fellowship archive
42 Fellows from 24 countries gathered by the shores of the Kinneret for the twenty-first International Nahum Goldmann Fellowship. Participants came from across the globe, including New Zealand, Slovakia, India, Latvia, Argentina, and Morocco. The Fellowship also featured a strong contingent of Israeli participants.
program
The program addressed some of the most pressing issues facing the Jewish world today, with sessions including:
Israel as a Jewish and democratic state: An interim report
The challenge of emancipation to the leadership and structure of the Jewish community
From mega-trends to grand policies for the Jewish people
Jewish Diaspora communities: Assessing and assuring their future
Jewish ethical values in the wider society
Building a Jewish and just society in Israel
Additional discussion groups explored topics such as:
Redefining Israel-Diaspora relations
Achieving a balance between Jewish particularism and universalism
faculty
The faculty assembled for this NGF was largest and most diverse to date, and included:
Professor Robert J. Aumann, Professor of Mathematics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Dr. Steven Bayme, Director, Department of Contemporary Jewish Life, American Jewish Committee, New York, NY, USA
Professor Saul Berman, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, USA
Professor Yechezkel Dror, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Professor Ruth Gavison, Haim H. Cohn Professor of Human Rights Law, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Gidi Grinstein, President and Founder of the Reut Institute, Tel Aviv, Israel
Professor Benjamin Ish-Shalom, Rector, Beit Morasha, Jerusalem, Israel
Professor Aliza Lavie, Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
Professor Shalom Rosenberg, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Jewish Thought, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Dr. Rina Rosenberg, Private Psychologist, Jerusalem, Israel
Professor Jacob J. Schacter, Professor of Jewish History and Jewish Thought, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, USA
Shana Schacter, Private Psychoanalyst, New York, NY, USA
Professor Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor Emeritus, The Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, NY, USA
Professor Uriel Simon, Professor of Bible, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
more about the fellowship
The 21st NGF was defined by the exceptional quality of its programming and the caliber of both its faculty and Fellows, who represented the broad spectrum of global Jewish thought and practice.
The formal sessions fostered passionate and intense discussions on topics such as the future of Jewish communities, the State of Israel, Jewish culture, and the essence of Judaism itself. Fellows engaged in lively debates, expressing a wide range of political, ideological, and religious perspectives. Despite these differences, the group’s solidarity and mutual respect continued to grow throughout the Fellowship.
A central theme of the program was the practical application of Jewish values—both within the Fellows’ home communities and in their broader societies, as well as within the State of Israel.
The Fellowship reached its peak during a deeply moving Shabbat experience. With the Kinneret and Golan Heights as a stunning backdrop, Fellows welcomed Shabbat with a service enriched by melodies and songs from around the world. Shabbat dinner extended into the night with a spirited Oneg Shabbat and concluded with a meaningful Havdalah ceremony.
Vatroslav Ivanusa from Croatia reflected on his experience, calling the NGF “a kind of oasis from which I draw energy in times of need, as well as ideas and visions for the benefit of my community.”
