The Israeli School Model for Judaism as Culture
in Memory of Supreme Court Justice Haim Cohn

Looking ahead to the future of cultural Judaism

The Israeli School was established as a response to the crisis of Jewish identity in Israel and the world and as a result of concern for the stability of Israeli democracy due to religious anti-democratic positions espoused by many Israeli citizens.

The first Israeli School model was established in 2007 in the Beit Hakerem School located in Jerusalem.

The Israeli School’s educational philosophy emphasizes three primary components:

1. Judaism as Culture – A broad approach that sees Judaism as a diverse, changing, innovative and unique culture like all other cultures. 
2. Jewish-Democratic Perspective according to which the values of human freedom and sovereignty are part of Judaism and even a natural product of the spirit of Jewish culture that has existed for generations.
3. A Renewed Outlook on Way of Life according to which Jewish ways of life that express a connection to Jewish tradition and a deep commitment to values of human respect and freedom should be strengthened and nurtured.

The Israeli School promotes the general revitalization of Jewish life on the basis of identification with Jewish culture and its core democratic values, thus creating a challenging model that will influence the education systems in Israel and world Jewry on a whole. In effect, this is the creation of a non-religious option for the expression of a comprehensive Jewish identity.