Rabbinic training programs in Israel today lack serious instruction regarding the social roles of the Rabbi. Instead, these training programs emphasize the study of Jewish laws relating to Shabbat, Kashrut, and ritual purity, while knowledge of social issues and conflicts within Israeli society are not taught. However, these Rabbis can play leading roles as advocates for social change; when they realize these roles, our communities and our society will be strengthened.
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Jewish Pluralism in Israel began in the Kibbutz movement in the 1960s and grew with the arrival of immigrants from the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. This Jewish renewal movement sought to breakdown barriers between religious and secular Jews in Israel, creating a strong, unified Jewish State. Recently, these pluralistic Jewish institutions have expressed a need to outreach to new populations who previously were not exposed to the world of Jewish pluralism in Israel. One such population is Traditional or Masorti Jews.
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Israeli university and college students today are active on and off campus. They explore new opportunities, develop personally and ideologically, learn about the world around them and consider different career paths. Despite their busy schedules, Israeli students have a youthful enthusiasm and a strong motivation to volunteer; they are at an ideal point in their lives to learn about social activism and to contemplate their multi-faceted identity.
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When Young Israelis turn 18, they have the option to defer their mandatory army service (3 years for men, 2 for women) to volunteer in social and community programs in underserved communities in Israel through the youth movements they belonged to in high school. Annually, some 1600 young people from all over Israel opt for a National Service Year (NSY) program.
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Kemach study groups meet throughout the academic year in approximately 30 weekly sessions, that include up to three family holiday study events, an expanded circle, an open community event, a full-day field trip/seminar, and a large ‘happening’ for all the groups.
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