Over 30 educators and leaders met in New  York in May 2009 for The Global Taskforce for Jewish Peoplehood Education to further planning for the Jewish Peoplehood Hub. Photographed (l to r): Dr. Dmitry Mariasys (FSU), Dr. Bill Robinson (NYC), Dr. Anna Szeszler (Hungary), and Dr. Nurit Chamo (Israel).

December 2, 2009 / 15 Kislev 5770

The Jewish world is on the brink of change.

"We are living in new times," said Yonatan Ariel, Executive Director of the Jewish Peoplehood Hub, "and one of the big questions lurking under the surface is what should the Jewish people as a people do next?"

The answer is an innovative new project called the Jewish Peoplehood Hub, a paradigm-shifting venture that aims to "unleash a burst of creativity" in Jewish collective identity, according to Ariel, who is also the executive director of MAKOM – the Israel Engagement Network.

Launched in November 2009, the independent project is supported by the NADAV Fund, in partnership with the Jewish Agency and the UJA-Federation of New York.

Through a think tank, program incubators, and public discourse, the new initiative aims to bring 'klal Israel,' or Jewish Peoplehood to the forefront of Jewish consciousness.

"Because of the phenomenal successes of the Jewish people over the last century, we now must seek new ways of looking at the world as a people rather than only co-religionists or citizens of a state," said Ariel. 

At The Global Taskforce for Jewish Peoplehood Education in May of 2009, over 30 Jewish educators and innovators met in New York to share ideas and build projects around this idea of 'Peoplehood.'

Next steps include developing the language needed to guide the development of this work, nurturing and empowering leaders and activists to think differently and more creatively, and the incubation of some of the most promising ideas.

As these new creations are whipped up and presented on the public table, Ariel said the question becomes, "Can we stir up more interest and energy around these concerns?"