Is Zionism Still Relevant for the Next Generation? With Tova Birnbaum, Director of the North America Region of the World Zionist Organization (WZO) Recorded Tuesday August 12at 7:30-8:30pm EDT Facilitated by: Lauren Katz, Hadassah Policy Associate LAUREN KATZ: Thank you for joining us, we'll be starting momentarily. Make sure to register on the Livestream if you'd like to ask us any questions. All right. Thank you, everyone, for joining us. My name is Lauren Katz, I'm Hadassah's policy associate in the PRAZE division, which stands for Programming Advocacy Zionism and Education, and I want to thank everyone for joining us, those of you who are joining online and here at Hadassah House in New York. It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to this third session of Hadassah's online Defining Zionism in the 21st Century Speaker Series, and we're absolutely honored to have Tova Birnbaum with us today. Tova is the central Shlicha and the director of the North America region of the World Zionist Organization Department of Diaspora activities. So if there's anyone who is joining us who hasn't joined our series before, let me explain that Hadassah's defining Zionism series was developed to create a welcoming opportunity for everyone to explore Zionism through a variety of perspectives. As we heard through the last two opportunities of our series, there are many different definitions of Zionism, and we don't all agree, but the goal of our program is really to create a safe space so that we can have these open conversations and really explore these different perspectives of Zionism in a respectful and constructive way. So we do ask that you listen, and be respectful during this conversation, both in your commenting and questions today, as well as when you continue that conversation both in your local community as well as online. And as a reminder, we do encourage you to ask questions of our presenter Tova. For those in the room we encourage you to please use the index cards that have been placed on your chairs. When you've completed those questions you can pass them forward and we will ask them of Tova. And for those of you, many of you around the country joining us online, as an additional reminder please register through Livestream, and once you register there will be a chat box on the side of your screen, this will allow you to ask questions, so that they can be recorded and passed forward so that we can ask them of our presenter. So we're so pleased to have Tova with us today, and she'll be talking about perspectives on the Zionism and the next generation, or our generation, and what that really means for the future of the Zionist movement. In addition to Tova's role as the director of the Department of Diaspora activities, she's also the director of the WZO New Voices Fellowship which is an education and leadership training program for Jewish young adults, which is an opportunity for respectful, provocative, open discussion about Israel, social justice and Zionism in the 21st century. So I have had the privilege, I was an inaugural member of the first class of Voices Fellows here in New York and I've had the privilege to work with and learn from Tova over the last several months. Additionally, Tova is one of the founders of the Secular Yeshiva at the BINA Center for Jewish Identity Hebrew culture and social justice in Tel Aviv; Tova is a teacher of Talmudic Rabinic literature and a Judaic studies lecturer and a Feder Midrash workshop facilitator. She's passionate about Judaism as culture, and has been teaching at many pluralistic Judaic studies institutions in Israel. Tova is also a cultural Jewish ceremonies officiant. She's an actress and a Jewish performance artist who is primarily inspired by Jewish text and Jewish rituals, and has performed in art festivals both in the United States in and outside of Israel. Tova holds a B.A. in psychology and Jewish philosophy from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and an M.A. in theater from Tel Aviv University. She currently lives with her husband Yishay. Tovia, thank you so much for joining us, it's an absolute privilege to have you with us today.
