Israel at a Crossroads: Navigating Religion, Democracy, and Justice

Israel at a Crossroads: Navigating Religion, Democracy, and Justice

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1 and 2
In Person at JTS
3080 Broadway (at 122nd St)
New York City

This convening aims to examine the key challenges Israel faces as it strives to navigate a path toward greater justice, inclusion, and collective healing in the wake of profound trauma. With a particular focus on the events of October 7 and their far-reaching implications, our sessions will address pressing issues such as the state of democracy and the rule of law, Israel’s identity as both a Jewish and democratic state, and emerging prospects for cultural and religious pluralism. The sessions will seek to foster a thoughtful analysis of Israel’s current dilemmas, the difficult choices it must confront, and the opportunities that exist for a more inclusive and equitable future. By bringing together a diverse group of scholars, religious leaders, legal experts, and cultural voices, this convening aspires to provide a platform for meaningful exchange on Israel’s prospects for repair, resilience, and the creation of a shared vision for a just society.

A highlight of the convening will be the Bernard G. Segal Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, April 1. Special guest Avihai Mandelblit, the former Attorney General of Israel and current Dean of the College of Law and Business, will be speaking on “Legal Reform or Regime Revolution? Defending Israel’s Separation of Powers and Democracy.” This lecture will serve as a critical focal point for discussions on the judiciary’s impact on Israeli society, especially amid ongoing debates about the rule of law and democratic governance. Professor Suzanne Last Stone, University Professor of Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization, at Cardozo Law School will moderate.

General admission: $100 for one day, $180 for both days

Also visit “Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book,” a new exhibition in The JTS Library. Learn about the remarkable story of the earliest Hebrew book. 

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, April 1

9:00–9:45 a.m.
Light Breakfast in the Private Dining Room

9:45–10:00 a.m.
Welcome

10:00–11:30 a.m.
Session 1: Where Israel is Today: An Overview
The purpose of this session is to assess prominent changes, challenges, and possibilities for Israel that have emerged after the events of October 7. This assessment will also invoke key junctures in Israeli history including 1948, 1967, 1973, 1993, and others but with a focus on how they have shaped the present. It will also provide a mental map of the key concerns of the convening going forward.

• Moderator: Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz, JTS Chancellor
• Tamar Elad-Appelbaum (on Zoom only), Raba of Kehillat Zion, Director of the Rabbanut Yisraelit Network and Co-Director of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Center for Ritual
• Tal Becker (on Zoom only), legal adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem
• David Makovsky, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow, The Washington Institute and President of the Board for the National Library of Israel, USA

11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Coffee and Light Snacks: Atrium

12:00–1:30 p.m.
Session 2: Israeli Culture: Art, Artifacts and Texts for a Shared Future
In this session, we feature a discussion on the role of museums and libraries as key national repositories of memory as well as institutions that play an outsize role in building the vision for Israel’s shared future. Israeli museums not only house critical art, artifacts, and materials that point to a rich history in spite of trauma and division but also highlight the diversity of Jewish communities both within and beyond Israeli society. National libraries collect and curate texts that are intended to showcase the breadth of intellectual and cultural achievement for the nation in all its complexity and diversity.

• Moderator: Juliana Ochs Dweck, Chief Curator, Princeton University Art Museum
• James S. Snyder, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director of The Jewish Museum and Director Emeritus, Israel Museum
• Raquel Ukeles, Head of Collections, National Library of Israel

1:45–2:45 p.m. Lunch; Minhah 2:20 p.m.
Note: Please visit our library’s exhibition gallery during lunch and at other times for “Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book.”

3:00–4:15 p.m.
Session 3: Collective Trauma as Drivers of Conflict Among Israelis and Palestinians
This panel explores the impact of collective trauma on conflict. Scholars and practitioners will discuss how traumas, historical wrongs and competing narratives shape the identities, politics, and actions of communities on both sides. By examining the role of memory, fear, and resilience, the session aims to understand the emotional and psychological dimensions of conflict and violence.

