THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE (ESTABLISHED BY THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL)

1
THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE(ESTABLISHED
BY THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL)
Alternative Futures for the Jewish People
Dr. Dov Maimon
?"? ???? ???"? 29.11.2013
2
THE JEWISH PEOPLE BETWEEN THRIVING AND DECLINE
The future of the Jewish people is not assured,
though there are great opportunities for
thriving.
Strategy Required
Serious threats
Massive resources
3
MAJOR CHALLENGES

• Triangular Relationship Israel-Washington-World
  Jewry
• Global Actors Shift from USA to Asia
• New Modes of Jewish Engagement
• Israel-Diaspora Distancing
• Networking of Small Communities

Threats
Strategy
Resources
4
Planning for the Jewish People?
SWOT Trends Indicators

• ANALYSIS

Simulations Scenarios

• IMAGINATION

Recommendations Consensus building

• STRATEGY

5
THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE(ESTABLISHED
BY THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL)

1. Historical perspective
2. Alternative futures methodology
3. The 21st century identity challenges
4. Findings from field research
5. What could be done?

6
THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE(ESTABLISHED
BY THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL)
Historical Perspective
7
Pre-national identities
Russians
Jews
Germans
Poles
Ethnicity is the primary belonging
8
Pre-National State
The ethno-religious community is the primary
frame of reference
Individual
9
Modern National State
State citizenship is the primary frame of
reference
national state
Community
Individual

• The community lost its prerogatives/coercion
  power
• The State replaces the Religious Community as the
  primary frame of reference

10
The Enclave Reaction

1. Cultural fortress
2. Social segregation

dominant culture
Community

• Low coercion power
• Personal choice

Individual
11
Alternative Futures Methodology
12

• Alternative Futures Drivers
• External Drivers
• Geopolitics
• Global Society
• Global Economy
• Global Demography
• Global Cultures
• Science Technology

13

• Alternative Futures Drivers
• Jewish Momentum
• Leadership
• Identity
• IsraelDiaspora Relations
• Hard and Soft Power
• Demography
• Economics

14
Diaspora Scenarios
Jewish Momentum


Self-Isolation
Defending
Thriving
External conditions
Acceptance
Dying
Drifting
15
External Conditions negative
External Conditions positive
Jewish Momentum high
DEFENDING
THRIVING


DRIFTING
NIGHTMARE
Jewish Momentum low
16
Communal positioning
Jewish Concerns High Jewish Concerns High General Concerns High
General Concerns High
General Concerns High
Jewish Concerns Low Jewish Concerns Low General Concerns High
General Concerns Low
Shaping Strategy High Profile in Jewish and
Israel advocacy issues High Profile in general
population concerns (local hunger, illiteracy,
Tikkun Olam)
Hedging Strategy High Profile in Jewish and
Israel advocacy issues Low Profile in general
population concerns
Low profile Strategy Low Profile in Jewish and
Israel advocacy issues Low Profile in general
population concerns
Assimilation Strategy Low Profile in Jewish and
Israel advocacy issues High Profile in general
population concerns
17
Jewish Identity Challenges
THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE(ESTABLISHED
BY THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL)
18
Jewish Demography
USA-CANADA
EUROPE
42
9
FSU
3
ISRAEL
42
LATIN AMERICA
3
OTHERS
2
95 of Jews live in the wealthiest countries 52
of Jews live in five urban areas Israel as the
largest community Small communities disappear
19
Enlarging the Jewish circle
Core community
20
Major Trends

• Numerical decline
• Internal Demographic Shifts Haredi and
  Israeli high birth rates
• Multiple identities Studying Talmud and eating
  lobster on Friday night
• Believing without belonging
• Modular Family models
• Polarity Ghetto and Assimilation

21
(No Transcript)
22
Modern Jewish identity
Religious
Rituals
Meaning creation
Community
Tikkun Olam Meaning
Jewish Peoplehood Belonging
Historical/Parental Memory
Israel
Culture
Secular
23
What sorts of things turn People away?FINDINGS
FROM FIELD RESEARCH
24
What sorts of things turn People away?