TOVA BIRNBAUM: Thank you, really it's an honor, I'm so excited to be here, very, very excited to start. Thank you for inviting me. LAUREN KATZ: It's our pleasure. So we're very excited to hear your perspectives on what does Zionism mean for the next generation, is it relevant, how is it relevant, and where do we go from there. TOVA BIRNBAUM: So knowing these are very, very important questions, and first of all, the fact that they are asked, cannot take that for granted. Though questions are asked now more and more, I see that they already have, and it's very important. I'll start by explaining who am I. So a Shlicha basically I am a representative, an emissary of the State of Israel, I work for the World Zionist Organization, for the department for Diaspora activities. Tonight I'm not going to be the voice of WZO, tonight I'm going to speak as Tova. But something that is very, very -- you could see that very easily, the Department for Diaspora Activities, we put a mission in front of us, in the last three years, with our head of department, to actually try to provide opportunities for an open, safe discussion about Israel and, it sounds a bit presumptuous, to reshape the discourse about Israel. So I'm coming from the Jewish renewal and social change world in Israel, from the secular Yeshiva, so naturally I was part of the whole change that the department decided to do. You know, we cannot really start talking about Zionism before really talking about the present reality. I mean, I know that the all of us in the last two months were really connected to the media, and trying to first of all understand what is going on, and second of all, to understand whether what we understand is really what happened. A lot of questions, a lot of concerns, and a very, very, very heavy situation. Just, you know, I'm sure you all know that tomorrow there may be -- maybe they will sign in Cairo a long-term ceasefire, and that means easing the borders of Gaza. And you know, as a Shlicha, I am being asked all the time about all this war. This situation is really, really hard for Israelis, for Jewish Americans, for Jewish Diaspora all over the world, because you keep think about ethics, you keep thinking about dilemmas. And the Army, the IDF, had to face, has to face, is facing a lot of very, very hard dilemmas. We do that Israel avoided and spared the lives of a lot of Palestinians by deciding not only to attack only from the air or from the sea. We actually had our soldiers go into Gaza, and because we wanted to try to really hurt only the ones who really tried to destroy us. And that cost us a very, very big price. We actually lost 64 soldiers and officers, three civilians died, hundreds were injured. And of course we also know that 1700 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, and we're thinking that between 700 to 1,000 of those people were terrorists. So as you can see, this is a very, very pressing and hard issue. But I'm very happy that although things are so sensitive now, and so stressed, we do find the inner space, and the safe space, to talk about who we are, why are we going through all this, and try to talk to one another. So yes, as a Shlicha I keep being asked what is a reliable source of information, and how do I handle criticism. How do I advocate, how do I defend Israel. These questions are huge questions. And of course, smarter people than me have better answers. But what I want to do tonight is actually to talk about our conversation. The conversation within the Jewish community. And by that I mean the conversation inside the Jewish American community, and also among the Jewish people. American, Israeli, Diaspora Jewry. So I would like to explain why is it even a question, the discourse about Israel. And I'll talk right now about North America, as a Shlicha, things that I discovered, things that I was actually surprised to see. I really feel that sometimes some people don't feel the legitimacy to say -- what to ask. They want to ask questions, they have concerns. And the larger community sometimes doesn't know what to do when, for example, what if I support Israel, but not necessarily every part of its policy. So am I part of the discussion, can I talk about it, or I don't support Israel's policy but I care about Israel very much, it's part of my identity. Can I be part of the discussion? How can we really create safe spaces, how can we really create a language that will let us actually create discourses that are knowledgeable, that are respectful, and that are nuanced because we really need to understand the situation. And from my experience as a Shlicha, I keep saying that because I am an outsider, after all, and I'm trying to bring what I can do. And really try to create opportunities for more sophisticated discourse. I meet young people, students, young professionals, who feel respected when I respect them and trust them with the facts, with hard questions, with speakers, challenging speakers. And this is something that I'm trying to -- to combine, to collaborate with other organizations to really try to make the discourse about
Israel, especially in the young generation, more open, more deeper, more nuanced and maybe more sophisticated. But if I want to go even deeper, sometimes when there is no discussion about Israel, when the community doesn't talk about Israel, when a rabbi doesn't talk about Israel, when a healer decides not to talk about Israel, the reason may be not only the fact that I don't feel comfortable expressing what I feel. The reason could be also -- and I see that a lot as a Shlicha, a lot of people feel that they're not entitled. And really, I admit that struck me when I got this question the first time, am I entitled to speak about Israel. As an Israeli I was really surprised to I'm sure it would look very common to you but really as an Israeli who came here to be a part of the discussion into the Diaspora in America I was very, very surprised to hear the question about the eligibility. And doubting eligibility can come from I guess two main reasons. Some people say, you know, I am not going to suffer the consequences, I don't live in Israel, who am I to speak, who am I to suggest policies. This is really, really not acceptable. And what I want to say, and of course this is me as Tova, and I say that as an Israeli, as an Israeli who loves her country, as a Jew who loves the Jewish people, I think