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:
Judaism as Culture – A broad
approach that sees Judaism as a diverse, changing, innovative and unique
culture like all other cultures.
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.
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.