Panel Descriptions

Start-Up Nation: Is the Success Sustainable?

Israel’s tremendous success as a ‘Start-up Nation’ is well known, with Israeli high-tech start-ups being sought out by major foreign companies and the high-tech sector driving Israel’s growth rate.  But are the benefits being felt in the economy as a whole?  Can Israel build larger, lasting firms that stay and grow in Israel?  And can the country reverse the declines in education and employment, and provide all Israelis with the skills to work in a modern economy?  The panel will address the current strengths of the start-up nation and how Israel can sustain its economic growth in the future. 

Israeli Arts & Entertainment: Now Playing on the Global Stage

As Israel has matured as a country, so have its arts.  Israeli films are screened world-wide and nominated for Oscars, Israeli tv shows have been adapted into highly successful American series, contemporary Israeli dance is internationally recognized and respected, and a talented wave of Israeli visual artists and authors are creating works that are specific to Israel yet speak to many beyond its borders.  This panel will explore the vibrant arts scene in Israel and the global reach and impact of Israeli arts. 

“Israeli Judaism": The Jewish Renewal Movement in Israel

In Israel today, a growing number of self-identified secular and other non-orthodox Jews are studying Jewish texts and incorporating Jewish traditions into a non-orthodox, Israeli Jewish life.  This evolving social phenomenon, known as Jewish renewal, or “Hitchadshut Yehudit”, is challenging the labels of ‘religious’ and ‘secular’ and includes many different aspects.  Brought to wider attention by MK Ruth Calderon in her maiden speech to the Knesset - a Talmud teaching – the movement aims to reclaim Jewish culture for all Israeli Jews. The panel will explore the phenomenon of Hitchadshut Yehudit—what it is, why it is happening, its impact on Israeli society, and also its meaning for diaspora-Israeli relations.