the Jewish people do suffer the consequences of everything that is happening in Israel. We see Israel as the state of the Jewish people. We want the Jewish people all around the world to feel that that is their place. So anything that happens there, everybody suffers the consequences. I can talk about security but I can talk about Jewish liberalism, you know, what happens in Israel influences everyone in the Diaspora Jewry. So this is something that maybe needs to be more processed and think about. Because people would say okay, that sounds very nice, but I'm not getting rockets launched at my house. But really if we have future opportunities to talk deeper about this, this thing of we are all together, Israel is ours, and this is -- you know, the way I see it, the Diaspora voice is crucial. It's very important. The fact that the Diaspora has a different reality makes the situation more complex. The Diaspora Jews can express difference perspectives from different realities, and it is very important. I don't mean by that that the voice of the Diaspora activity should be executed right away, but it has to be part of the discourse. It cannot not influence the discussion about what's going on in Israel. And the more I talk to Jewish Americans, I believe in that more and more. So I don't suffer the consequences, that would be one reason for people to try to avoid discussions about Israel. But I also hear all the time, I don't know enough. You know, my grandparents actually lived through those events of starting a Jewish State. My parents, they know about all the wars. I am young. I don't know enough, I will never know enough, and who am I to speak. This I hear a lot from American students, and you know as an Israeli, that surprised me too. This is very, very stereotypical. But an Israeli knows one detail about something, he would speak about it endlessly, he won't stop talking about it. But sometimes they feel that Americans, if they don't know the whole thing perfectly, they don't let themselves speak. And this goes even further, I think we can see that in many examples. But I will go to an example that is really, really part of me. As I told you, I'm part of the Jewish renewal community in Israel, I grew up very, very religious. I grew up learning Torah, but only part of it. I realize in a very, very old age -- 25 -- it is old -- what a pleasure it is to learn Talmud, and so on and so forth, talking about Zionist thinkers, and so on. It was a whole treasure of culture, Jewish Israeli culture that I discovered. And this is one example for me as a woman in a very traditional community, but we know that if we talk generally about women in the world, women being deprived of knowledge, women not getting an education, thus women cannot have a voice, thus have to be quiet. So you see there's a lot of relevance here. LAUREN KATZ: Relevance? TOVA BIRNBAUM: Relevance here, thank you, between really the amazing insights of feminism that I think that we can really, really try to exhibit in other things. And I would share with you another example about Beit Midrash, about House of Study. Again, I was part of the secular Yeshiva, it's a place where secular people, people who are not observant, in Israel come to learn Torah. Boys and girls going to the Army, people in their 30s wondering about how they want their house, their family to be, they want to be part of the discourse about what is a Jewish state. More and more nonobservant people studying Torah. And I'm sure to you guys it doesn't sound so special, but you know because it is so divided in Israel between observance and nonobservance, nonobservants opening Talmud and studying, enjoying it and feeling that it is relevant for them, this is a big deal. Because now they're part of the discourse about what is a Jewish state. How should a Jewish state have different ceremonies like chuppah, like brit milah, so on. I mention this because it's the
same thing I mentioned about women. It is, and I grew up like that, there is this thing that is just a common knowledge that there is a hierarchy in the Jewish text. If you didn't study Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, Halacha, if you did not study it in that order you cannot open a more recent book, like Ghonim from the 13th century, and learn. If you don't know the Torah very, very well, you don't even go to the synagogue to hear parashat, how can you open a Talmud? Everything in the Talmud is based on the Torah. This is how I grew up. So if you didn't start from the beginning, from age of three, through the process, you're done. You don't have a chance to be part of the discourse. And that is something that I want to really try to offer you, to suggest. Same thing about eligibility to talk about Israel. Same thing about women having voice, same thing about any person starting to study Torah. We need to try to detach the connection that is of course the most logical connection between knowledge and the right to speak. If we question that, I mean, we could go along with this but it's just a thought that I'm throwing out there, if we try to disconnect the obvious connection between knowledge and having a voice, if we really challenge it, we can go to very beautiful places. For example, when I teach Torah -- and I teach Torah to people who never opened a Jewish text. And we learned Talmud. That beautiful thing that are said, of course there must be a person who is knowledgeable who can lead the conversation, who can correct things that are not right, who can bring the facts, it's called Hebrew chidushei Torah, new things that are discovered in the Torah are because of those people who just look at the text in fresh eyes. And this is beautiful, this is -- this is really, really important. So yes, looking at Israel from a distance, and not really suffering the consequences, or not knowing every detail in the history, or not living the history of Israel, why don't we let those young people express themselves. What are we afraid of? What new and creative and different perspectives can we get from that generation. We can start educating the generation about Israel and then let them speak, but it's not going to happen, because we need to take them back before they just disappear, unfortunately. So this is something that I really wanted to stress, and please, give some thought to it. And if you want you can ask questions about it. And you know, we