Jewish Identity
In recent years, however, there has been a flowering of initiatives and organizations that offer non-orthodox channels for Jewish expression. At least sixty organizations are currently involved in pluralistic education and teaching, as well as in the facilitation of diverse rituals and practical alternatives for a pluralistic Jewish lifestyle. SFI supports these efforts to explore the Jewish religious, cultural, and philosophical heritage in a modern and open environment.
Grantees at a Glance
Alma, the Home for Hebrew Culture in Tel Aviv, seeks to acquaint Israelis with the wealth of Jewish heritage and to promote Hebrew culture as a meaningful, living element of the identity of Jews in Israel and in the Diaspora. Alma operates an educational institution for adults in the field of Hebrew culture, trans-cultural change agents in this field, and serves as a creative source for renewed and contemporary Hebrew culture. Our support to Alma helps to extend key events on the Jewish calendar to large numbers of Tel Aviv's largely secular population.
Hebrew Union College – Jerusalem Campus
Expanding on the Schusterman family's involvement in Reform Judaism in the United States, SFI is committed to strengthening Progressive Judaism in Israel and the Former Soviet Union (FSU) through Hebrew Union College's (HUC) training and professional development of Progressive Rabbis. Since 2003, the Schusterman Family Foundation has been involved with the Israel Rabbinic Program, which trains Reform rabbis to serve various Israeli constituencies. They have also been supporters of the FSU Rabbinic Infusion Program. This program strives to cultivate the next generation of FSU rabbis, educators and professional communal leadership by providing these communities with Russian speaking Rabbis and rabbinical students to serve in congregations and youth seminars, ultimately creating opportunities to bolster and cultivate native professional and lay leadership.
Expanding on the Schusterman family's involvement in Reform Judaism in the United States, SFI is committed to strengthening Progressive Judaism in Israel and the Former Soviet Union (FSU) through Hebrew Union College's (HUC) training and professional development of Progressive Rabbis. Since 2003, the Schusterman Family Foundation has been involved with the Israel Rabbinic Program, which trains Reform rabbis to serve various Israeli constituencies. They have also been supporters of the FSU Rabbinic Infusion Program. This program strives to cultivate the next generation of FSU rabbis, educators and professional communal leadership by providing these communities with Russian speaking Rabbis and rabbinical students to serve in congregations and youth seminars, ultimately creating opportunities to bolster and cultivate native professional and lay leadership.
Meytarim has created an educational environment where religious and non-religious students can openly learn together. Their goal is to impart a Jewish education that will be based on Jewish law and tradition as a starting point for discussion, with a non-coercive approach that permits pluralistic expression of students' Jewish heritage. The Meytarim Network provides an alternative to existing national education and national religious education in its curriculum, educational activities and programs.