Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

Last week the Reut Institute presented its work on the future of Israel’s relationship with the Jewish world at the General Assembly of the Federations of North America in Washington DC. This presentation was part of the Peoplehood track, organized by the Nadav Fund.

The project presented offers a conceptual framework of the changing relationship between Israel and the Jewish world, from an Israeli perspective. It outlines the ‘old covenant’ upon which the relationship was built, and analyzes the changing reality that has led to a growing rift between the two communities.

The paper concludes that Zionism needs to ideologically evolve into 21st century ‘New Zionism’ by blending the concept of ‘peoplehood’ with its nationalism, and that the relationship must focus on areas where meaningful partnerships can be established.

The five pillars of the new covenant include:

• Building and developing a network of prosperous and resilient communities throughout the Jewish world and in Israel;
• Promoting the Hebrew language;
• Ensuring the future of Israel as a secure, prosperous, democratic state that ‘embraces’ Judaism in its private and public spheres;
• Adopting Tikkun Olam as the mission of the Jewish people;
• Preserving, developing and disseminating our unique Jewish heritage and culture.

In the coming few months, we plan to collaborate with different organizations on the ground in order to implement this vision.

Related Links

Executive Summary of Project

Powerpoint Presented at the GA