Preparing the Hearts

Development of Community entrepreneurship

An educational program of the Tarbut Movement together with the Sapir Center and KKL for ‘Tarbut’ Movement activists aimed at enhancing the connection of the creative artists and community members to Jewish heritage and at encouraging them to be active in contemporary Israeli society inspired by Jewish culture.

The ‘Tarbut’ Movement has been active since 2006 in creating and strengthening Jewish and Israeli culture in Israel’s geographical and social periphery, out of an understanding that the presence and activity of artists and cultural personalities in these areas is the Zionist and pioneering undertaking of the 21st century. Via cultural and artistic endeavor, the movement seeks to reinforce our common cultural nucleus, to overcome cultural rifts, and enable an equitable approach to education, culture, and art. One of the features of the urban ‘Tarbut’ communities is the intergenerational creative connections that include children, youths, young and older adults, and senior citizens.

The program has three elements:

  1. Training facilitators to lead the community Batei Midrash.
  2. Establishing community Batei Midrash in three urban focal points with communities of the ‘Tarbut’ Movement artists. The Batei Midrash will include 20 sessions over six months, with a national Beit Midrash, held once a month. Selected community representatives will study at the Batei Midrash. All the communities will be exposed to the learning process and to content developed in addition to the study in two joint seminars.
  3. Creation of local cultural events and initiatives inspired by the process at the Batei Midrash, around the year’s cycle.

Objectives of the Program:

  1. Conceptual training to support the mission-based community members of the ‘Tarbut’ Movement who live and work in Israel’s geographical-social periphery.
  2. 2. To impart knowledge and tools in the fields of Judaism, Zionism, education, settlement, and community.
  3. 3. To expand the wider urban community’s exposure to Jewish Israeli cultural content and to cultivate social cohesion by creating initiatives in towns in the periphery.

Expected Results:

  • Six cultural and art events around the Tishrei holiday season at urban focal points with mission-based communities of the ‘Tarbut’ Movement.
  • Development of yearly programs of events inspired by Jewish Israeli culture at designated focal points.