Today, Israel’s democracy is under threat. Nationalism, fundamentalism and racism are outpacing liberalism, moderation, and respect for minorities.
Rabbi Sacks was deeply concerned with these threats. He argued that our ability to overcome these challenges depends on a certain type of civic culture, one that engages in debates with civility and mutual respect, building connections and trust between different communities.
Although Rabbi Sacks is less well known in Israel than in the English-speaking world, he offers a crucial perspective - a Jewish solution to the many problems posed by the “Clash of Civilizations” - that is sorely needed in Israel today.
At a time when Israel’s democracy is under threat, we need The Jonathan Sacks Institute more than ever, giving us hope and inspiration to build a fairer, more inclusive Israel.
“Liberal democratic politics…makes space for difference. It recognises that within a complex society there are many divergent views, traditions and moral systems. It makes no claim to know which is true. All it seeks to do is ensure that those who have differing views are able to live peaceably and graciously together.” Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, ‘Not in God’s Name’, 2015
Opening at Bar-Ilan University in 2024, The Jonathan Sacks Institute has two core aims:
1. To ensure Rabbi Sacks' ideas receive the attention and recognition they deserve within academia, helping address many of the moral, social and political challenges faced in Israel and around the world.
2. To create new leaders through a diverse network of alumni who will make a meaningful impact on the future of Israeli, Jewish and world society, inspired and guided by Rabbi Sacks' vision.
This Rosh Hashanah, we are launching a Diversity Scholarship Fund to bring diverse Israeli students together to study the life and works of Rabbi Sacks on the new BA programme at The Jonathan Sacks Institute.
On this BA programme, entitled 'Democracy, Citizenship & Leadership', diverse groups of students (secular, reform, orthodox, Haredi and Israeli Arab) will study not just Rabbi Sacks' writings but also works that Rabbi Sacks would have read, consulted and quoted.
More than any other contemporary religious thinker, Rabbi Sacks’ legacy provides an intellectual and practical foundation for this BA programme. In the ‘Dignity of Difference’, Rabbi Sacks stressed that interacting with communities of a different identity enriches the tradition to which we belong. In ‘The Home We Build Together’, he lays the intellectual foundations for forging social cohesion for the common good. While in ‘Not in God’s Name’ he addresses religious extremism in both the Jewish and Islamic traditions.
This BA programme will create a cross-communal network of future leaders from diverse backgrounds. They will embody and advance values and ideas espoused by Rabbi Sacks, especially his conceptualization of cross-communal cooperation.
Given the special role of Judaism at Bar-Ilan, the university is well placed to attract Haredi students and encourage meaningful interaction with other students. At the same time, the number of Israeli Arab students has increased dramatically at Bar-Ilan. Anecdotal evidence indicates conservative Arab families prefer to send their children to Bar-Ilan because of its respect for religious tradition and commitment to tolerance and diversity.
This BA programme will therefore reach out to Haredi and Israeli Arab students, creating future leaders from a network of culturally diverse alumni. Of the eighteen spaces available on the BA programme, four will be offered to Israeli Arab students and four to Haredi.
This Rosh Hashanah we are asking you to support our newly launched Diversity Scholarship Fund. Our aim is to support all eighteen BA scholarships, including four for Israeli Arab students and four for Haredi students.
By supporting the Diversity Scholarship Fund you will help:
• Bring together four Israeli Arab and four Haredi students a year to discuss, debate and find common ground through Rabbi Sacks’ ideas and beliefs
• Establish a diverse alumni network of Israeli graduates inspired by Rabbi Sacks’ vision and values to make a positive change to Israeli politics and society
• Raise awareness of Rabbi Sacks in Israel, ensuring his ideas become at least as influential in the Jewish homeland as they are outside of it
• Ensure Rabbi Sacks' ideas receive the attention and recognition they deserve within academia in Israel and around the world
“I am deeply moved that Bar-Ilan University is establishing an institute that will bear my husband’s name. He was passionate about bridging the gap between traditional Jewish thought and contemporary societal issues, and this institute will continue that legacy. I am grateful to Bar-Ilan University for providing a platform for Rabbi Sacks’ teachings in Israel, which will continue to inspire future generations.” Lady Elaine Sacks
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