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Responses to the Conversion Crisis
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Should observance of Jewish Law be a prerequisite for joining the Jewish people? This was one of the questions that triggered an outcry in Israel and the Diaspora when the Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee approved a controversial draft bill on conversion reform on July 12, 2010. IDI is pleased to present two responses to the current crisis: "Who Really Cares about Converts?," an op-ed by IDI researcher Netanel Fisher, and "From Ruth to Natasha: On the Future of Conversion in Israel," an article by IDI Vice President Prof. Yedidia Z. Stern, which explains the need to make conversion more accessible in Israel, questions the requirement that converts must commit to a life of religious observance, and offers an approach that is in consonance with Jewish law while responding to the pressing needs of our time.
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Facing the Future: IDI's International Advisory Council Meets in Jerusalem
IDI's International Advisory Council (IAC) convened in Jerusalem at the end of May for its annual meeting. Led by IAC Chairman, former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz, the deliberations explored some of the primary challenges of democratic state-building in Israel and IDI's role in addressing these issues. Read the Jerusalem Post's coverage of the opening panel discussion, review the background materials prepared for participants, and explore the program and photos from the meeting here. |
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Recent Events at IDI
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International Workshop on Bi-Nationalism
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IDI's International Workshop on Bi-Nationalism brought together leading scholars to explore the historical record of bi-national polities, examine multi-national models, and debate the relevance of such models to the contemporary Middle East.
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The George Shultz Roundtable Forum: Law and the Community
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Academicians, legal experts, and members of the Takana Forum, which addresses allegations of sexual misconduct among authority figures in the religious Zionist community, debated the pros and cons of community organizations enforcing behavioral norms.
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Conference: Democracy and Jewish Law
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With IDI's publication of Reflections on Jewish Democracy, an anthology edited by Dr. Benny Porat, the Tzohar rabbinic organization joined IDI in hosting a full-day conference devoted to Jewish perspectives on the principles and institutions of democracy.
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Additional News from IDI
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The 18th Caesarea Forum Convenes in Nazareth
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Over two June days in Nazareth, IDI's annual Caesarea Economic Policy Planning Forum convened to debate Israel's most urgent economic challenges. Scholars, policy makers, and business leaders tackled, among other things, the barriers preventing the integration of Israeli Arabs in the work force, the challenges of employment in the ultra-Orthodox community, and issues related to foreign workers in Israel. Additional topics included Israel's non-profit sector and macroeconomic policy. The recommendations of IDI’s working groups, an English video archive of the proceedings, the full program, and photos of the conference are now available online.
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IDI Mourns the Loss of Prof. Asher Arian
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The Israel Democracy Institute mourns the loss of Senior Fellow Prof. Asher Arian, who stood at the helm of IDI's flagship political reform program and spearheaded the inclusion of The Guttman Center in IDI's activities. Prof. Arian was a leading figure in political science and applied social research in Israel and a Distinguished Professor in political science at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York. Read more about Prof. Arian.
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In the Flotilla's Wake
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The Biometric Database Law
Israel's controversial biometric database bill proposes using fingerprints and eye scans to prevent forgery of state documents such as passports. How could such a law have been proposed in Israel? Find out in " The State of Israel and the Biometric Database Law," a comprehensive analysis by IDI Researcher Dr. Nitzan Lebovic and Adv. Avner Pinchuk of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
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