Israel’s President Isaac Herzog inaugurated a global initiative titled “Voice of the People” at a five-day summit in Haifa this week, seeking “to unite and empower Jewish communities worldwide.”
The 150-member Jewish leadership council, the centerpiece of the initiative composed of 50 representatives from Israel, 50 from North America and 50 from other countries, convened for the first time to address key challenges facing the Jewish people globally.
“As a nation, we are facing challenging times, with our foremost mission being the return of all the hostages to their homes,” Herzog declared in an address to the delegates at the opening of the council meeting on Sunday.
“I welcome the convening of the council of the Voice of the People initiative, especially during these difficult days, as we work toward a better future for the Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora. The foundation of this initiative rests on our most significant asset as a people—the ability to engage in deep, collective dialogue and, through it, drive joint action. I am confident that the leaders chosen to advance this vision will bring practical tools for profound change in the perceptions and processes affecting the entire Jewish people,” he said.
Organizers noted that the diverse composition of the council reflected a broad spectrum of backgrounds, expertise and perspectives, facilitating a unique opportunity for comprehensive and inclusive discussions.
“This meeting marks the beginning of a collaborative effort to tackle pressing communal challenges, harness data-driven insights, and chart a unified course for the Jewish future,” a press release said.
Shirel Dagan-Levy, the Israeli CEO of Voice of the People, said Herzog’s initiative, conceived before the Hamas assault, had changed direction and strengthened after Oct. 7, 2023, with the recognition of the growing phenomenon of “October 8 Jews.”
She said: “Now more than ever, we need this initiative. Many people who before Oct. 7 never had to deal with their Jewish identity, are now seeing it is deeply important to them. It’s amazing to see them part of the conversation.”
‘Tension in the room’
Referring to the diverse make-up of the council, Dagan-Levy said: “Sometimes, we don’t agree on a problem, and that’s what we want the council to work on. We already see tension in the room; we want people to experience some discomfort because if we keep just talking to people that look like us and talk like us, that’s not going to lead to change.”
Summing up the five days of sessions, she said: “The inaugural gathering of the Voice of the People council marks a significant step forward in uniting diverse voices to tackle the pressing challenges facing Jewish communities worldwide. We aim to transform dialogue into actionable strategies that strengthen our communities and ensure a resilient future. The insights and expertise shared during this summit underscore the power of collective action and the importance of a unified vision for the road ahead.”
The sessions presented by a range of prominent academics, analysts, diplomats and community leaders focused on critical topics such as security and resilience, combating antisemitism, strengthening Israel-Diaspora relations, fostering Jewish identity and continuity, and leveraging data-driven insights to inform strategic decision-making.
Jeremy Leibler, a top lawyer and businessman who after Oct. 7 became the face of the Australian Jewish community, said the conference had been a unique opportunity to connect with Jewish movers and shakers from Israel and around the world.
“I think this first in-person meeting was the beginning of a two-year journey. First and foremost, the president managed to bring together a very unique group of people who do not reflect the echo chamber of existing Jewish communal institutions,” he told JNS. “I found it incredibly inspiring to meet so many young and older individuals, many of whom after October 7 felt that there was so much to be done, and they took it into their own hands. They set about building projects and programs to support the Jewish people.”
Asked what he considered the main challenge facing the Jewish people today, he said: “I think one of the critical challenges we have today is to ensure that we do not allow the seventh of October or the explosion of antisemitism that we are seeing around the world to define us or define the next generation of Jewish people. We need to seize this explosion of peoplehood which was palpable at the conference and work to strengthen our connections.”
‘We have to try different approaches’
Ryan Turkienicz, editor-in-chief of The Daily Brine satire news page from Canada, told JNS: “The conference was an absolute whirlwind. It was fantastic. The biggest thing I got out of it was meeting dedicated activists from around the world and getting exposed to their perspectives, which will help my work and help us solve the problems that we’re working on in Voice of the People.”
Asked what he thought the biggest challenge facing the Jewish people is, he said: “I would say disunity and even more than that, certain groups that even undermine one another. Just getting to know one another better within Israel and between Israel and the Diaspora is the key.”
Tel Aviv-based Rachel Kastner is a former CEO who now serves as an adviser at Builders of the Middle East, a team of Israelis and Arabs who share stories to inspire the next generation of “builders” to create a more hopeful future.
“A big focus of the conference was polarization within the Jewish community,” she told JNS. “As someone working at the intersection between technology, social media and communications, I have developed a deep understanding of how misinformation, polarization and digital manipulation impact society, even internally within the global Jewish world. It’s not going to get any easier to have compassion and learn to listen to the ‘other,’ and I’m truly worried about it.
“There may be skepticism about another Jewish conference, as we already have so many. But the truth is that we have to try different approaches. We have to rise to the occasion to build a better world at this exact moment. And we have to invest in young Jews to become tomorrow’s leaders. We need inspiring leadership, and I certainly saw leaders in that room.”
In a second appearance on Wednesday night, Herzog conveyed a message of encouragement to Jews worldwide: “It’s a historic moment in humanity, a historic moment in the Jewish story, and we must fight back. I tell everybody, ‘Fight back! Don’t be afraid. Raise your voice. Be proud of yourself.'”
Reflecting on the strength and diversity of the Jewish people, Herzog said: “That our nation is ever challenged, the new Jewish nation, the Jewish story, the story of Israel, the State of Israel, and the lack of knowledge and understanding of the challenges that each one of your respective communities faces, has to be told to one another.”
Addressing the Voice of the People’s council members at a Haifa hotel, he highlighted the global impact of their advocacy for the Jewish people: “Look at the diversity that’s in this room. Everybody’s here: All facets of Judaism. And we’re a small nation of 15 million human beings. We’re a drop in the sea, and we have made such a huge contribution to humankind.”