KolDor Declaration

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KolDor Declaration

Signed by 100 KolDor members on November 8th 2004 / 24 Heshvan 5765

“Judaism… shall have as its focus point the ideal of our nation’s unity and its free development through the expression of universal human values in the terms of its own distinctive spirit. This is the conception of Judaism on which our education and our literature must be based.”
–– Ahad Ha’am, Zionist Thinker

KolDor is the voice of a generation in search of new ways of acting and belonging as Jews. We wish to engage in the world strengthened by our diverse Jewish identities, and to engage our Jewish identities strengthened by our experiences in the wider world. We acknowledge with humility and optimism that we are merely a link in the grand historic drama of the Jewish people which started 3,500 years ago with Abraham and Sarah and stretches forward beyond our imaginations. As that link, we have a responsibility to help the global Jewish People flourish and to reach out to address issues of concern to all peoples.

We live in a time of radical scientific development in which technology has leapt forward, while ethical development lags behind. The world is facing challenges that have no regard for borders – poverty, new and old diseases, and threats to the environment. Our liberty and life choices multiply, while for too many Jewish identity withers.

We believe that Judaism - its traditions, culture, and history - can provide guidance and sustenance to Jewish individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs in the 21st century. To survive and flourish in this century, the Jewish People must develop a spiritual framework that answers the needs of the time and is rooted in Jewish values, inspired by the Torah.

We commit ourselves to act in this world guided by the core values of Judaism - assumption of responsibility for the choices we make in our lives, morality as being about relations between people and the right action rather than the right belief, radical pluralism through direct access to knowledge and lifelong learning.

KolDor – The Belief:

Identity

Judaism calls us to action. Remembrance alone is not enough. Jewish identity in our era should emphasize present and future action that draws inspiration from our shared history, but is not held captive by it.

Jewish individuals and communities are now able to integrate into the wider world without losing their unique Jewish identities. A Jewish community that is confident in its beliefs will look both inward and outward. The Jewish values of activism and responsibility require that we extend our concern beyond our own community, and in this interconnected age, we have an obligation to work together to confront global problems, drawing from our shared values and heritage.

To help nurture the development of strong Jewish identities, we must create new avenues for Jews to learn about the richness of our history and traditions. It is time to embrace our heritage in all its glory, celebrating multiple modes of being Jewish. We must develop new spaces where Jews of all religious practices can participate. This is the spiritual framework that will ensure that the entire Jewish People flourishes in the century ahead.

Jewish Peoplehood

The paradigm of Israel-Diaspora relations must change. We are one people, and Jewish communities around the world should be supported, valued and recognized in their geographic locations. We celebrate the flourishing of Jewish communities the world over as a source of strength in a global age, while keeping dear to our hearts a vision of a spiritual coming together of the Jewish People. We call upon policymakers and leaders to cease denigrating life outside of Israel and to resist any such implication.

We call upon Jewish organizations to move to multilateral, round-table structures that reflect the equality of all Jews and all Jewish communities and the global nature of the Jewish People. Decisions at all levels of Jewish organizations should include consideration of their impact on the in light of each community’s unique needs andvarious communities involved   and on the Jewish people as a whole. Organizations should engagecircumstances with Jewish communities the world over. We should make use of opportunities opened up by technology to learn from one another, act together to improve our people and the wider world, and voice our hopes and concerns for Israel and the Jewish People.

Zionism

We feel a significant historical period in Zionism coming to a close. The time has come to re-imagine Zionism. Israel is not only a country for the Jewish People. It must be the country of the Jewish People. Israel is the face that Jews everywhere show the world, and her actions affect every Jew. It is therefore a right and an obligation for all Jews around the world to engage with Israel.

Zionism for the twenty first century must mobilize and direct the energies of the Jewish People the world over into practical and creative activity as intense as the pre- and early State eras. Zionism, for our generation, should mean that Jews in Israel and around the world concern themselves with ensuring that Israel is the Jewish State, not just in terms of its demographic majority, but primarily in terms of its values and culture. Jewish values should inform the way Israel affirms human dignity, approaches schisms and gaps within, treats its Arab minority, invests in education, and runs its economy.

