Ezra Kopelowitz Ph.D.

Research Success    Technologies Ltd.

Shlomi Ravid Ph.D.

Center for    Jewish Peoplehood Education

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Executive Summary

The survey data presented in this report show that there is a developed field, in that a core group of people are committed to common goals, share similar life stories in terms of their entry into the field and have contact with one another. Dozens of organizations are committed to this field, employing staff for the purpose of Peoplehood, investing substantial budgets, running dedicated programming, all with the goal of impact on Israel society. However, in many critical areas the Field is still in a nascent state. We focus on two specific areas for field development that are vital, if the Field is to deeply impact Israeli society and change the manner in which Israeli Jews relate to the global Jewish People.

1: Leadership Development

Critical to any field is leadership. The mapping of the field reveals that its greatest asset are its leaders, a group of individuals who are deeply committed to advancing Jewish Peoplehood. In order to grow this cadre of leaders we recommend: (1) dramatically expanding alumni engagement through alumni programming and engaging former Shlichim; and, (2) providing career development opportunities and professional development training and support, including leadership development tracks, networking frameworks and support for entrepreneurs.

2: Reaching the Broader Israeli Public

While the numbers involved in the Peoplehood field are growing, they are small compared to the larger Israeli population. Not enough Israelis in positions of public leadership and authority are aware of and involved in the Peoplehood field. For Peoplehood to infuse the Israeli public sphere and reach all Israeli Jews there is a need to articulate an understanding of Jewish Peoplehood that resonates with the broader Israeli public.  For that purpose, there is a need to further articulate and interpret Peoplehood, so it speaks to Israelis in general and the work of professionals in the different areas of Israeli public life in particular.

We recommend working to establish Peoplehood as a guiding principle for Israeli public institutions by: (1) creating sector focused networking and professional development opportunities; (2) creating sector focused collaborations between funders, educators, activists and influencers; and (3) professionalizing the field.