DOING GOOD
IN THE WORLD,
IN AMERICA
AND IN ISRAEL

by BEN MURANE

T here can be no doubt about the enthusiasm that young Jews possess for social-justice issues. Like American youth at large, young Jews are civically engaged. They identify their Jewish values as nearly synonymous with American values. It’s no surprise, then, that the Jewish social-justice sector is engaging a commanding portion of young Jews. There are Jewish initiatives across the full spectrum of social causes: workers’ rights, women’s issues, the environment and many others.

Whereas the central themes of past generations of Jewry have focused on existential issues, this generation is asking a new set of questions: “What do I do with my privilege, power and affluence? Is Jewishness contributing to my impact and significance in the world?”

This presents interesting consequences when we seek to engage young Jews with Israel. For a variety of reasons, engaging this generation with the homeland of the Jewish people has proven elusive. The latest evidence is the first study of young Jews’ volunteerism, Volunteering + Values by Repair the World, which revealed that Israel as a cause is ranked fourteenth on a list of respectable goodwill concerns (Chertok, F., Gerstein, J., Tobias, J., Rosin, S., & Boxer, M. Volunteering + Values: A Repair the World Report on Jewish Young Adults, 2011). Dozens of studies describe this distancing from Israel and a plethora of theories explain why.

In our work at New Israel Fund, we believe there is a missing link between the passion of young American Jews for social justice and existing Israel engagement opportunities. And we’ve found that bridging the gap between Israel and social justice allows for many more young Jews to relate to Israel.

“Engagement” has traditionally consisted of advocacy efforts to defend Israel’s standing, and financial support has always been raised for hospitals, schools and religious institutions in Israel. But these causes typically avoid policy and criticism of Israel’s elected lawmakers. This is at odds with a generation accustomed to critical treatment of its government and of the global community.

Also, education about Israel often focuses on the miracle of Jewish statehood and avoids thorny issues such as Jewish-Arab disparities or Orthodoxy’s role in state religion. Many feel that such “airing of dirty laundry” could damage Israel’s tenuous standing. But this has been widely acknowledged as a great disservice to students, who discover difficult topics later in life, often during debates about Israel’s legitimacy. They feel misled and let down. Israel — a country like any other, with social ills of its own — fails to match their idyllic childhood vision.

This last point is particularly important. According to a study by Frank Luntz, Israel in the Age of Eminem (The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, 2003), young Jews want more opportunities to think and question on their own terms; they reject groupthink; and they are suspicious of voices they view as partisan. The report also recommends that discussion of Israel relate to American parallels and invite American participation.

How do we overcome these challenges? How do we foster a relationship that encompasses an imperfect reality?

First, we must encourage open discussion of even uncomfortable issues. In early 2008, the education department of the Jewish Agency approached the New Israel Fund to produce an event, reaching “beyond the choir,” for young Jews engaged in social justice but not in Israel. Together, we created an incredibly successful dialogue series facetiously titled “Love, Hate and the Jewish State.” The events feature no speakers or prescribed conclusions, merely a space for Jewish youth to process their many conflicting feelings. The four pilot events saw 300 participants who were otherwise not likely to engage with Israel. It was cosponsored by eighteen Jewish social justice, online and spiritual groups, most of which studiously avoid Israel topics. The response from participants and partners was electric, emotional and often transformative. We witnessed firsthand the severity of their unmet needs for open discourse.

Second, we must include a robust conversation about improving Israel within our Israel education. Between 2008 and 2009, Taglit-Birthright Israel provider IsraelExperts partnered with us to conduct a half-dozen trips focusing on social-justice issues. In addition to visiting sites like the Western Wall and Masada, participants also met with Israelis active in social issues. They discovered that a desert Bedouin shantytown without water or electricity was a world away from the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv. Under different circumstances, making comparisons to the poverty of New Orleans could be quite risky for Israel. But here, the experience translated directly to Hillel trips in which participants volunteered in Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath. The shared-value bonds they built with Israelis were far more powerful than photos of Masada at sunrise.

Finally, we need to provide opportunities to participate in improving Israel. Groups like Otzma, Yahel and New Israel Fund offer year-long programs sponsored by MASA to serve Israeli communities. Some of these programs involve direct services like teaching, and others involve interning at the Israeli equivalent of the ACLU. Back at home, there are many creative ways to remain engaged. This year, some 100 American Jewish lawyers joined their Israeli colleagues in recommending that the Knesset reject a bill that would negatively impact the freedoms of migrant workers. At the invitation of Israeli activists and organized by the New Israel Fund’s young leaders, Americans were given a chance to support Israelis in a shared cause. Again, this experience was more generationally meaningful than sending a check or planting a tree.

These approaches bridge an otherwise awkward gap between Israel and social justice. They provide heretofore absent paths for engagement for the chief interests of young Jews. And when confronted with instances of Israel’s shortcomings, participants are neither surprised nor disappointed. Instead, they are inspired by Israelis working for a better society. They become active participants in the ongoing project of the Jewish state. And even more important, they actually help Israel become a better, more equal and more desirable homeland for all its inhabitants. ■

Ben Murane is the Director of New Generations in New York, New Israel Fund’s vibrant 20s and 30s activist community. New Israel Fund is the leading organization promoting social justice and equality for all Israelis.

DOING GOOD IN THE WORLD, IN AMERICA AND IN ISRAEL

by BEN MURANE

DOING GOOD
IN THE WORLD,
IN AMERICA
AND IN ISRAEL