Annual Assessments

2013-2014 Annual Assessment

2013-2014 Annual Assessment
No. 10

PROJECT HEAD
Dr. Shlomo Fischer

CONTRIBUTORS
Avinoam Bar-Yosef, Nadia Ellis, Sylvia Barack Fishman, Avi Gil, Inbal Hakman, Michael Herzog, Antony Korenstein, Dov Maimon, Asaf Nissenbaum, Steven Popper, Shmuel Rosner, David Saks, Noah Slepkov, Shalom Salomon Wald, Einat Wilf

EDITORS
Barry Geltman
Rami Tal

We would like to thank Prof. Gideon Shimoni, Prof. Uzi Rebhun, and Dr. Deborah Bolnick
for their contributitons to this Annual Assessment

2013-2014 Annual Assessment

Examining the Parameters for Advancing Israel-Diaspora Dialogue

JPPI recommends deepening and institutionalizing a permanent Jewish people dialogue mechanism for coordination on Israeli decisions that affect the Diaspora, and on decisions taken in the Jewish world that affect Israel. In this regard, and pursuant to the broad consultative project that the Institute held this year on the Jewish world’s views about Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, during the coming year, the Institute will hold another round of seminars in communities around the world as well as an annual conference of leaders from Jewish organizations, communities, and academia.

The discussions will focus on the main issues and challenges by relating to the five dimensions critical to the Jewish people’s thriving: geopolitics, community bonds, identity and identification, material resources, and demography. Particular attention will be given to ensure pluralistic settings, the involvement of the younger generation and new initiators in the field, and appropriate gender representation.

At the conclusion of the process, the Institute will submit a report to the government and to Jewish leadership around the world, including detailed recommendations on strengthening and updating the consultative mechanism, and on the main parameters that should be focused upon.

Explanation
Development of a formal mechanism for dialogue between Israel and the Diaspora is necessary in order to:

  1. Preserve the unity of the Jewish people in an age of “free choice” in which the possibility of building and adopting other identities is widely available.
  2. Ensure participation of the next generation in Jewish life and in contributing to the community.
  3. Strengthen and develop Israel’s character as a Jewish and democratic state and as the core state of the Jewish people.
  4. Advance Israel-Diaspora relations and those between communities around the world in a way that cultivates and preserves the value of shared responsibility as expressed in the statement: “All Jews are responsible for one another” [b. Sanhedrin 27b].
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