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Friday June 16, 2000

13 Israelis visit S.F. to study pluralism possibilities

RONNIE CAPLANE
Bulletin Correspondent

They were an unlikely group to be traveling together to San Francisco.

The 13 Israelis included a mother of five who lives on a religious kibbutz; an actor; a founder of Israel's Peace Now movement; a member of a haredi, or fervently religious, yeshiva; and a television newscaster whose beat includes the fervently religious Shas Party and the haredi community.

But they all had one important thing in common -- a desire to make Israel a more pluralistic society.

"We're trying to make [Israeli] society more open about other options," said Elinor Nissan-Cohen, 45, during the four-day tour of San Francisco last month. Pluralism, added the broadcaster and communications teacher, "is not high on the political agenda. Most people don't deal with it."

To most American Jews, Israeli pluralism means recognition of different streams of Judaism and shared religious rights, in contrast to the current control by the Orthodox establishment.

But to Israelis, pluralism is much more expansive and fundamental. It encompasses not only religious differences but economic, social, educational, racial and cultural inequalities.

It's an unfortunate fact of Israeli life, but with so much attention and energy focused on national security and on coping with large waves of immigration, the fabric of society has deteriorated, with sharp divisions between the haves and the have-nots.

The visiting group, known as G'vanim -- Hebrew for "hues" -- was created and is run by the Israel office of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation to develop leaders who can carry the message of pluralism to the rest of society.

The trip to San Francisco was designed to familiarize participants with the American Jewish community and with different models of pluralism.

While the Israelis were here, they were on a schedule that included meetings with members of the Northern California Board of Rabbis; a visit to Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, a San Francisco Reform synagogue that reaches out to the gay community; a panel on intermarriage; and tours of other Bay Area Jewish agencies.

Although Sinai Peter, an actor and playwright, had been to San Francisco before, performing with the Mime Troupe, this trip was an entirely different experience. He found the multicultural aspect of San Francisco inspiring. "We don't have that stimulation in Israel," said Peter, 46. "Our agenda is totally different."

After visiting Sha'ar Zahav, Nissan-Cohen said, "I'm not sure Israeli society is ready for big changes." Israelis "find themselves dealing with these issues but are afraid because there is no framework."

Yoni Yehuda, 33, who lives in a West Bank haredi settlement, jumped on Nissan-Cohen's statement. "Time is running out. We need a solution very fast. I want the tools to do change now."

"I'm not talking about waiting," Nissan-Cohen snapped back. After a brief, heated debate in Hebrew, Nissan-Cohen proclaimed her love for Yehuda, adding that if it weren't for G'vanim, she never would have met someone like him.

Members of G'vanim are getting to know each other and adjusting their own preconceived ideas and expectations. Through G'vanim, they also become aware of the extent to which Israelis need to change the way they think about and treat each other.

"We all recognize the need of our generation to go into the community, to make a new way of community life," said Peter, noting that the Israeli model that has operated since the 1920s is no longer working. "We need different spiritual traditions, to make it part of the language, to get more people engaged in society."

G'vanim started with a newspaper ad soliciting volunteers to participate in a yearlong, biweekly program. Hundreds of applications from all over Israel poured in, and 13 were selected, based on a wish for religious, ethnic, political, geographic and cultural diversity in the group, and the participants' leadership roles in their respective professional fields.

Participants had to agree to develop and execute a program in their professional fields to promote pluralism at the end of course. The JCF agreed to foot the expenses of the yearlong course.

For Nissan-Cohen, being an agent for change is important on several levels.

"It's for me," she said. "It's for my children. It's for my next-door neighbor."

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