As part of the Gvanim program, each fellow must commit to developing a project that will impact individuals in his/her own professional/personal sphere. Three classes of Gvanim graduates are currently working in the field and in each class, participants forged strong personal and professional bonds and developed dynamic programs which are touching thousands of people in Israel today:

The Israel Association of Community Centers: Rosh Hodesh Fairs

Rosh Hodesh Fairs transform community centers into places of Jewish family education for the secular community. The fairs include activities for all ages with Jewish content that is relevant to the specific month or season. The fairs provide a pluralistic setting for a Jewish experience, strengthen the connection to the community and encourage attendees to get involved by volunteering. The program was initiated by Gvanim graduates. Over the past two years, the program has been expanded to over 13 community centers across the country. Significant changes have occurred in communities where these fairs are held — most significantly, the establishment of community-based volunteer activist groups advocating for Jewish identity programs on a large scale.

Putting the “Jewish” in community centers in Israel

At community centers all over Israel, secular Israelis — children, adults and families — are experiencing Jewish education programming as part of the catalog of programs provided by their local community center. As a result, today thousands of people — young and old, new immigrants and veteran Israelis — are enthusiastically participating in a broad range of communal activities, which enrich their understanding of Jewish identity and link Jewishness to community involvement and service. Israeli community centers have become Jewish community centers for the very first time.

Training for community center directors: Gvanim for Matnasim

The program is a Gvanim model for community center directors based in the Jewish Renewal Department of the Israel Association for Community Centers (IACC). The program has recruited 15 directors for a year-long program, including a visit to San Francisco and New York. This will be the first time that key persons in the IACC have been trained to focus on and promote Jewish content. As part of the requirements for participation in Gvanim, each program fellow is committed to developing a strategic community-wide plan for promotion of Jewish identity and pluralism in his/her respective community.

Jewish identity for teens — Nivheret

Over 500 teens participate each year in the Nivheret program where they are learning about the connection between Jewish values and social action. This school-based program includes both secular and religious teens, and instills the value of community volunteerism through the development of group projects. Many of these 300 students are implementing community service programs all over the country.

Secular Shabbat — Beit Tfila in Tel Aviv
A new congregation has been created to reach out to young secular Israelis. Beit Tfila was created by Gvanim alumni and modeled after Bnai Jeshurun synagogue in New York City as a way to bring music, dance and a spiritual element to the celebration of Shabbat. Today, over 200 Israelis celebrate Shabbat together at Beit Tfila.

Matan Arts: Youth creating “Jewish-Israeli art”

The program aims to develop Jewish identity for Israeli youth working in the fields of visual arts, creative writing, theater and film. Forty participants ages 15-17 are chosen from a variety of religious, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The goal is to create a cadre of highly aware and motivated Israeli youth who can combine their artistic skills with Jewish and Israeli awareness. The first year of the program was a successful model for future efforts.

Jewish identity projects

Partner: Panim: The Institute for Leadership and Jewish Values

Project: Application of the Shenhar Report

Panim is an umbrella organization that works through grass-roots organizations and provides added value through networking and initiating services, collaborations and coalitions. Today, Panim is playing a major role in a new project, the development of a holistic Hebrew culture program in Tel Aviv. Panim will be on the steering committee of the Tel Aviv municipal project, which will serve as a pilot for the nationwide initiative, and will help produce a research paper that will ensure that the knowledge gained in Tel Aviv will be disseminated to other sites.

Shalom Hartman Institute

Shalom Hartman Institute is an international center for pluralist Jewish thought and education. The institute trains educators, scholars, rabbis and community leaders in Israel and the Diaspora from all denominations to think anew about the Jewish tradition.