By David Halevi
Like most peoples around the world, most Israelis prefer to live near others who share their background, culture or religious values. But Israel is too small a country and too fragile a society to ignore "the other," says Mike Prashker, chairman of Merchavim, an organization dedicated to increasing tolerance and common values among Israelis from diverse backgrounds. "We've been working for nearly 15 years on developing educational programs to get Israelis to know each other better, something we feel is essential to a healthy society," he says.
Ramle-based Merchavim conducts programs in more than 500 Israeli kindergartens, with the cooperation of the Education Ministry. Now, with 15 NGO partner groups, it's extending the concept of "Israeliness" through a program called Kulanana, dedicated to helping Israelis of all ages build a more unified society by focusing on values everyone - from ultra-Orthodox to Israeli Arab - can believe in.
"There are nearly eight million Israeli citizens, and they are a diverse group, to say the least," says Prashker. "After a long process which included polls, questionnaires and focus groups, we discovered that there were three things everyone could agree upon as necessary for a successful society: citizenship, diversity and fairness." Prashker's research indicates a real need for Israelis to get together and understand each other a bit more, he says.
NGO representatives at the conference where Kulanana was founded
(Photo: Amos Kashdan)
Breaking down the divide
Alienation is not uncommon in Western societies, but because of Israel's size and security needs, social cohesion is a much more urgent issue here. "Without a strong sense of identity, people tend to turn their backs on society, losing out on opportunities - and denying others the benefit of the contributions they could be making to enrich the lives of others."
Prashker says that fixing the problem is a matter of urgency. "We already see some of the costs of social breakdown in other societies - and the roots of it here, in the religious/secular divide, the socio-economic gaps that led to last summer's cost-of-living protests, and the tension between Jews and Arabs."
Kulanana, a mash-up of the Hebrew and Arabic words for "all of us," encompasses diverse elements. There are meetings between Jewish and Bedouin kids in the Negev; a project where youths make creative videos about their communities; and first aid classes for Arab mothers taught by members of ZAKA, the ultra-Orthodox lifesaving organization. "We want to break down the divide that separates groups and get them to work together," says Prashker.
On December 15, 45 Israeli Arab women attended a half-day course organzed by Kulanana and ZAKA for Israeli Arab women on home safety, accident prevention and emergency care, led by a ZAKA medical professional and an Arabic-speaking paramedic. One of the participants, who recently found herself in a helpless situation after her child was injured at home, said: "The skills that we have gained on the course are priceless." If the pilot course is a success, the program will be extended to 12 other Arab towns across Israel.
High name recognition
Programs planned for schools and communities are designed to earn Kulanana a high degree of name recognition and identification among Israelis. Already, Prashker says, about a million and a half Israelis have been exposed to Kulanana and its principles, thanks to a media campaign that featured ads on last year's season of Kochav Nolad, Israel's version of American Idol.
"We already have 15 ongoing projects, and expect to have 30 by the end of the year, when we will hold our first annual conference," says Prashker. "By mid-2012 we expect 40 percent of Israelis between 13 and 30 to be able to recognize the name Kulanana and its programs - hopefully encouraging them to sign up for some of our activities."
Kulanana is fully funded by Merchavim, its parent organization, which is in turn supported by grants from a wide variety of organizations in Israel and abroad, from the Education Ministry to the UJA-Federation of New York, the Lander Israel Fund, the Bronfman and Slifker Foundations and even the US and UK governments. Google supports the group with ads and an infrastructure for its videos via Youtube.
All these supporters, says Prashker, recognize the urgent need for a more unified society in Israel. "It's wonderful that there is a Jewish state, but once you have that state, you have to find ways for its citizens to live and work together," he adds. "I know we have a lot to worry about in Israel, especially from a security point of view, but the issue of citizenship is just as important. And it's something we really need to do something about."