PresenTense Institute

PICZ took a field trip to the Mandel Leadership Institute to hear its director, Dr. Daniel Gordis, speak about the major issues facing the Jewish State and Jewish People in the next few years. He lays out a challenging set of concerns alongside some strong words of hope. Below is the intro--watch the rest at Creative Zionism's YouTube Channel.

Michael Oren ranges widely, covering trends emerging all over the world and at the hands of leading thinkers and cultural icons, in a discussion of the meaning of Jewish Sovereignty. Ultimately, the question comes down to issues of how Jews relate to power. Watch below for the full treatment.

Keep watching Michael Oren below on Creative Zionism's YouTube channel:

Episode2  Episode3  Episode4  Episode5  Episode6  Episode7  Episode8  Episode9

As we enter the last shabbat at the Institute, we want to wish you all a Shabbat shalom! This weekend we will be having a final shabbaton, bringing speakers such as Yair Hakak, Sarah Kass, Benjy Bailent, David Brin to share with us their wisdom. It's going to rock. We're so very excited that we made you this film:

And if you're in Jerusalem, we'd love to see you Sunday as the Fellows present their projects before a top-notch audience in Jerusalem. Details below. Shabbat Shalom!

Exclusive First Look at New Projects by Young Jewish Innovators

Please join us on July 29th as our distinguished summer Fellows present their extraordinary new projects in a sneak-peek at what is to come to the Jewish World

For the past six weeks, Fellows at the PresenTense Institute for Creative Zionism have collaborated in Israel with top innovators and thinkers from around the world, generating cutting edge projects that promise to change the Jewish world.

On Sunday, July 29th, we will gather together to unveil the fine work of these young, dynamic Jewish leaders as Fellows will be given the opportunity to present their projects before you and receive your feedback.

The reception, kindly hosted by the World Zionist Organization, will take place at 7pm in the Weizmann Hall of the WZO, located at King George 48 in the Jewish Agency Building.

Please RSVP by responding to this email, or emailing info@creativezionism.com. Any questions, please feel free to contact us by email, or to call Cori at 054-692-1985.

When: Sunday, July 29th at 19:00
Where: King George 48 in the Jewish Agency Building.
RSVP: info@creativezionism.com

Macro Greenberg, the brains behind a number of marketing and PR efforts--and the founder of Reel Biographies and now Thunder11--came to speak with PICZ and relay his vision for a new paradigm of Israeli public diplomacy:

Keep watching episode 2, episode 3, episode 4, episode 5, episode 6, episode 7, episode 8, episode 9, episode 10, episode 11, episode 12, episode 13, episode 14 and episode 15.

A key point that resonated with me is that one can think of Israel as a successful company that requires positive image in order to encourage investment; that is, a positive Israeli public stance is not only good for its own good--it has an instrumental purpose that overcomes politics and can improve the lives of all of Israel's citizens.

Enjoy.

PICZ Fellow Eliezer Israel shares thoughts about Tisha b'Av

Crazy little rascals, ain't they?

Yossi Klein Halevi--political philosopher, cultural visionary and one of the foremost modern day prophets--gave PICZ fellows and members an exclusive first look into his latest work: developing a new vision for the future of the Jewish People.

The lecture was breathtaking -- Yossi began by developing a coherent historical paradigm leading up to the triumph of Zionism in the post-Holocaust period, and the decline of the Zionist influence in recent years. With that foundation in place, he moved to outline those elements that need to be in place for Zionism and the Jewish People to succeed in the age of sovereignty. Check out the lecture online:

Continue watching on our YouTube channel or at the links to the episodes below:
  
Episode 2  Episode 3   Episode 4    Episode 5    Episode 6    Episode 7    Episode 8    Episode 9    Episode 10    Episode 11    Episode 12    Episode 13    Episode 14    Episode 15

Shabbat Shalom from the cooking crew at PICZ!

PICZ went on what we lovingly termed the anti-Hasbara Fellowship on Thursday--instead of beaches and historic sites, which seem to be the main content of many tours, we made our way straight into the, eh, garbage of Israel: the Dudaim Refuge plant to be specific. Nothing like meeting Israel's trashy problem face on to give the Fellows and our assorted guests from the Pardes Institute a good understanding of the challenges that face the Jewish People as we get used to sovereignty.

After Dudaim we were lucky enough to be hosted by two amazing projects, both started by, and run by, young Israeli social entrepreneurs: Or and Ayalim. It was like out of a dream--young communities developing a whole new world down there, under the broad desert sky. Romantic--and awesome.

Bambi Sheleg, the founder and editor-in-chief of Israel's leading magazine, Eretz Aheret, came to speak with PICZ fellows and members on Sunday--and it was a riviting experience.

Israel, according to Bambi, is at a crossroads. The Jewish People have been pulled in opposite and conflicting directions by extremist elements from all sides--leaving many Israelis feeling as if there is no common ground, no basis for the State.

But there is a common ground, she asserts--more than we think. Since the extremist groups are getting more and more extreme, the moderates in each camp end up having more in common with one another than their extremist brothers; a national-religious woman, and Haredi man and a Tel-Avivian secular Jew sometimes have more in common with each other than with the fictionalized, sensationalized versions of themselves they see on TV. This common ground is another Israel, an Eretz Aheret, one that Bambi works hard to portray by bringing together leading voices from across the ideological camps to write about issues from all sides of the spectrum.

We filmed the talk--here is the first chapter, and the rest is online on our Creative Zionism Channel on YouTube.

Enjoy