Learning is one of the defining characteristics of our people. But Jewish learning is not an abstract concept, existing in a vacuum. Rather, the point of Jewish learning is to lead one to Jewish literacy, and literacy is defined by society. As Jewish society has changed over the millennia, so has the definition of Jewish literacy and Jewish learning. The astounding variety of Jewish learning taking place in the State of Israel in our time is but a reflection of the astounding variety of Jewish life found here.

For most of the past 2,000 years, our people has defined Jewish learning as Torah (in this sense, referring to the whole corpus of traditional Jewish learning, encompassing the written and oral Torah, commentaries, and halacha law). There were both compelling theological and sociological reasons for this. The Torah, and specifically halacha , provided the Jewish individual and community with the tools to structure their lives in accordance with divine will. In less theological language, leading one's life according to halacha allowed the individual Jew to find meaning in an existence which was often difficult if not impossible.

Traditional Jewish learning and the life-style for which it educated served an equally important sociological purpose. In the years after the destruction of the Second Temple and the expulsion from the Land of Israel, Jews were faced with the challenge of maintaining their unique national culture, characterized by specific values, language, and behaviors. The Jewish people needed a way of preserving national unity without the normal conditions of living together in a land under some form of sovereignty or autonomy. Jewish learning and observance became the glue that held our people together despite the dispersion. Both the local and world Jewish communities regarded Torah and halacha as the warp and woof of the fabric of our national existence.

Enlightenment Erupts

The Haskala , or Jewish Enlightenment of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the political emancipation that accompanied it, brought a fundamental change to Jewish society and our understanding of Jewish learning. In fact, the shape of contemporary Judaism is in large part a reflection of the ideological ferment of that period . For instance, today's major denominations (Reform, Conservative, Modern Orthodox) date from the 19th century and form a spectrum of responses to the need to adapt Jewish religious life within the context of a modern, open, and pluralistic society.

Generally speaking, religious responses to the Haskala flourished in the Diaspora (especially in the United States), while cultural and nationalist interpretations found their natural home in the State of Israel (the Jewish cultural schools of Central and South America and National Religious Judaism are notable exceptions). The growing diversity of Jewish thought sometimes had the unfortunate result of erecting ideological partitions between Jews.

Revival and Reunification

The great Jewish thinker Asher Ginsberg (Ahad Ha-am) foresaw this factionalization of Jewish thought, and believed that a Jewish State could provide the common bond that would allow diversity to play a positive role in our national development. For Ahad Ha-am, the State was a hothouse for the revival and flowering of our national culture. Fifty-five years after the creation of the State of Israel, we are witnesses to the realization of Ahad Ha-am's vision.

The most striking and exciting indications of our cultural growth can be found in the yearnings for authenticity and rejuvenation as expressed in a number of cutting-edge Jewish learning centers.

Israel is well-known as a center for traditional yeshiva study, and most Israeli universities and colleges offer advanced degree programs in Jewish History, Bible, Jewish Thought and Talmud, but Bina is a reflection of the new forces at work in Israeli society. Located in an affluent and largely secular north Tel Aviv suburb, Bina's boasts a unique mission: as a catalyst for a cultural synthesis. While stressing a secular, pluralistic and humanistic outlook, Bina's programs open doors to traditional texts and Jewish heritage. Its primarily secular participants, although familiar with the Bible, are challenged to engage in an open dialogue of meaning, values, and lifestyle.

Although Israel was established as a Jewish State, many young Israeli Jews feel little identification with Judaism and, in fact, feel a sense of alienation from Jewish Peoplehood and things Jewish. A glance at Bina's programming shows a compelling desire to inspire our modern national culture with the riches of our past.

Learning from One Another

The goal of Bina is not to make secular Tel Avivans into ba'ale tshuva (newly observant), but to bring Jews closer together. Ta Shma , a program run by Melitz (The Center for Jewish Zionist Education), aspires to the same goal through workshops that bring religious and secular Jews together in study and discussion of traditional values and contemporary situations.

Elul, now in its fifteenth year, was founded as a response to growing divisiveness in Israeli society. Its founders were Israelis from across the political and religious spectrum, true halutzim (pioneers) in the forging of a shared cultural language. Realizing that diversity of experience and individual creativity could be a tool for textual interpretation, Elul attempts to create "triologue" – a synergy between two learners and a Jewish text. What results is a most exciting Jewish cultural yeshiva: atheists and messianists meet in mutual respect as learners and regenerators of our tradition.

A truly unique side to Elul is its emphasis upon the arts. Elul has developed a Bet Midrash for artists and, each year, topics and texts studied there provide a basis for creative expression. Bina, Ta Shma, and Elul are all part of a revolution of Jewish learning in Israel, a cultural ferment that urges the secular Jew to see the learning of past millennia as a foundation of contemporary Israeli culture, as it invites the religious Jew to listen to new voices, new interpretations, and new applications. It is a uniquely Israeli phenomena, driven by the need for unity and the desire that the State of Israel be, in fact, a Jewish State.

"Learning, learning, learning," wrote Ahad Ha-am, "that is the key to Jewish survival." From a child's home-work slate discovered at Tel Gezer to the growing creative dialogue in modern Israel, these words ring true throughout our long history.

Reuven Spero is a veteran Jewish educator, and a writer.

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