talked a lot about eligibility, and I also want to relate to another part of discourse between the young Jewish American generation and the young Israeli generation. I think there is such potential. I think we should address that opportunity. In so many ways. I want to share a few details, a few things that have happened in the past several years, I would say a revolution that happened in the younger generation in Israel. Something very, very dramatic changed Israel completely in one moment, when Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was murdered. It changed Israel completely in many, many ways. The secular Yeshiva was founded a few months after that and a lot of organizations really trying to have people talk. Why, because a lot of nonobservant people said if that person opened a Halachic book, if that person consulted with a rabbi, and that is what he decided to do, that is what -- that is what Judaism tells him to do, if that's Judaism, I don't want anything to do with Judaism. This was -- I was 18 at that time, and I felt this break in Israeli society. So that's about Judaism, it's about liberalism, about denominations. But when I'm talking about the young generation, in the last few years we really can see in our eyes something is changing. Not long ago, it was three years ago, summer of 2011 there was a huge social protest. Started in Tel Aviv and then was actually everywhere. In Israel and also outside of Israel. I'm not going to elaborate on that, but I'm going to say that that summer, the circumstances really became ready when that happened, 2011. But since then, Israel is different. Some of the people are very disappointed, they think nothing really changed. But it has changed tremendously. Dramatically. When there was a new Knesset elected just two years ago, 48 people out of the 120 members of Knesset were new. Almost half. Almost half of the Knesset, new faces, new people. Younger faces. Seven people under the age of 35. This is crazy. I mean, I'm Facebooking with these people, I know some of them personally. This is really a huge change. You can really literally come out from the tent in orchard boulevard and be next to the Knesset. That is really what happened. Another thing that we should not forget, more women. Every Knesset, there are more women. We still have a long way to go. Last Knesset, there were 19 women and this Knesset there are 27. So a bit more, almost a quarter. There's a lot to do in order to make it 50 percent. But that is a change. It is a change that we should acknowledge.
And another thing that you can say that I feel about my generation, my colleagues, my friends, some of them are actually looking for something new, and they're going back reading all kinds of Zionist thinkers, books, and they decided to take the word Zionism that sometimes here when I speak to young people, they say the Z word, they even don't want to actually say because it's -- they don't really know what that means, and they're afraid it's not really part of the discussion. So the Hasidic word sionot is being used again by young people who decided that the new sionot is settling the Golan, the Karmiel, the north and the south of Israel. You know, we know a lot -- a lot of faces in the reality of Israel is that the ideology was aimed into a very specific place. Those young people, they take the old terms, Zionism, sionot, pioneering, they call themselves pioneers, hashemah, which is a very Hebrew word, but it's realization, making something real. All these words are really, really old words, but my generation, it's not all of it, it's a very small part of it but it's really, really, really starting to make a difference, to find out what is Zionism, what is Zionism in the 21st century. Not only think about it and talk about it, also to do it. And there are beautiful, amazing places where Israelis, Arabs, Jews, everybody lives together, everybody is trying to understand, what is the Jewish state. What really -- what do we want to do here, and why are we here. So I'm just going to -- I'm going to end with a suggestion. That I'm starting to actually try to make it happen. I think the key for real discourse about Israel, about Zionism, about a Jewish State, needs to happen between the young generations in Israel and America. Young, social changed, people who are really dedicated to social change, here and there. People who can talk, when they talk about ideology, when they talk about their dreams, when they talk about how they want reality to be, in Israel and outside of Israel. We know that Judaism, liberal Judaism now is a lot about tikkun olam. So that could be a wonderful key, to really have young activists, young social activists here and there, meet and talk. Because all the organizations that I know in Israel, some of them could use the help. And some of them could use a lot of knowledge. And some of them really want the Diaspora voice. Just like the students that I work with are thirsty to meet more young Israelis and are attached by hearing their dilemmas, when they share their actual dilemmas. We hosted a young person, omed dilah, here he met our Voices group and he genuinely shared his doubts. He naturally did the right thing. Because one, two, three. That was such a powerful meeting for them. And you know, the Diaspora voice, the voices that come from outside of Israel, has changed Israel dramatically. If we think about Jewish feminism, if we think about Jewish liberalism, different denominations, the tikkun olam language is really coming from outside of Israel. Because what I see, and that is last thing that I want to mention, that also struck me as a Shlicha, and I realized it so clearly when I -- when I created more and more opportunities to talk. When I speak to Jewish Americans that are pro Israel, for them, for a lot of them, Israel is part of their Jewish identity. This is it, it can get sometimes very emotional because Israel is part of their identity, and part of their Jewish identity. This is a generalization, but most Israelis, I wish I was wrong, they don't really connect Israel with Jewish identity. Because Israel is a secular thing. Starting a country, starting a State, going to the Army, taking care of agriculture, it's secular stuff. The tikkun olam language, the tikkun olam language actually tries to use the Jewish language to talk about those everyday things. To really see that the discourse