Development of Community entrepreneurship

Jewish–Israeli–Community Culture

Turning Experiences into Action

A partnership between the Sapir Center and Gesher, ongoing since 2020, aims to encourage influencers and opinion leaders from across Israeli society to develop programs and initiatives that build connections between different sectors of the population.

This program seeks to encourage alumni of Gesher’s Leadership Institute — some 280 individuals in positions of influence across all sectors of society — to develop a range of programs that strengthen connections among Jews from different sectors of Israeli society.

The project is based on the assumption that the graduates’ activity in their field of influence and expertise will produce projects that are adapted to the target audience, will increase the scope of influence, and will expand the circles of discussion and connections between different social sectors and groups.

Objectives:

To increase the scope of the projects and initiatives aimed at connecting different sectors.
To expand the circles of Jewish Israelis from different sectors who encounter others in meetings that change mutual perceptions.
To encourage Gesher leadership graduates to be active in their circles of influence with the aim of connecting Jews from different backgrounds in Israel.

Target Audience

The program’s target audience are the Gesher Leadership Institute graduates’ spheres of influence and belonging. The Institute strives to create connections between the different sectors of the Jewish People, both in Israel and in the Diaspora (in government, the media, education, the army and police, academia, culture, and others). This is achieved by fostering and training leaders and influential figures in Israel, and by promoting projects they lead within their circle of influence.

Videos on Two Leading Initiatives

Some of the projects created by graduates as part of the program:

Among the many projects created by program fellows, several have grown into independent, ongoing programs — among them Midrash Yonati, which continues at Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem; the Mitarim Network’s Community Shabbat, which has become a tradition; and Connecting Youth Leadership, which expanded into an independent program in partnership with the Sapir Center.

האקתון

In 2025, Gesher held a hackathon to develop social ventures that strengthen social cohesion, bringing together alumni of the Gesher Leadership Institute and their collaborators in social action.
Several projects emerged from the hackathon, two of which are already underway:

Kerem LeChaim (Vineyard for Life)

A project encouraging social dialogue in the aftermath of October 7th, born out of a desire for commemoration, memory, and learning. Yaakov Hassan of Moshav Shuva, together with bereaved families, planted 1,600 vines in his longstanding vineyard in memory of the fallen. Kerem LeChaim brings together hands-on agricultural work and a connection to the land with dialogue about the past, present, and shared future, grounded in listening and acceptance of the other.

לעובדה ולשמרה

תכנית קהילתית לקבלה של תושבים בשכונות חדשות, להכרות ולחיבור עם תוכנית זיקה וקהילת גן יבנה. במסגרת התוכנית מוזמנים התושבים החדשים לקבלות שבת וחגיגות חג משותפות בלובי או בחצר הבניין המיועדות לכל המשפחה. את הפעילות מובילים מתנדבים ומתנדבות פעילים בזיקה, והפעילות מרחיבה את מעגלי השותפות בתרבות היהודית-ישראלית-מקומי

A Shared Home for the Kibbutz Movements

The Kibbutz Movement and the Religious Kibbutz Movement have entered a process of deep collaboration across many areas. Building on the hackathon, they launched a project of study circles and a booklet of content addressing the aftermath of October 7th, intended for communities of both movements.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Midrash Yonati

A project grounded in the work of Meir Ariel, fostering study and dialogue on the diverse Jewish identities within Israeli society and the relationships among them. The project combines cultural events for the general public with an in-depth study group exploring the themes and ideas that emerge from Meir Ariel’s work.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Bridging Tribes

Process-based encounter groups on university and college campuses for students from different sectors, enabling participants to get to know “the other,” examine preconceptions, and develop a more nuanced understanding. Alongside this mutual learning and encounter, each group develops a collective project.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Leading Edge (Movilut)

Establishing a mentorship community for the Movilut program — a professional leadership initiative for Haredi women, featuring a core curriculum for professional excellence and a social-professional network of leading businesswomen.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Jewish Israeli Identity in Manchi

Study days for supervisors and facilitators of the Society and Youth Administration in the Jerusalem districts and Manchi (the Jerusalem Education Administration), focusing on working methods and case analysis from the field. Topics include Jewish Israeli identity and an introduction to the different streams of Judaism.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Development of Training Tools in Sachi

Development of a program to deepen the knowledge of Sachi’s guides and coordinators about the Ethiopian community, alongside the development of practical training tools and their integration into the organization. Sachi is an organization that works with at-risk youth, engaging them in community service initiatives in their home neighborhoods.

