Spreading “Baseless Love” Throughout Israel Tisha B’Av, which commemorates the destruction of the Temple due to sinat hinam (baseless hatred), is a perfect time for the Yachad Program for Jewish Identity to promote baseless love, Jewish unity and reflection on the frictions and animosities facing the Jewish people today The three weeks between the 17th …
Building Identity and Creating Community For many secular Israelis who wouldn’t think of entering a synagogue or participating in “religious” activities, the Yachad Program provides meaning – as well as an outlet that empowers them to explore their Jewish heritage and even pass it on to their children. “Israelis who are religious have a much …
Bringing People Close “At a time when restrictions still prevent our Yachad facilitators from bringing community members to programs, we are bringing all programs to them.” Lag B’Omer, Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) and Shavuot, like all Jewish holidays, are typically celebrated in large groups – singing around a bonfire, dancing in the streets of Jerusalem, …
From Baseless Hatred to Baseless Love The Yachad Program for Jewish Identity operated meaningful Tisha B’Av programming throughout Israel designed to bring contemporary relevance to a seemingly archaic Jewish observance As Israel prepares for its second round of elections, it seems that hatred, stereotypes, and rifts among different segments of the population have never been …
Opening the Window to Spirituality Shabbat in Israeli society is often viewed as a day of conflict, not a day of rest. The perception amongst many secular Israelis is that the religious are unwilling to allow any public transport or the opening of any public places of entertainment, thereby forcing many people to stay at …
How was this Pesach Different? For generations of Jewish children, one of the highlights of the Pesach Seder has been standing on a chair and reciting the Four Questions. And yet – in the Jewish state of Israel – the concept of the Ma Nishtana does not ring a bell with many young children from …
“Go, gather together all the Jews…” (Megillat Esther, 7:16) – Celebrating Purim Together Though gourmet Hamantaschen make their appearance in the trendiest Israeli bakeries and everyone dresses up for the holiday, Purim for many Israelis has little meaning beyond face-painting or getting intoxicated. How can we connect Israelis with no interest in the synagogue to the …
Read moreYachad Jewish Identity Coordinators: “Go, gather all the Jews…”
Tu B’Shvat: Celebrating Shared Roots In this generation, the holiday of Tu B’Shvat may be more important than ever. Where Jews traditionally ate dried fruits of the Land of Israel to demonstrate our yearning to return, today we also eat ripe fruits, to illustrate the abundance and blessing apparent in our return to Zion. Together, …
Thousands of Israelis across the country are being brought together this Chanukah (and all year round!) through innovative, appealing initiatives run by the Yachad Jewish Identity program’s Jewish Cultural Facilitators all over the country, from the northern border with Lebanon all the way down to Eilat. Each person comes with their own light and quickly discovers …
145,000 Israelis Embrace New Year with Joy, Meaning and Unity OTS’s Yachad Program for Jewish Identity brought the beauty of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah to more than 145,000 Israelis this year through their annual “Holidays are for Everyone” initiative, designed to ensure that Jewish traditions are accessible and meaningful for all …
Read more145,000 Israelis Embrace Heritage with Joy, Meaning and Unity
Prior to Simchat Torah, Jewish identity coordinators from the OTS Yachad Program brought a Torah scroll to secular Israeli schoolchildren, encouraging them to take ownership of their sources and their heritage. #HandsOnLearning#YachadMeansTogether#TheTorahSpeaksToEveryone#SimchatTorah#OTSLearningLivingLeading
Shofar to Come to Hundreds of Parks Throughout Israel “Shofar in the Park” will bring the spirit of the festival to more than 200 parks, central squares, community centers and public spaces throughout Israel. BY JPOST.COM STAFF September 5, 2018 On both days of Rosh Hashana, Ohr Torah Stone network’s “Yachad” program will run the “Shofar …