about Israel can be a Jewish thing. For Israelis it's not so clear. And that is another thing that I can -- that I can see that can add a lot to the discussion. So mutual dialogue between the young generation, the leaders of tomorrow, the young social activists, that could really make people feel okay, maybe I don't agree with all Israel's policy, but I can influence the reality of Israel. I can help. A small grassroot organization, or a small grassroot organization can learn from you, I can learn from them. And I can influence. I don't need to argue, maybe they don't allow me to talk, but I can influence by really, really connecting to other people in Israel. LAUREN KATZ: Wonderful. Thank you so much, that's a lot of information to think about. Let us jump into some questions, we've already gotten some. Let me remind everyone in the room, as well as around the country, to please submit your questions about topics Tova has discussed as well as other things that you wanted to know from her perspective as a Shlicha, or her perspective as an Israeli, and also from her experience working with the American Jewish community as well. So Tova, one concern that you had alluded to was the issue that especially right now during the time of crisis, that a lot of -- there's a lot of concern that maybe even if we have doubts about Israel that it's not appropriate to speak up, as well as it can be difficult, I
know from my perspective, that I have been put in several situations where I was asked whether I -- what I thought about Israel's policies, and I felt like it was necessary to explain what Israel was doing and why it was necessary to take the actions it has taken. Can we be effective advocates for Israel if we have disagreements. One viewer also wanted to question specifically with everything going on with anti-semitism, and the connections between anti-zionism and anti-semitism in Europe as well as around the world, should we be concerned that it's necessary to show support for Israel, and how do we tread that balance. TOVA BIRNBAUM: So I'm going to start with the end, and I'm going to start from my perspective as an Israeli working with young Jewish Americans. I'm going to start with the end, that if the answer is we need to support no matter what, maybe that answer is a good answer, but the young generation are out of the door already. If that's the answer, maybe it is, so we live in a very, very unfortunate time that the next generation don't really want that. They don't really want this very, very definite front, we all support Israel, no matter what. So I'm starting from there. And then, you know, I'm just suggesting really points on food for thought. How can we actually support Israel. I'm saying we, but I'm relating to the Jewish American community. How can we support Israel, but still create a nuanced and intelligent and liberal discussion. And if those things contradict, then we have to go even deeper. So those simple answers, you know, Israel is in war now, there's no way you can say anything, anything to jeopardize its survival. There is definitely -- it's very different talking to other communities. You know, talking outside of the Jewish or Israeli community. Inside the Jewish and Israeli community, the discourse must change. And also, really help the young people really face the allegations and the really, really hard things that I have to face. Not only by the advocacy level, but also by real knowledge, real relation, to the content. Because sometimes I feel that unfortunately we -- we don't see the difference between Israel, Israel advocacy, and Israel education. It's very different. And we sometimes forget. And first people who really know what to say, but they're asked another question, they know nothing, this is really dangerous. So I know that my answer is just -- you know, inviting people to think about it a bit more, but I am suggesting that there must be other answers. LAUREN KATZ: And one viewer actually commented that as we do these conversations it's really necessary to branch out into smaller types of communities who don't always have the opportunities to have these more nuanced conversations. Especially in areas that have very small Jewish community, and the conversation can often be very, very focused and not have the opportunity to expand. And I do want to share specifically that that is part of why Hadassah is doing a Defining Zionism online and why it's captioned so it's available to all communities and all constituencies, so that's really the goal of our program. We thank your views as well, and that validates what we're trying to do. TOVA BIRNBAUM: And also I want to suggest what we do, the WZO, we create groups that are called safe space. It's double meaning, because in Israel when there is the red alert, everybody runs to the safe space, merhav mugan. But we create a safe space. And that is really exactly what you described. Groups of people, who sometimes don't have opportunities to speak, to talk, to exchange ideas about Israel. So I suggest all of you, to create safe spaces. I am very, very happy to help, to help with techniques, to help with content, to help with how to actually really make those conversations relevant, and sophisticated enough. Safe spaces. Let's just create more and more safe spaces for people to express what they think, what they feel, their concerns, their questions about Israel. LAUREN KATZ: So that actually leads into a question that I really wanted to ask you. I know we've spoken in the past about defining moments and about how people have different perspectives on Zionism. So I know the Holocaust is a really big defining perspective on how people view Zionism and view Israel. Sometimes that's generational, but not always, I know that for some young people who are -- have Holocaust survivors in their family that can also be a big perspective. So I was curious, how do you approach facilitating a conversation when you know that people are
