With the Israeli elections just days away, Israeli voters are making their final decisions about the party and candidates they will support. Or maybe they are just deciding what to do with an unexpected mid-week day off (Election Day is a public holiday, after all). What is pretty certain is that very few Israeli voters will…
The inaugural conference on the topic of “Israelis and Jewish Peoplehood” drew 250 people this week to Beit Hatfutsot in Tel Aviv to discuss the theory and the practice of Jewish Peoplehood in the context of Israeli society. Organized by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education and Beit Hatfutsot – the Museum of the Jewish…
Continuing our series of resources for educators based on films from the students at the Ma’aleh Film School in Jerusalem, check out our discussion guide for the short drama, “The Divide”, a film by Tzvi Yehuda Herling. The movie tells the story of Kobi, who has defied his parents wishes by joining the Israeli army. Now…
In this talk from the JDov series, Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-HaLachmi argues that the future of Jewish Peoplehood depends on three questions that are being discussed in contemporary Israeli society, and beyond. Watch the 15-minute talk here. Discuss the following questions: Discuss each of the questions raised here. How does each one address or reflect…
As a kick-off to our new series of movie resources, based on the engaging and stimulating short films from the Ma’aleh Film School in Jerusalem, we are excited to share with you a link to the movie “House no. 103”, a story of a community and family struggling with crisis. Movie: House no. 103 – a…
The recent war just like any war before also raises issues relating to the Jewish people as a whole. Below are a few questions and issues I have been grappling with in these difficult days. We would love to hear your insights: Solidarity – when Jews are in trouble their sense of solidarity rises to…
The current crisis in Israel has educational ramifications for Jewish educators everywhere. We encourage you to explore some of the big issues with your students and constituents, from a Peoplehood perspective. Here are some topic ideas, based on some reflections in our recent blog posts: 1. Big Questions. Read Shlomi Ravid’s recent blog post about…
The current, on-going crisis in Israel, has been making me reflect on lots of things lately, about Jewish values, the centrality of the State of Israel, the nature of violence and oppression. But mostly it makes me think of my family. My immediate family (some of whom live in Israel and some of whom live…
There are many ways in which to understand why and how Israel is significant for Jews. Some argue that it is the Promised Land; it is a refuge from persecution; it is the realization of secular Jewish nationalism; it is the hub for Jewish culture and innovation. Each of these approaches reflect a set of…
At this time of year, following Passover, the Jewish calendar is full of celebrations and commemorations that highlight the national aspects of being Jewish. Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) are powerful and rich expressions of Jewish Peoplehood, and offer many educational opportunities to explore…
“Who is really here for who?” The question resonated for the whole group, as they sat in their specially-built temporary structure (a sukkah of sorts), in the northern Negev. It was Friday night and the 41 participants in the “Tribal Fire” program (in Hebrew Medurat Hashevet) had reached a level of open communication that the…
The Center for Jewish Peoplehood interviewed Alon Friedman, CEO of Hillel Israel about the work of his organization and why Jewish Peoplehood is so central to its mission. How did Jewish Peoplehood become so central to Hillel Israel? Choosing to focus on Jewish Peoplehood was part of a thoughtful strategic process that we went…