Learning from Taglit-Birthright Israel: An Academic Symposium
May 23-24, 2012
Brandeis University
This first-of- its-kind academic conference explored what scholars, practitioners, and policy makers have learned and can learn from Taglit-Birthright Israel, the largest single educational program in the Jewish world today.
Since it was launched in 1999, Taglit has brought nearly 300,000 Diaspora young adults, 18- to 26-years-old, to Israel and involved another 60,000 Israeli peers. The goals of the conference were to expand the number and variety of scholars and public policy intellectuals engaged in the examination of Taglit, to explore Taglit as a social experiment in educational innovation, and to review and integrate current knowledge on a wide variety of substantive issues including the following:
- The impact of Taglit on American Jewry and Jewish culture
- Taglit’s potential contributions to educational and social theory
- The “mifgash” as an inter-cultural encounter
The conference featured a set of invited presentations and keynote addresses by leading scholars.
Co-sponsors: Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, and the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Henrietta Szold Institute; The Melton Centre for Jewish Education, The School of Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Developmen and the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.
Speakers and Participants
Chairs/Presenters/Discussants
Prof. Hanan Alexander, Dean of Students and Professor of Philosophy of Education, Head of the International School and the Center for Jewish Education, University of Haifa; Senior Research Fellow, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute
Prof. Reuven Amitai, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University, Head of the Academic Advising Board, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Gabor Balazs, Professor of Jewish and general philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Szeged
Prof. Nachman Ben-Yehuda, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Yossi Beilin, Former Minister of Justice and Deputy Foreign Minister
Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson, President, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Barry D. Berger, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Haifa, Academic College of Emek Yezreel
Prof. Len Bickman, Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Public Policy, Vanderbilt University
Matthew Boxer, Research Associate, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Dr. Mooli Brog, Chief Knowledge Officer, Taglit-Birthright Israel
Tamar Brosh, Henrietta Szold Institute
Dr. Ruth Calderon, Knesset Member
Fern Chertok, Research Scientist, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Prof. Erik Cohen, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Education, Bar-Ilan University
Prof. Steven M. Cohen, Research Professor of Jewish Social Policy, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Prof. Sergio DellaPergola, The Shlomo Argov Chair in Israel-Diaspora Relations (Emeritus), The Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Howard Deitcher, Senior Lecturer, The Hebrew University of Jerusaelem
Dr. Elan Ezrachi, Fellow, The Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education
Dr. Jackie Feldman, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Dr. Pnina Golan-Cook, Henrietta Szold Institute
Prof. Lisa Grant, Associate Professor of Jewish Education, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York
Prof. Zehavit Gross, Assisant Professor, School of Education, Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Hagit Hacohen Wolf, Head of the Research and Evaluation Unit, Melton Center for Jewish Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hana Holland, Project Director, Journey into Jewish Heritage
Prof. Bethamie Horowitz, Research Assistant Professor, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
Prof. Charles Kadushin, Professor Emeritus Sociology, Graduate Center, CUNY; Distinguished Scholar, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Prof. Menachem Kellner, Shalem College and University of Haifa (Professor of Jewish History Emeritus)
Dr. Ezra Kopelowitz, CEO, Research Success Technologies Ltd.