coming to it from such different perspectives. Specifically, with views about the Holocaust, and how we have views about Israel. What do you do to help start that conversation, so that you can help people from different perspectives see each other's side. Not necessarily agree, but understand where they're coming from. TOVA BIRNBAUM: I think the general attitude again, that's my way of doing things, I'm just suggesting, helping people coming from different perspectives. You gave this really important example, as the Holocaust. The fact that people are different, the fact that people coming from different perspectives, the fact that people feel differently, the fact that people can express different emotions about things, it's a good thing. It's not a bad thing. It's not a problem that I need to solve, that one person really is -- the Holocaust is really part of their -- the way they see Israel and interpret everything that happened in the world, and someone else, not really. You know, it's other things. Okay. This is great material. This is wonderful. I mean, this is the essence of Judaism. The machloke, it's not only intellectual, it's also emotional. Because that is something you cannot prove, you know, it's different. Someone feels X, someone feels Y, it's beautiful. It's beautiful and it's important. So it must be facilitated by professional people. I want to stress that, it's very, very important. That's why I'm offering my help. But machloke is beautiful. Different perspectives is beautiful. When I have a group that they all came from the same kibbutz, they all wear the same stuff, and they think the same, so boring. It's really, really not interesting. So. LAUREN KATZ: So we have another question from one of our viewers. Why is it so important for young American women and men to care about Israel? What does it benefit their lives, what does it benefit Israel, why should the Jewish Diaspora, and specifically the young American Diaspora, why should we have a connection to Israel. TOVA BIRNBAUM: So it's a wonderful question, and I'm very happy that it's here on the surface. Why should we care. Sometimes we start the conversation from way, way after. Of course, we all are pro-israel, let's continue, let's talk about in details. But this question, to actually question the fact, why should I care, I think it's very, very important. And of course, the answers are very different. Of course, I cannot come up with an answer, this is why the young Jewish generation should care about Israel. I think that what we need to try to do, as leaders, as educators, as parents, as teachers, we should try to offer different ways to connect with Israel. We don't need to tell them that they have to care about Israel. We just need to offer them, to provide them, with different ways to plug in. And what is even more important, and I cannot stress that enough, we need to respect them. We need to actually create conversation, real conversation, that we come up with a question, and we really don't know what's going to happen in the next hour. So why should they care? There's so many answers for that. People are different. Backgrounds of people are different. But how should I be exposed to Israel. How can I express my thoughts and questions about Israel. That's the way -- that's where we have to start. And hopefully, that way can actually lead us to a generation that is more caring and is -- does want to be part of the discussion of what is the Jewish state. LAUREN KATZ: So you had spoken about in the beginning that from your perspective as a Shlicha who has a lot of experience working with the American Jewish community that you see the value in having Americans part of that discourse, and you think that we have a role. But what do most Israelis think? What do they think about Americans talking about Zionism, what do they think about Americans who want to have opinions and viewpoints about Israeli policies? What is our role, and what do most Israelis think that role should be? TOVA BIRNBAUM: So your assumption is that my view is not the view of most Israelis. That I think it's crucial, and we cannot handle anything without the voice of the Diaspora. What Israelis think about the eligibility or entitleness of Diaspora to express their opinions and suggestions, it's really a question that I don't think I can answer it right now, and I think it's fascinating. But you
know, sometimes you just need to do something, instead of asking whether it's okay. Just make it happen. And I think it's very interesting, because once the people from outside of Israel, we not feel outsiders, and really start to engage in the conversation, and really start to say what they think and not what they're supposed to think, then the Israelis will join. Because that will be a real thing. LAUREN KATZ: So we have another question, I know we talked a bit about the social movements in Israel regarding the social issues, economic and equality, that have happened in Israel, as well as quandaries among the American Jewish community about Israel's foreign policies. But we didn't really speak much about what do young Israelis think about the peace process, and the conflict. The specific question that we got is what is the current post-y2k Israeli generation, how do they view the ethnic origin claims by the Arabs from Gaza and the West Bank. The Arab identity and the role of Israel in that history and the process of moving forward. TOVA BIRNBAUM: Of course again there is no date, there are a lot of communities, a lot of different people. What I do think is that the Israeli community is starting slowly, slowly, to talk about different narratives, to talk about the fact that each community has its own story, each nation has its own story. And that is a fact that needs to be acknowledged and addressed So that one simple but not simple thing at all, to talk about different narratives, to talk about the Jewish narrative, to talk about the Palestinian narrative, this is starting to be part of the discussion, and this is huge. You know, and everything that happens influences everyone, I cannot say how, but I can say generally that the conversation is starting to be more and more complex. More and more nuanced. And you know, this reality that young people are called back to the Army Reserve, and have to find -- they find themselves a month away from home, and, you know, thinking about stuff, you would think those people would change their mind, would change their views. I don't know if that happened, but I do know that it's restarted the conversation from a different perspective. And what I think is very important for us as leaders and as educators which is crucial, is to talk about Israel. Also, when there is no -- you know, it's relatively quiet. Because now it's pressing, and the young people are asking questions, and I see a lot of