• Negative connotations and stereotypes
• Burden
• associated with coercion, emotional blackmail,
  collective duty. Duty to marry Jewish, to support
  Israel, to contribute...
• Communal management
• Mega-donors saga, ego driven power struggles,
  old boys club, parochialism, Internal Jewish
  divisions, lack of unity.
• Bad image of Israel ('not in my name").

25

• Negative connotations and stereotypes
• Communal institutions
• Insular and unwelcoming. Lack of entry points to
  feel Jewish without conforming to the existing
  norms.
• Ethnic in-group ties
• perceived as politically incorrect". Being
  particularistic is perceived as chauvinistic and
  outdated.
• Don't want to be separated
• Will to be away from the ghetto, insularity and
  self righteousness defense attitudes.
• Judaism is a religion
• and young people are disgust with religion
• Are these findings relevant in my JCC?

26
What could be done at the local level? Local
initiatives
27
Emergent New CommunitiesHow do they overcome
the negative stereotypes?
28
CREDO, PRACTICES AND CONTENT
Inclusive, egalitarian, and non exclusively
Jewish Religious traditionalism and social
progressivism (LGBT) Acting Jewishly for
non-Jewish causes (Tikkun Olam)
29
CREDO, PRACTICES AND CONTENT

• Not obsessed by Shoah memory, Israel advocacy and
  Jewish survival
• Exodus liberation and covenant of Sinai
  narratives
• Universal (non-tribal) shared memories
• ? A positive content driven Judaism

30
GROUP DYNAMICS

• Strong social ties and mutual caring community
• High personal investment and frequent attendance
• Significant weeklong and shared activities
• Warm communities with a common credo

31
LEADER PROFILE

1. Jewishly well-educated
2. Highly affiliated upbringing
3. Strong Israel experience
4. Strong networks
5. Transnational experience
6. Hebrew familiarity

32
What could be done at the global
level?Israel-Diaspora initiatives
33
First insight Old forms of belonging are not
relevant anymore to the majority of young Jews
FINDINGS FROM FIELD RESEARCH
Implication We need to enlarge and diversify the
offerings of Jewish engagement
34
Second insight Most breakthrough Jewish ways of
engagement were created by outsiders
FINDINGS FROM FIELD RESEARCH
Implication We need to encourage new initiatives
and overcome Jewish establishment resistance
35
Third insight We do not know what will be the
meaningful ways of belonging tomorrow
FINDINGS FROM FIELD RESEARCH
Implication We need to provide space to allow
young people to pursue their own personal
journeys to Judaism
36
Fourth insight Lack of relevant positive content
FINDINGS FROM FIELD RESEARCH
Implication Israel-Diaspora partnership to
develop a common and shared core of meaning and
behaviors (such as Hebrew, J. Literacy and world
service)
37
Cultural shifts and the JCC

• Jewish
• Exclusively Jewish? Israel or Peoplehood? Jewish
  content?
• Community
• Community building and ethnic ties being
  perceived as politically incorrect, should C
  stand for Cultural instead of Community? Pick
  and mix or membership?
• Center
• JCC without walls. Do we need specific premises?
  Efforts should be invested in activities not in
  real estate.

38
Responding to JCCs Challenges

• Responding to population relocation
• Consider a financial engineering toolbox to allow
  real estate relocation

39
Responding to JCCs Challenges

• JCC competitive advantage
• A politically and religiously neutral ground
• Implications
• Non-denominational weekly Torah study lessons,
  with lecturers from orthodox, reform,
  conservative and secular backgrounds.
• Brainstorming sessions for communal debates
• Space for young adults breakthrough initiatives
• Non-denominational services
• Post BirthRigth-Taglit programs

40
To be followed

• I will hopefully provide you with additional
  insights at our concluding session. Please share
  with me your perspectives.
• And of course
• Comprehensive strategic analysis and concrete
  recommendations will request an in-depth JPPI
  study.

41
Just remember

• Religion declined not because it was refuted
  but because it became irrelevant, dull,
  oppressive and insipid.
• The synagogue must be the place where we
  confront the most profound questions of
  existence
• Abraham Josuah Heschel