Special Independence Day Edition
May 6, 2008
Martin Ben Moreh is Director-General of NIF grantee Meitar – The College of Judaism and Culture, which works with non-Orthodox Israelis to raise awareness of Jewish traditions and strengthen Jewish identity. Based on the Diaspora model of communal solidarity, Meitar helped forge six Jewish communities around pluralistic Jewish values and empowerment of the individual. Ben Moreh immigrated to Israel from Scotland in 1970 and assumed his current position in 1999.
When you look into the future what is your greatest fear?
What most frightens me is the lack of solidarity in Israel - between Jew and Jew, secular, traditional and Orthodox, and Jew and Arab. Israel is losing its Jewish soul in the name of privatization and harsh capitalism. In 1977 we were the most egalitarian country in the west, while today we are the least egalitarian. It seems that we have lost our sense of fairness and ability to be a modern Jewish democratic state.
What are the biggest challenges facing Israel?
To retake ownership of our Jewish identity and the moral high-ground and become a nation that “does unto others as we would be done by.” We must reconnect Israelis with their roots and to the Jewish world. It is dangerous that we seem to have lost touch with the Jewish values of pluralism, humanism and compassion. But Israelis are looking to reconnect with the Jewish world.
What gives you hope for the future?
I see thousands of Israelis and an emerging leadership looking to change the course of Israel through the Jewish community model and its pluralistic Jewish values and sense of solidarity.
Dr. Varda Shiffer is Director of the Mandel Center for Leadership in the Negev. She served for many years on NIF’s Board of Directors, is a past Chair of the Grants Committee and was Co-Chair of the Programs Committee. She continues her connection with NIF as a member of the International Council.
When you look into the future what is your greatest fear?
I am more fearful of internal developments than external threats. What upsets me most is that we have completely lost our sense of righteousness. It was once important for us to prove that justice was on Israel’s side, but now it is a case of might is right. We have become a more insensitive and racist society.
What are the biggest challenges facing Israel?
We must dramatically decrease the social gaps between rich and poor. We must halt this process of indifference to justice and bring back a sense of caring and ability to compromise both within Israeli society and with our neighbors. We must strengthen democracy and an understanding of the role of the individual in democracy.
What gives you hope for the future?
However much of a rational person I am, I still have a mystical belief in the ability of the Jewish people to survive. I draw hope from an emerging young leadership of worthwhile people who have vision and values and can make the courageous changes that Israeli society must make for its future survival.
Rabbi Grigory Kotler is the coordinator of the (Reform) Progressive Rabbis' Council in Israel. Born in Ukraine, he immigrated to Israel in 1991 and became the first Russian-speaking new immigrant Reform rabbi to be ordained at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. He formerly served as NIF’s Grants Officer and continues to sit on NIF’s Pluralism Committee.
When you look into the future what is your greatest fear?
I do not like to think in terms of fear; it creates negative behavior and paranoia. I prefer to think in terms of problems that must be overcome. I don’t like to rank problems because we are threatened from within and outside and both are important, but I think that the growing social gaps within Israel are pulling us apart and comprise a bigger threat than our neighbors.
What are the biggest challenges facing Israel?
I think the biggest challenges are to ensure that all Israelis – new immigrants and veterans, Jews and Arabs, receive proper and equal health, education and welfare services. Many NGOs are now providing the services that the government should be providing. We saw this during the second Lebanon War. But the real role for NGOs and the challenge facing us is to pressure government into providing these services.
When gives you hope for the future?
I believe we will survive despite our leaders. I believe in the quality of our people who will eventually realize that we must close the gaps – the economic gaps, the social and ethnic gaps, and the regional gaps between the center and the periphery.
Dr. Shlomo Fischer is the Founder of Yesodot, which promotes education for democracy in State Orthodox schools. Fischer immigrated to Israel from New York in 1976 and set up Yesodot shortly after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 to advance respect for democracy among the country’s Orthodox population.
When you look into the future what is your greatest fear?
What most scares me is that increasingly there is no room for a Liberal Zionist position. Young Israelis do not understand the concepts enshrined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. Today more and more Israelis think that if you are in favor of human rights and a two-state solution then you are disloyal to the State. This is unacceptable and if not checked will lead to the end of democracy.
What are the biggest challenges facing Israel?
The biggest challenge is to overcome the overwhelming alienation of Israelis from all walks of life to the political system. This includes all sectors from Bedouin to Gush Katif evacuees and from Ethiopian immigrants to the citizens of Sderot. I think local initiatives through grass-roots NGOs can play an important role and be a catalyst for a national political restructuring which will produce politicians who will be genuinely accountable.
What gives you hope for the future?
I think Israelis have a dogged resilience, which will enable them to continue to search for and find solutions. Despite all the problems, most Israelis have not lost faith that there may be social and political solutions that are not readily visible. In particular there is a lot of creativity and good will to find those solutions.