programs for teachers to actually help them find ways to speak about Israel. We have to speak about Israel always. At the same -- in the same excitement, in the same understanding of how important it is. And anything, everything that happens, to be part of the discussion, not to be a need to fear. LAUREN KATZ: So we have a question, what does -- why does Israel need our help right now, and how best can we help them. And from your perspective are there specific ways that Hadassah can show its support, both our members and as an organization, to support Israel moving forward. TOVA BIRNBAUM: So of course there are so many ways, but I want to share with you an experience that I've had a few years ago, I came to visit a friend of mine who had a baby, and in the bed next to her -- LAUREN KATZ: At our hospital? TOVA BIRNBAUM: Of course. At Hadassah Har Hazofim, it was close to the university, very convenient. And this is -- you don't need to speak, this is reality. She was there with her little baby, and in the bed next to her, there was a Palestinian woman with her baby. And it could be such a simple and not important situation. For me, it was huge. I really looked at it and thought okay, this is real life. People in the real life, patients, doctors, nurses, they work together. I see that in the Hadassah Har Hazofim, this is really a significant part of Hadassah hospitals. So really for example bringing young people, young Americans to see that, to experience that, to have internships in those hospitals. Just live this reality, you know, it's about life and death it's about sick people who want to be healthy. This is it. And it doesn't matter who they are and where they come from and what their story is. So this is just one example that crossed my mind. But of course so many others. LAUREN KATZ: It's a wonderful example, and that's absolutely what Hadassah sees as our role both in Israel
as well as part of that conversation in the United States, because we can show our examples of Hadassah is that bridge to peace in the Middle East. And we have those real world examples that supporting Israel and supporting Hadassah is a direct lead to achieving peace in the Middle East, and understanding the real life nature of what that real life situation in Israel is. How people really live, how they communicate. And it's a great opportunity for Hadassah to really share that with young people, and we think that it's a great engagement opportunity. Obviously we encourage those who aren't familiar with Hadassah to learn more about us, as well as Hadassah members, and leaders around the country, that it's a great opportunity for you to really reach out to a young community who wants to understand more about how life in Israel really is, and how the different populations interact day-to-day. Okay, so let me check my -- TOVA BIRNBAUM: Wow, a lot of questions. LAUREN KATZ: We have lots of questions. So let me share another question that we wanted to check -- oh. So the American Jewish community, specifically the young Jews and the Israelis, we've talked about some of the commonality and the differences. As you move forward, what should we as American, young American Jewish community, what do we have most in common with Israelis that we should focus on. And what perspectives are we most different that we should learn more about. TOVA BIRNBAUM: I love this question. I think it's a great start for a really -- a real dialogue. So what I see, and of course this is from my perspective, I see young people in Israel and in America asking the same questions. Really trying to find new meaning to old terms, trying to find their own voice, trying to influence things according to their views and so on. So this is common, this is something that we can actually start with. Asking questions, and asking -- this is reality. I see it all the time. I work, I worked many years with young Israelis, now I work with young Jewish Americans. The questions are the same questions. And the fact that maybe Israel is part of a different part of their identity, because sometimes American Jews really see Israel as a crucial part of their Jewish identity, and Israelis, some of them see it differently, feel differently about it. Generally, the Jewish value, the Jewish language, needs to be -- you need to work on that, and how people are more connected with their Jewish identity in Israel. That is a very big difference. I think it's a fascinating difference. I think starting to realize that, and realize what that means, is wonderful. And can really make a progress. And I want to actually offer a common language. Maybe it's not for everyone, but as I mentioned before, I know young people who are really trying to -- to take Israel to the next phase, and they're using the old words of Zionism, and pioneers and hagshama, and maybe that could be a common language. Maybe young people here in America, just like in this program, that are really trying to find new meanings in Zionism, who want to feel the legitimacy to be Zionist, and decide different decisions about where they start their lives, where they decide to live. Trying to define Zionism again together, trying to go to those old, beautiful words, and ask whether they're relevant to us, whether they connect with the questions that we ask. Maybe that could be a start. LAUREN KATZ: I think that's a great idea. So we have one final question before we wrap up, and keep it brief, but I think it will be a great question. It's how can we encourage more young American Jews to visit Israel. We've all heard about the successes of Birthright, and I think that's something that everyone is trying to figure out how can we translate that into engagement, once young American Jews come back from Israel. But what do you think is the best way to encourage young American Jews to take any opportunity to go visit Israel, and then to translate that into engagement in the Jewish community moving forward? TOVA BIRNBAUM: I think the most important part is what you said in the last few words. What happens after that visit. Visiting Israel is important, it's a very, very significant experience, it's everything. But what does it mean. And I think that's where we should focus. We should make sure that those visits are meaningful. That those visits really can help them plug in. That those visits really will stay with them, and influence their views, their lives in the future.
