Catching Up with the Federation's Israel Committee

The Federation’s Israel Committee works to ensure that the Federation’s Israel impact strategy is in tune with current needs in Israel, aligned with our community’s values, and informed deeply by Federation staff’s expertise and knowledge on the ground in Israel. Inspired by President Reuven Rivlin’s “four tribes” speech, the current Federation mission in Israel is to strengthen Israel as a pluralistic, democratic, and shared society with equal opportunity for all its citizens.

Every 18 months, this committee embarks on an Israel Consultation trip to experience the impact of the work firsthand, build relationships with partners and Israel office staff, and continue to learn about and discuss the latest issues. The Israel Committee spent time in Israel in January 2019 meeting with thought leaders that inform our work, and seeing exciting projects like Collective Impact, First 1,000 Days, and Tebeka. They also got to know our Gvanim fellows on a personal level and attended an energizing convening of all the Israel grantees. Finally, this trip also included sessions focused on the Israel-diaspora relationship through the eyes of leaders such as journalist Zvika Klein; Rabbi Gilad Kariv, CEO of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism; and former member of Knesset, Dr. Einat Wilf.

Two participants share their experiences on this trip below:

"The Strength of Our Strategy in Israel," by Adam Eilath

"Making a Difference That Matters," by Steve Ganz

For more information on the Federation's work in Israel, contact Rachel Barton.