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

April 7, 2025

On April 1-2, engaged audience members gathered to hear from experts in their fields, Israeli citizens, and spiritual leaders during a time of profound trauma. Through in-depth panel discussions, speakers explored Israel’s current challenges and discussed pathways for moving forward. Read more and watch our sessions below.

Where Israel is Today: An Overview

• 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

In a powerful opening session, our three distinguished guests explored the theme “Where Israel is Today.” As moderator, Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz set the stage with a historical overview, providing essential context for understanding Israel’s current landscape. Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum followed with a poignant presentation on the fragile spiritual state of Israelis today—their pain, anguish, and the profound challenges they face in what she described as an “epidemic of the soul.” Tal Becker focused on the “strategic opportunity we are now in to shift the trajectory of the Middle East.”  He reinforced the idea that “war is not just about what is destroyed, but what is built in its place.” David Makovsky closed the panel with an analysis of Israel’s geopolitical situation and a hopeful vision for the future. All three panelists emphasized that war and peace are not black and white categories, and that the challenge is to continually nurture small steps towards a more peaceful future.

This session was not recorded.

Israeli Culture: Art, Artifacts and Texts for a Shared Future

• 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

James S. Snyder and Raquel Ukeles tackled the topic of museums and libraries in times of crisis. Ukeles outlined the three core missions of the National Library of Israel—the library of the Jewish people, the library of the state of Israel, and the premier research library in the humanities—explaining its mission to collect, document, and commemorate experience in the aftermath of October 7. Snyder then examined the evolving challenges faced by Jewish museums today, given that they both seek to preserve their distinct heritage and cultural narratives but also acknowledge their universal importance in interactions with other cultures. He illustrated this discussion with a visual presentation of Israeli artwork in the wake of October 7 hosted by The Jewish Museum in New York. Moderator Juliana Ochs Dweck highlighted key themes in this cultural session with thought-provoking questions, prompting a rich dialogue on how cultural institutions can counter social divisions and polarities while offering alternative visions and spaces of reflection.

Collective Trauma as Drivers of Conflict Among Israelis and Palestinians

• 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

In a deeply moving session, David Myers spoke about two key historical traumas, the Shoah and the Nakba, as shaping collective identities and the way each group responded to the tragic events of October 7. He advocated writing a new kind of psychological history showing that trauma fuels dehumanization and blindness. Rivka Tuval-Mashiach then spoke about the idea that trauma doesn’t impact the conflict in one direction alone but that it acts more like a spiral in which cause and effect continuously build on one another. She also noted that it makes more sense to speak of the trauma of different collectives in Israel rather than collective trauma because each group has opposing narratives. Lastly, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib offered a deeply personal account of growing up in Gaza. He spoke of his own near-death experience after an Israeli missile strike, going abroad as an adolescent, and finally being granted asylum in the U.S. His life’s work has been dedicated to building bridges between Jewish and Palestinian communities as well as thinking through a comprehensive political plan for the day after. Rabbi Naomi Kalish moderated this engaging and inspiring session.

Segal Memorial Lecture: Legal Reform or Regime Revolution? Defending Israel’s Separation of Powers and Democracy

• 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

Legal expert Avihai Mandelblit captivated both in-person and online audiences with his compelling presentation. He explored the evolving role of Israel’s Attorney General throughout history, highlighting pivotal moments with powerful quotes from Menachem Begin in 1952 and 1978. He also outlined the two lines of defense that ensure the separation of powers in Israel. Following his thought-provoking talk, he engaged in a dynamic dialogue with Professor Suzanne Last Stone from Cardozo Law School, further deepening the discussion.

Religious Pluralism in Israeli Society

• 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

The second day’s first session brought Rabbi Seth Farber and Rafeket Ginsberg to the stage for an illuminating discussion on religious pluralism in Israeli society. Rabbi Farber shared a poignant D’var Torah to support his vision of an Israel where the nation’s promise is fully realized only when all Jews can flourish. Through personal stories and experiences, he painted a vivid picture of both the challenges and the hopeful future ahead. His bold assertion— “We’re determining what Judaism is going to look like in the future”—left the audience deeply inspired.

Ginsberg, the CEO of the Masorti Movement, opened her talk with a powerful reminder: “Every generation has to fight for their freedom.” She emphasized how Masorti Judaism plays a crucial role in shaping a more pluralistic and democratic Israel. Urging the audience to replace fear with trust, she delivered a compelling call to action—one that resonated long after the session ended.

Majority Rights and Equity for Minorities: Assessing the Nation-State Law

• 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

Rabbi Ayelet Cohen opened the session with a comprehensive explanation of the Nation-State Law, setting the stage for two distinguished speakers. Nasreen Hadad Haj-Yahya presented on “Arab Society in Israel: The Nation–State Bill—Sociological Trends and the Current Political Situation,” guiding the audience through a series of slides covering key topics such as government policies, positive trends, crime, identity, political participation, October 7, and the current war. She shared her experiences as a Palestinian citizen of Israel and her positive experiences living and working with both Jews and Palestinians. Roy Peled‘s presentation focused on legal aspects of the bill. He provided constitutional background, analyzed the legal implications of the law, and examined its impact both before and after October 7.

Rebuilding and Repair

• 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