ots@ohrtorahstone.org.il

Working as Jewish Cultural Facilitators in community centers across the country, Yachad Program participants run innovative programs, workshops and holiday events designed to engage secular Israeli families in Jewish culture and tradition on terms that are meaningful and comfortable to them. Our dynamic facilitators are illustrating that when Judaism is explained in a warm and non-coercive setting, unaffiliated or formerly disenchanted Israeli Jews will choose to make it a relevant and meaningful part of their lives.

In December 2002, two terrorists wearing IDF army uniforms and toting M-16’s entered the kitchen of the yeshiva at Otniel, attacking and murdering the unarmed boys in the kitchen in cold blood. One of the boys, 18-year-old Tzvika Ziman, wasn’t even supposed to be there; he was serving kitchen duty as a favor for a friend, who wanted to go home that Shabbat. “That was characteristic of Tzvika,” explained a family friend. “He was a giving, loving, bright, and caring boy.”

Fostering unity and tolerance: the religious-secular beit midrash

Over the years, Tzvika’s devastated community of Modiin sought a meaningful way to mark the anniversary of his death. This year, they turned to their Yachad Program Jewish Cultural Facilitator, Yitzchak Werthaimer, who coordinated a religious-secular beit midrash program in Tzvika’s memory.

Bridging the Gaps

“Tzvika was dedicated to bridging the gaps between different sectors of society. He was an idealist who pioneered programs which brought together religious and secular youth for open discussions, forging a spirit of tolerance and among them. It seemed obvious that we needed to create a project in his memory that would continue his work,” says Werthaimer, who worked with the Youth Division of the community center in developing the idea.

“The youth of Modiin span the political, religious and ideological spectrum,” says Werthaimer. “Our program was geared toward them all: an evening of Jewish textual study, followed by a serious discussion about their profound ideological differences.” Representatives of all the local youth movements, school councils and community centers came along to pay respect to Tzvika. “Because it was all done in Tzvika’s memory, in a warm, respectful manner, the evening actually fostered a feeling of unity and friendship,” relates Werthaimer. “The youth were eager to learn from one another and to find ways to overcome the gaps.”

Representatives of local youth groups: in the spirit of a shared journey

Approximately 50 teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18 have expressed interest in continuing the project and a steering committee has been formed. “The youth are bursting with ideas and enthusiasm,” Werthaimer reports. “In their second meeting, they were addressed by Israeli media personality Avri Gilad, who spoke about opportunities for secular youth to find spirituality. It triggered such excitement that the teenagers want to meet every month. They are listing lecturers they would like to hear, films they would like to discuss and tours they would like to take together all in the spirit of a shared journey.”

“It’s an extraordinary, truly unique initiative,” confirms Lotem Duani, the community center’s Youth Director. “Each time, seeing so many youth who are thirsty for information come together in common dialogue excites me anew. And in fact, the effects of the program are far-reaching, as the community’s adults have been inspired by the youth’s willingness to argue and debate respectfully and they, too, are interested in a joint religious-secular program.”

“Community centers are the ideal setting for this kind of programming, since they are accessible to people of all ages and from all walks of life,” says Ohr Torah Stone International Director, David Katz. “Like Werthaimer, all our facilitators are involved in engaging people in the shared exploration of Jewish values, building the foundations of unity and tolerance across Israeli society.”

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