לעובדה ולשמרה

'Family Meetings from Afar'

a project operating throughout the past year of the Covid crisis, that sought to strengthen connections between families from different sectors of the population by inviting them to a respite from the long hours of lockdown, thereby reinforcing their sense of belonging and mutual responsibility. The structured sessions were aimed at enabling joint parents-children activity. Two families from differing backgrounds participated in each Zoom meeting led by a facilitator.

לעובדה ולשמרה

'Next Door' Campaign

the ‘Onlife’ website and the National Council for Volunteering in Israel founded by the State of Israel and the ‘Joint’, created an awareness campaign aimed at proposing ways for people to assist needy elderly or disabled neighbors living ‘next door’, especially during the COVID crisis. The campaign seeks to strengthen bonds between different generations and sectors.

לעובדה ולשמרה

מיעוט ועוד מיעוט שווה

Connecting women leaders from two minority groups: Ultra-Orthodox and the Israeli Ethiopian Jewish community. The meetings, conducted via Zoom, were held during the Covid crisis and out of a feeling that the undermining of daily life constitutes an opportunity for direct one-on-one meetings that can diminish the stereotypical or racist perceptions between the two groups. Each pair of participants was asked to prepare a video clip about their meeting.

לעובדה ולשמרה

A Connected City

In honor of Beit Shemesh’s 70th anniversary, the city’s mayor, a Gesher Leadership Institute fellow, led a dialogue initiative among the city’s communities. Thirty-five dialogue gatherings were held in homes across the city, bringing together participants for conversation, a talk, or study with someone from a different community than their own. Around 500 men and women took part, and the initiative culminated in a closing event at the President’s Residence.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Communities Shabbat

Meitarim held a “Mixed Communities Shabbat,” celebrating internal diversity across the religious-secular spectrum and exploring ways for Shabbat to unite rather than divide the community. The Shabbat included communal gatherings, an Oneg Shabbat, study, and shared meals. Twenty-three communities took part, most from the Meitarim network. The experience will be developed into a model for community dialogue Shabbatot.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Connecting Identities

Six meetings of senior Ministry of Education staff members from diverse backgrounds and identities, aimed at understanding the unique needs of people with different identities, building consensus around shared values and different ways of life, and developing inclusive, collaborative working practices.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Masa Be'av

A project of the Religious Kibbutz Movement: a multi-day journey for teenagers from a range of communities and places across the country, designed to introduce them to different circles of Israeli society. The journey takes place during the “Nine Days” leading up to Tisha B’Av, seeking to offer a tikkun (repair) for the baseless hatred that led to the Temple’s destruction 2,000 years ago. During the journey, the teenagers encounter new perspectives on Israeli reality and discuss the complexity of Israeli society together.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Yishai Leadership

An urban youth leadership program, initiated and led by Avivit Katz, supervisor of the Society and Youth Administration in Rehovot. Twenty-five 11th-grade teenagers from different schools across the city were selected for the program. The leadership group learns together how to facilitate gatherings for teenagers from diverse communities and shared cultural events. The program aims to strengthen teenagers’ identity and sense of belonging within the city, build connections between individuals and communities, and celebrate the city’s diversity of identities. The initiative is set to expand to additional municipalities.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Music Connects

A project initiated by Anna Barzani and Einav Schwartz of the Ministry of Education’s Northern District. he project aims to connect groups within Israeli society through shared music and singing. Two different groups from different schools meet to get to know one another and jointly create a music video in which they sing together. The project began in the Haifa District, bringing together Jews and Arabs, students with special needs and students from religious schools, and students with parents, among other pairings. The project is expected to expand to the Tel Aviv District.

לעובדה ולשמרה

Tel Aviv District Principals

Meetings between principals of religious and secular schools in the Tel Aviv District with community activists from the religious, Haredi, and secular sectors, aimed at creating shared dialogue on developments in Israeli public life and developing joint initiatives to connect different populations in Israeli society.