|
Dear Makom Friends
Welcome to MAKOM Matters. Following the successes of February's Knesset Israel Institute and June's Think-Practice-Tank and Network meetings, MAKOM's networks are growing and thriving. With the summer, thoughts begin to turn towards the rapidly approaching New Year. Our hope is that the upcoming year will be one of continued growth, creativity and cooperation.
Join us on - makomisrael.net for more on the latest MAKOM happenings.
Special best wishes to our friend and colleague, Esti Moskowitz, who will be spending the year at the Mandel Jerusalem Fellows.
|
|
|
Ariel View: Love, Love Me Do
Jonathan Ariel Director of MAKOM |
|

Israel as a significant feature of Jewish life and identity may well be declining and/or changing, but rumors of its death appear to be grossly exaggerated! In celebration of the milestone of reaching 60 there have been festivities of love in Jewish communities throughout the world for the People, State and Land of Israel. Yet what is the meaning of this love? My sense from trying to listen carefully to the plans and expressions of affection and attachment that have been on display is that the "puppy love" of earlier years is giving way to a "mature love".
 |
|
Making Sense of an Evolving Landscape:
|
|
A Consultation on Young Adult and Youth Travel

Tuesday, September 16 - Wednesday, September 17, 2008 UJA-Federation of New York, New York City
Register now!
|
|
The Makom Israel Travel Institute |
|
Sunday-Thursday, 15-19 March 2009
 Give us stones so we can rest our heads, then we can dream.
M.Y. Berdichevski
For more information
|
|
Contact Us |
|

Makom National Office Email: makom@jafi.org Tel: 212 339 6080
Address: 633 3rd Ave., New York NY 10017
Makom Israel Office Email: makom@jafi.org Tel: +972-2-6216348
Address: 3 Ha'askan St., Kiryat Moriah, Jerusalem, 93780, Israel
|
Issue # 1 |
|
Before 'Beyond Distancing' Reuven Greenvald , Director of Community Initiatives-MAKOM |
|
|

MAKOM's mission to engage Julie and Josh, the prototypical millennial Jews, with an Israel that is current, real, and dynamic is a direct answer to Beyond Distancing (Cohen and Kelman 2007). Beyond Distancing rallies us to inspire this generation before it is too late. Two MAKOM communities, Pittsburgh and Toronto, have decided to meet the challenge.
Read 'Beyond Distancing; Young Adult American Jews and their Alienation from Israel,' steven Cohen and Ari Kelman

|
Building the Israel Arts Network Robbie Gringras, Artist in Residence-MAKOM |
|
So what is the place of Israeli arts in the community? Where can we identify the 'seamline' between the arts event, and its ongoing impact upon the community? Robbie Gringras discusses the June 2008 meeting of the MAKOM Israel Arts Network in New York, and plans for the future.
|
A Vital Core Strategy Ilan Wagner, North American Director-MAKOM |
|
From the outset, MAKOM has set for itself an ambitious goal- "renewing the place of Israel in the life of every North American Jew". MAKOM's core strategy to achieve this goal focuses on intensive and targeted works within communities, originally six and now thirteen. A renewed Israel engagement means both creative thinking and concentrated action to help communities and individuals engage with Israel in a more nuanced, multi-dimensional and dynamic fashion.
 |
Without Ambien – Israel Travel With Eyes Wide Open Scott Copeland |
|
|
Israel travel could be a form of contemporary Jewish pilgrimage. Our own communities ought to think about the educational and organizational capacities needed to encourage the kind of prepared, rooted pilgrim-messengers who can feed our own Jewish communal futures?
|
|
| Chalav u'Dvash |
|
|
Chalav u’Dvash – Ivrit le Yaldey Hagan is a new, innovative Hebrew language instruction program from the Jewish Agency for Israel, bringing Everyday Hebrew to Jewish children - everywhere
 |
June Events Showcase New Ideas and Practices Ezra Fox, Program Assistant-Makom |
|
|
MAKOM hosted three progress-driven events this June, bringing together community leaders, artists, and educators to reimagine the place of Israel in Jewish life. Participants left the events, which were held at the UJA Federation of New York, with a fresh outlook on Israel engagement, both in terms of thought and practice.

|
|