Background

Since their inception, the Zionist enterprise and the State of Israel have been contending with inherent dissonance: on the one hand, the Zionist movement sought to realize values ​​of a particularist, national identity, such as sovereignty, the return to the land of Israel, revival of the Hebrew language, values of Jewish heritage and more. On the other hand, the Jewish people’s desire for normalization—to be like other nations—has placed its particularist identity at odds with other value systems, not to mention the constraints and practical needs of a nation. 

The process of clarifying and formulating Israel's core values ​​has been reflected in the historical development of the country and in the setting key policy issues, from pre-statehood to the present. The intellectual and cultural elite are a central influential force in this process; as in any society, it is specifically this segment that develops the ideas which people in various public sectors then implement.

The unique challenges facing Israel necessitate the development of intellectual and public leadership with a well developed sense of identity, broad knowledge and a deep connection to Israeli society and its historical and cultural dimensions. The way to develop such leadership is through in-depth, multidisciplinary study; the development of personal skills; and through collaboration with a professional community geared toward genuine contribution to society and the State.

The Vision

The Jewish Statesmanship Center was founded in 2007 with the goal of establishing a theoretical foundation for the public discourse and developing visionary, broad-minded and highly capable leadership which has the knowledge and skills to lead society and the State of Israel. We believe such leadership will develop through systematic and thorough study of issues relating to identity and public policy, and the creation of a value-based, professional community which can take part in Israel's public systems.

The Goals

·         Developing an intellectual and cultural discourse.

·         Training public leadership that has an historical consciousness and broad-minded perspectives.

·         Promoting talented young professionals in the public sphere.