• Moderator: Naomi Kalish, Harold and Carole Wolfe Director of the Center for Pastoral Education and Assistant Professor of Pastoral Education at JTS
• David Myers, Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History, UCLA
• Rivka Tuval-Mashiach, Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University and clinical psychologist
• Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the Atlantic Council, Director of Realign for Palestine

4:15–5:00 p.m.: Reception in Atrium

5:15–6:45 p.m.
Session 4: Segal Memorial Lecture: Legal Reform or Regime Revolution?: Defending Israel’s Separation of Powers and Democracy
The focus of this lecture will be on the relationship between the Jewish and democratic character of Israeli society and the role of the law in maintaining democracy. Topics include debates around judicial reform and the role of Israeli Supreme Court in a society that has no constitution, and/or two tier parliamentary system as well as the way religious law may be integrated into or diverge from secular law.

• Avihai Mandelblit, Former Attorney General of Israel, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Academic Center for Law and Business
• Moderator/interlocutor: Suzanne Last Stone, University Professor of Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization, Cardozo Law School

About the Segal Memorial Lecture 

The annual Bernard G. Segal Memorial Lecture was established by JTS in honor of the late philanthropist and community leader. Mr. Segal was the first Jewish president of the American Bar Association and the first Jewish chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. 

Wednesday, April 2

8:00–8:45 a.m.
Light Breakfast in the Private Dining Room

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Welcome

9:15–10:30 a.m.
Session 5: Religious Pluralism in Israeli Society
Religious pluralism in Israel is complex and contested due to the intersection of religion, law, and national identity. The state grants the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate control over key aspects of Jewish life, including marriage, divorce, and conversion, marginalizing non-Orthodox streams like the Masorti and Reform movements, which lack full recognition and state funding. The status quo is also contested in quarters of the modern Orthodox communities. In an effort to strengthen ties across Jewish communities in Israel (and beyond), this session examines changes ushered in by religious leaders as well as the challenges of implementing change.

• Moderator: Rabbi Gordon Tucker, Vice Chancellor for Religious Life and Engagement at JTS
• Rakefet Ginsberg, Executive Director, Masorti Movement in Israel
• Seth Farber, Rabbi, Historian and Director of ITIM

10:45–11:45 a.m.
Breakout discussions (Towards Greater Religious Pluralism in Israel) with Arie Hasit, Associate Dean, Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, Rakefet Ginsberg, and Seth Farber, or Shi’ur with Luciana Pajecki Lederman (JTS Faculty) on “Pluralistic Approaches to Jewish Observance in the Talmud”

12:00–1:15 p.m.
Lunch

1:30–3:00 p.m.
Session 6: Majority Rights and Equity for Minorities: Assessing the Nation-State Law
This panel examines the complex interplay between the rights of a Jewish majority as well as the present day challenges of minorities in Israel, focusing on Palestinian citizens of Israel. By critically examining the Nation-State Law, this discussion seeks to analyze the legal, social, and political implications of the 2018 shift, particularly for Israel’s non-Jewish citizens. Further, this session aims to foster a dialogue on the ways Israel’s Jewish character and democratic values may coexist while addressing concerns about inclusivity and equal rights.

• Moderator: Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, Dean of the Rabbinical School and Dean of the Division of Religious Leadership, JTS
• Nasreen Hadad Haj-Yahya, NAS Research and Consulting, New Israel Fund Board and Director of Research at Albiadar
• Roy Peled, Haim Striks School of Law, College of Management Academic Studies
  
  This session is generously sponsored by Dr. Annette and Daniel Kasle.

3:15–3:45 p.m.
Break and Minha

4:00–5:15 p.m.
Session 7: Convening Conclusion: Rebuilding and Repair
A conversation about Israeli public opinion on the war, internal political trends, relations with the U.S. and the Trump administration, and what it portends for the future.

• Moderator: Burt Visotzky, Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies Emeritus
• Dahlia Scheindlin, political scientist and public opinion expert, Century Foundation Fellow and journalist for Haaretz
• Lihi Ben-Shitrit, Director of the Taub Center for Israel Studies and the Henry Taub Professor of Israel Studies 

Session Sponsors and Supporters

Zahav Lead Sponsors

Mark Kahan and family in loving memory of Linda Silverman Kahan, z”l, on her yahrzeit
Susanna Lachs and Dean Adler
Marcia Riklis

Kesef Convening Sponsor

Support from The Covenant Foundation

Session Sponsor

Alisa Doctoroff
Dr. Annette and Daniel Kasle

Convening Supporters

Mimi and Barry Alperin
Robin Chemers Neustein Lightfighter Donor Fund
Bruce Greenwald and Karyn Ginsberg Greenwald
Liz and Greg Sembler
Deborah Shapira and Barry Stern
Len Wasserman

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