So that is where we need to start, and I know there's so many different programs and different -- different ways to really bring young people to Israel. But just focus on the purpose, focus on what is exactly the experience that the young person is experiencing, and what is he or she going to take with him or her after. And I can give a very simple example, Hebrew. Hebrew, but I mean Tel Aviv Hebrew. I mean, you know, ma nishma sabada, or ani rotzah bira, I want a beer. They don't say can I have. It's I want a beer. No. It's very stereotypical. But Hebrew could be a wonderful way for people to stay connected, to really try to make an effort to maintain the Hebrew that they've picked up. If it's in a 10 day trip, five months, or 10 months, programs, this is something that I hear all the time. Hebrew. Hebrew could be a really, really great tool. To make people more active about -- you know, about their experiencing Israel. We at the World Zionist Organization, launched a year ago a program called tachles. LAUREN KATZ: Tachles means concrete, tactical, tools, correct? TOVA BIRNBAUM: That's straight to the point. What is very interesting about this program is we don't teach grammar, we only teach verbs, we teach nouns, we teach adjectives. We really don't care when a person is just starting to learn Hebrew, a person who picked up a few words and wants to continue, we don't care about aleph, elif, el, we really don't want to make them -- you know, the misery of trying to remember all those different -- LAUREN KATZ: It's about connecting them to the issue and to the -- TOVA BIRNBAUM: It's about words, vocabulary. You can say an entire sentence, it will have no meaning grammatically, but the essence is there. So the person that you're talking to knows what you mean, although it's not grammatically -- it's not correct grammatically. So that's that list, and I'm -- we're thrilled because it's very successful. Young people really enjoy having this tachles program, it's about how to bargain in the shuk, how to walk around in Tel Aviv, and really thoughtless things that really connect them with Israeli culture, with current Israeli culture. LAUREN KATZ: That's a great point to wrap up on, obviously. Everything that we've been discussing is about how to connect young American Jews to Israel and to young Israelis, and it's really about their experiences and how we can give them those personal experiences so that Zionism can be relevant for them today. So Tova, thank you so much for joining us today, it's been an absolute pleasure, and we look forward to the opportunity to work with the World Zionist Organization and with you as we continue this series. I want to remind everyone that this session has been recorded, as well as our sessions in the past, so please use them in your local communities. Please continue the conversation. On our website the conversation is at www.hadassah.org/zionismdiscussion. And please remember that on Twitter we're using the hashtag #definingzionism. We had a very exciting tweet chat this afternoon with Tova. If you're active on Twitter and didn't join us, please take a look at the tweets that we had and continue that conversation. And we want to remind you if you haven't done so already to please register for the entire Defining Zionism series. And our next presentation will be Monday, September 8th, and that's featuring Sarri Singer, she is the founder and director of Strength to Strength, it's a nonprofit that brings together victims of terror, and she'll be talking about practical Zionism and her experience and what surviving terrorism has taught her. And I want to remind everyone that we are doing this online series as a way to kind of bring everyone together, and open up the conversation. So be respectful, but please join, and please ask questions. Special thank you to everyone who has been involved in the Defining Zionism program, all the volunteers and staff, both in the room as well as those watching at home. We wouldn't be here without you, and we thank you. And -- TOVA BIRNBAUM: I just want to say I think this program is wonderful, a wonderful idea. I'm just -- I feel so honored and so happy to be part of it. Thank you so much for inviting me. And I have no doubt that this is going to really start to create a literal revolution, I think it's beautiful.