Zionism should be about striving to transform Israel into a society with the highest possible social, cultural, scientific, economic, spiritual and ethical standards. Israel should achieve  in order to achieve Tikkun Olaminternal betterment/repairTikkun P’nimi  betterment/repair of the World.

As Jews, we can never abandon the value of aliyah, which supports all Jews who seek or need it. However, the Jewish People should move beyond the primary concept of “Israel as shelter” towards that of Israel as a spiritual and cultural magnet, as envisioned by Ahad Ha’am, which all Jews can have a part to play in building.

We aim to redefine the concept of Hagshama. For past generations Hagshama meant the realization of the Jewish individual through dedication to the Zionist causes of settling the land, working it and fighting for it. For our generation, Hagshama will mean the realization of the Jewish individual through the personal dedication, anywhere in the world, of one’s skills and talents to the betterment of the State of Israel. Jewish organizations and Israeli policy makers should dedicate resources to devising the mechanism through which these human resources can be productively utilized in the private and public sectors. Moreover, opportunities should be created for Israelis to make similar contributions to Jewish communities around the world. Technology and mobility create new opportunities  resources of the Jewishrather than just the financialfor engaging the human  People, and we must make the most of them.

We call upon policymakers and leaders in Israel and around the Jewish world to transfer some resources away from encouraging people to relocate to Israel and towards strengthening Jewish Peoplehood worldwide and creating new ways for Jews everywhere to be a part of the State of Israel.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

We believe that the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a Jewish issue. Resolution of the conflict in a way that guarantees the Jewish and democratic nature of Israel is essential and has implications for Jews everywhere. Therefore, we call upon Israeli policymakers and the people of Israel to consider these implications, and to acknowledge the right of Jewish people throughout the world to have a voice with respect to the Conflict and its resolution, conveyed with Ahavat Yisrael.

Anti-Semitism

We believe that anti-Semitism is a moral stain on those who uphold it. We contend that while not every criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, it would be dishonest to ignore that at times anti-Semitism underlies and motivates such criticism. We believe that global communications and mobility should be harnessed to ensure that no Jew faces anti-Semitism alone, and that no threat to the safety of any individual or community goes unnoticed. We believe that Jews and non-Jews should join forces in eradicating ant-Semitism and all other forms of prejudice and hatred.

KolDor – The Commitment:

The members of KolDor are individually committed to taking on active roles in existing Jewish arenas and organizations in order to transform their agendas. We are each committed to continuously learning about the various facets of Jewish communities all over the world to develop an understanding of the needs, resources, challenges and opportunities.

Collectively, the members of KolDor will operate as an advocacy group in relation to other organizations and entities, partner with existing organizations whenever possible to broaden their impact and avoid duplication, and invite and initiate projects that advance the agenda and mobilize the human resources of the Jewish People.

In the coming years, we will seek to develop and implement innovative ways of learning about and promoting the richness of the Judaism and Jewish Peoplehood through discussion and education; initiate radical criticism and reflection (Tikkun P’nimi) while pursuing a geo political policy that promotes Israel’s and Jewish standing; create and commit to practical projects that address global challenges in order to achieve the betterment of the world (Tikkun Olam); reach out to Jews in emerging Jewish communities and unaffiliated Jews with this new vision and agenda; search for innovative ways to fight anti-Semitism; and encourage Israelis living abroad, as well as Jews living outside of their home communities, to take a greater role in shaping the life of the Jewish People wherever they live.

We will call for the re-prioritization of funds towards activities that build global Jewish Peoplehood, including directing resources towards long-term capacity building in the areas of human and leadership development, policy planning, life-long education, technological infrastructure, and financial resource development.

We will pursue greater transparency in the governance of Jewish organizations and ensure that paths to leadership positions provide access to individuals based on commitment, knowledge, and passion regardless of financial means. We will encourage fundraising by positive inspiration and going beyond financial resources towards developing the human resources of the Jewish People.

“Lo Alecha HaM'lacha Ligmor, VeLo Atah Ben Chorin LeHibatel Mimena."
"It's not your duty to finish the work, nor are you free to disregard it either."
–– Pirke Avot 2 pasuk 21