankel Center for Judaic Studies’ 26th Belin Lecture in American Jewish Affairs at the University of Michigan opens with a 6:30 p.m. reception.

Two Nobel Laureates to appear at U-M symposium

Five prominent scientists, including two Nobel Laureates, will share the stage March 25 when the University of Michigan’s Center for RNA Biomedicine holds an inaugural symposium.

Titled “Can RNA Answer It All? From the Origin of Life to a Future of Personalized Medicine,” the event will feature 2006 Nobel Prize winner Craig C. Mello and 1993 Nobel Prize winner Phillip A. Sharp.

It is from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 25 in the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Sciences Research Building, 109 Zina Pitcher Place. To register for the symposium or join the Center for RNA Biomedicine, go to www.umichrna.org.

The event is sponsored by the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.