“There’s room for all opinions. Through dialogue and study, we can learn about our differences and prevent them from developing into conflicts between us.” —Rabbi Mikie Goldstein, Rehovot, Israel
Support for Streams is a central component of The Jewish Agency’s commitment to pluralism and inclusion and building bridges within the Jewish family is a core value. By promoting an “all are welcome” view on Judaism in Israel, our Religious Streams Funding does this at a foundational level.
To connect Jews to each other, we help Israelis understand the varied expressions of Judaism outside Israel, and help Jews worldwide feel that their styles of Jewish expression can find a home in Israel. Since religion and politics are inseparable in Israel, we believe it’s important every movement and stream of Judaism has a place at the table when it comes to receiving government funding, enjoying legal recognition of life events, and influencing civic policy. Having choices strengthens Judaism. Promoting pluralism opens doors. Celebrating diverse forms of religious expression fosters understanding between Jewish communities in our homeland and beyond.
To that end, each year, The Jewish Agency allocates about $2.7 million to Israel’s Reform, Conservative, Modern Orthodox and Haredi movements. This support significantly bolsters the presence of these religious streams in Israel, strengthens their impact, and helps ensure essential religious diversity and inclusion that attracts many hundreds of thousands of participants annually.
Among the programs funded by The Jewish Agency are local activities such as youth movements, leadership training programs, elementary school networks, activities for young adults, and more. The organizations operating the programs are the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, Hebrew Union College, the Masorti Movement, Midreshet Schechter, Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, the TALI Education fund, World Mizrachi, OU Israel, Yeshiva University, the International Young Israel Movement, and the Haredi Movement for Torah Umesorah.