Prof. Eli Lederhendler, Stephen S. Wise Professor of American Jewish History and Institutions, Head of the School of History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Lilach Lev-Ari, Head Research and Evaluation Authority and Head of the Sociology Department, Oranim, Academic College of Education
Prof. Jon A. Levisohn, Associate Professor of Jewish Education; Assistant Academic Director, Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, Brandeis University
Dr. Shlomit Levy, Visiting Researcher, The Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Hal M. Lewis, President, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership
Laura Limonic, Director of Quantitative Research, Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies, City University of New York
Prof. Judit Bokser Liwerant, Professor of Political Science; Director of the Graduate School of Political and Social Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Dr. Daniel Marom, Academic Director, Mandel Leadership Institute
Prof. David Mittelberg, Associate Professor of Sociology, Oranim, Academic College of Education
Darya Moaz, Hadassah College; The Center for Academic Studies, Or Yehuda
Prof. Dalia Ofer, Professor Emeritus, The Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Daniel Pekarsky, Professor Emeritus of Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Educational Policy Studies
Anna Pokorna, Ph.D. Candidate, Charles University in Prague
Dr. Alex Pomson, Senior Lecturer, Melton Center for Jewish Education at Hebrew University; Rosov Consulting
Dr. Jillian Powers, Post Doctoral Fellow, Washington University
Dr. Zohar Raviv, Director of Education, Taglit-Birthright Israel
Prof. Uzi Rebhun, The Shlomo Argov Chair in Israel-Diaspora Relations; Head of The A. Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Larissa Remennick, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Aviad Rubin, Lecturer, Division of Government and Political Theory, School of Political Science, University of Haifa
Dr. Ofir Rubin, Lecturer, Department of Public Policy and Administration, Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business & Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Prof. Amy L. Sales, Associate Director, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and Director of Fisher-Bernstein Institute, Brandeis University; Project Director JData.com
Prof. Theodore Sasson, Senior Research Scientist, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University; Professor of International Studies, Middlebury College
Prof. Leonard Saxe, Klutznick Professor of Jewish Community Research and Social Policy; Director, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and the Steinhardt Social Research Institute, Brandeis University
Prof. Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Georgia
Dr. Shimshon Shoshani, Deputy Chairman Counsel of Higher Education and Former Director General of Israel's Ministry of Education
Prof. Noam Shoval, Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Lee Shulman, President Emeritus, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus, Stanford University
Dr. Alex Sinclair, Director of Programs in Israel Education, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Jewish Education, Jewish Theological Seminary
Michael Soberman, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership; National Director of Canada Israel Experience, Jewish Federations of Canada - UIA
Prof. Ephraim Tabory, Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Bar-Ilan University
Prof. Ilan Troen, Stoll Family Chair in Israel Studies; Director, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University
Prof. Gil Troy, Professor of History, McGill University
Prof. Anders Uhrskov, Director, Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS)
Prof. Vered Vinitzky-Seroussi, Dean of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prof. Chaim I. Waxman, Senior Fellow at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute amd a Research Fellow at the Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Rutgers University
Rabbi Yehudit Werchow, Shlicha, Union for Reform Judaism
Prof. Philip Wexler, Charles R. Bronfman Visiting Professor in Jewish Communal Innovation, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Brandeis University
Dr. Aviva Zeltzer-Zubida, Director of Research, Evaluation & Measurement, in Strategy & Planning Unit, Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI)
Dr. Rachel Zorman, Executive Director, Henrietta Szold Institute
Participants
Esther Abramowitz, Director Hillel, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Ehud Afek, International CFO, Taglit-Birthright Israel
Prof. Mimi Ajzenstadt, Mildred and Benjamin Berger Professor of Criminology, Provost, Rothberg International School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Gia Arnstein, IsraelExperts
Janet Aronson, Graduate Research Associate, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Uri Avrouskine, General Manager, Kenes Tours - Awesome Israel
Michael Bohnen, President, Adelson Family Foundation
Abigail Dauber Sterne, VP for Global Jewish Experience, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Joshua Davidson, Research Specialist, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Danny Elinson, Director General, EZRA WORLD
Dr. Shira MJ Fishman, Research Scientist, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Alon Friedman, Director General, Hillel Israel Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Aryeh Furst, CFO, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Daniel Gatushkin, Henrietta Szold Institute
Ariella Goldfein, Planning Executive, Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal (COJIR), UJA-Federation of New York
Daniel Gross, PhD Candidate, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Clare Hedwat, UJA Federation of New York - Israel Office
Shahar Hecht, Senior Research Associate, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Avraham Infeld, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Doron Karni, VP of Marketing, Taglit-Birthright Israel
Lorne Klemensberg, Vice President, Routes Travel
Meir Kraus, Director, Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies
Sarah Mali, Director, Leadership Portfolio, The Jewish Agency for Israel
Gidi Mark, CEO, Taglit-Birthrigt Israel
Yizhaq Megnazy, Mayanot
Hedai Offaim, Director, Canada Israel Experience
Ariel Partush, Henrietta Szold Institute
Joe Perlov, President, Israel Experts
Nimrod Ran, International Chief Operations Officer, Taglit-Birthright Israel
Micha Rieser, Research Associate, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Danny Sack, Director, Mayanot
Michelle Shain, Graduate Research Associate, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Naomi Shapiro, North American Director, Shorashim North America
Amy Solomon, Development Coordinator, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Prof. Ada Spitzer, Vice President of Development and Community Relations, Taglit-Birthright Israel
Yael Tamari, Education Director, OU Israel Free Spirit
Michal Tamim, Director-Israel Office, Shorashim
Prof. Andres Uhrskov, Director, DIS, Danish Institute for Study Abroad
Prof. Thorsten Wagner, Associate Professor, DIS, Danish Institute for Study Abroad
Graham Wright, Research Associate, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University
Marcie Yoselevsky, Member of Taglit-Birthright Israel Education Committee