On a rare human encounter that illustrates the strength and resilience of a society willing to listen to itself, and on a very different, yet very similar, encounter.
At times, it is necessary to step away from routine in order to observe ourselves with clarity. About a week ago, I participated in a unique retreat organized by Gesher, held in Paphos, titled “Gesher for the Elections.”
Thirty-five participants, fellows of the Gesher Syms Leadership Institute, gathered there. They included leading figures from education, media, the nonprofit sector, the public and business sectors, the security establishment, and more. A broad Israeli mosaic: Haredim, religious and secular Jews, and women and men who bear public responsibility and stand at key junctions in Israeli society, who chose to set aside their busy daily routines and devote several days to joint reflection on the future of Israeli society in a complex and turbulent election year that we are now entering.
Choosing encounter in a divisive election season
This choice is not self-evident. In such a volatile election year, when public discourse becomes extreme and divisive, it is easier, and more natural, to withdraw into the camp with which you identify, or to keep your head down in the hope that if you close your eyes, the storm will pass.
It is far more difficult to choose encounter. It is harder to choose to listen. It is harder to choose to act for the sake of repair.
This was the profound common denominator that stood out during the retreat: a conscious choice by a group of people to confront the crisis rather than surrender to it, and a decision that from tension and polarization, growth can emerge.
Over the course of the three days, deep and fascinating discussions were held on the challenges of the upcoming election campaign and on the various sectors of Israeli society, including the Haredi public, young first-time voters, and more. Participants divided into working groups that have already begun to formulate operational initiatives: campaigns to moderate public discourse, encouraging voter turnout and engagement among the younger generation, thinking about “the day after,” and building initiatives that will strengthen social resilience.
A familiar place in a very different context
For more than fifty years, Gesher has worked to build and strengthen connections among the different parts of Israeli society. The retreat in Paphos was a living expression of this spirit: a space in which genuine listening takes place, where disagreement is not a threat but an invitation to deeper understanding.
The location where the retreat was held is also familiar to me from another context, from my role as CEO of the Yad LaBanim organization. Over the past year, therapeutic journeys have taken place there for bereaved families who have lost what was most precious to them.
There, too, a choice is present. A choice for life. A choice to continue developing despite the loss. A choice to create meaning and growth out of pain.
There, among people whose lives were shattered in an instant, a profound human truth is revealed: from tragedy, community can grow. From brokenness, mutual responsibility can be born.
Families who are very different from one another find strength in what they share, build a space of listening and respect, and choose to continue living not only for themselves, but also as part of a broader story of society and state.
What resilience is measured by
Senior figures from across the spectrum of Israeli society are choosing to confront difficulty rather than distance themselves from it. They are choosing to invest time, thought, and energy in order to find solutions to the deep social rift. They are choosing to act for the rehabilitation and growth of Israeli society.
The resilience of the State of Israel is not measured only by its military or economic power. It is measured by the quality of the relationships among its citizens, by their ability to hold disagreement together, to build trust, and to act out of shared responsibility.
In an especially sensitive period, it is precisely the choice of encounter, listening, and initiative that expresses public maturity and faith in a shared future. The State of Israel is a miracle, a vision that became reality.
The responsibility placed upon us is to continue building it as a connected and value-driven society, one that serves as a true home for all parts of the people. Our shared future will not be written through ignoring or denying our disagreements, but through the ability to confront them, to choose growth, and to act together.
There, in that choice, the true resilience of Israeli society is revealed.
The author is CEO of Yad LaBanim and a Syms fellow at the Gesher Leadership Institute.