{"id":1143,"date":"2013-05-26T14:54:27","date_gmt":"2013-05-26T11:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/daniel-centers\/who-are-we\/"},"modified":"2025-02-26T12:29:02","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T10:29:02","slug":"who-we-are","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/en\/daniel-centers\/who-we-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Who we are \u2013 At the Forefront of Reform Judaism in Israel\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism was founded in 1991 by a group of leaders with a vision for a modern Israel grounded in pluralism and egalitarianism. They recognized the growing need to provide a Jewish home for countless Israelis who were deeply connected to the Jewish tradition yet were not Orthodox in their values or practice. Over the last thirty years the Daniel Centers has become one of the leading Reform organizations in Israel and we continue in our vision to promote and renew Jewish spirit in the Jewish state.\u00a0 We have become the lighthouse for thousands of Israelis who seek to celebrate their tradition in a place that also speaks to their values of egalitarianism and inclusivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We now have centers around Tel Aviv to meet the vast needs of our community.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/en\/daniel-centers\/beit-daniel-community\/\"><b>Beit Daniel<\/b><\/a><b> &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our founding center, Beit Daniel has become a religious and cultural institution for Reform Judaism in Tel Aviv.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/en\/daniel-centers\/halev-community\/\"><b>Kehilat HaLev<\/b><\/a> <b>&#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nesstled in the heart of Tel Aviv, Kehilat HaLev brings a diverse community together for uplifting, intimate prayer through music.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/en\/daniel-centers\/mishkenot-ruth-daniel\/\"><b>Kehilat Daniel in Jaffa<\/b><\/a><b> &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Housed in our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/en\/tour-seminar-center\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mishkenot Ruth Daniel Guest House<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Kehilat Daniel brings together a beautiful mix of culture full of inclusion and equality.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/en\/daniel-centers\/tiferet-shalom\/\"><b>Tiferet Shalom<\/b><\/a><b> &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bringing Sabras (native Israelis) and Olim (new immigrants) together, Tiferet Shalom was one of Israel\u2019s first synagogues for egalitarian prayer and joined the Daniel Centers in 2020.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Our Founders<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>Rabbi Moshe Zemer<\/strong>\u00a0(z\u2019\u2019l) held a vision of Progressive Judaism in modern Israel. He\u00a0made Aliyah in 1963, then established Congregation Kedem in Tel-Aviv in 1968 which he led for twenty years and would later become The Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ruth (z\u201dl) and Gerard (z\u201dl) Daniel<\/strong>\u00a0shared his vision.\u00a0 Their passion for Israel and dedication to advocating for a pluralistic and inclusive Jewish Israeli society, rich in tradition and grounded in egalitarianism, brought individuals and organizations from Israel and abroad to the founding of The Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism.<\/p>\n<p>The Daniel Family has worked tirelessly to bring this vision to fruition. Even after their family moved to the United States, they continued to be very involved in their synagogue and Jewish community. Gerard served as President and Ruth was Secretary of Larchmont Temple in Westchester County, New York. He and Ruth also served on many boards of Jewish Organizations, including Federation, in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Gerard went on to serve as President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. In recognition of his leadership in Israel, he was given the title of honorary citizen of Tel Aviv by Mayor Ron Huldai in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Their legacy continues through the work of their children\u00a0<strong>Ralph and Miriam, and son-in-law Larry Wolff<\/strong>.\u00a0 They formed the\u00a0<i>Friends of the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism\u00a0<\/i>to provide opportunities for American Jews to be connected to Israel, to advocate for pluralism and support programs for individuals and families in Tel Aviv-Jaffa.<\/p>\n<p><i>\u201cAnd they said: Let us rise and build,\u00a0<\/i><i>they strengthened their hands for the good work.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Nehmiah 2:18<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Our Initiatives\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our initiatives are \u201ccalls to action\u201d and serve the diverse needs of the changing face of Israeli society. For example, our J-Education programs are for every age. We provide Judaic education and teacher training in the public school system throughout Tel Aviv-Yafo and the surrounding areas, which is supported by the Ministry of Education.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We bridge community and celebrate our cultural diversity with our successful <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/en\/shonim-byahad-embracing-differences-abroad\/\"><b>Embracing our Differences (Shonim Beyachad)<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">program, an educational art project in schools from many sectors of Israeli society meant to endow the values of equality, tolerance and inclusion of the other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For three decades we have worked on the front lines \u2013 alongside our peers, and partners in Israel and abroad including, the World Zionist Conference (WZC), and the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), The Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), and many more. We have hosted\u00a0 international conferences with hundreds of attendees, as well as for the International Cantors Assembly, the North American Rabbinical Assembly, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the last year, we also had contributed to Israel\u2019s war efforts to help bring light in these ever dark days. In addition to ensuring our daily lives stay as normal as possible, including continuing important life cycle events, like weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and Reform conversions, we have organized community-wide prayers and programs to help a spiritual safe space to heal, come together, and connect. For months, we also provided shelter in our Mishkenot Ruth Daniel Guest House for displaced people and families from the north and south.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This all happened because of you<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, our friends from far and wide.\u00a0 <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beit-daniel.org.il\/en\/support-us\/\">Join us<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as we continue to change the face of Israeli society, by building an Israel grounded in fairness and equality. <\/span><b>Your generosity allows <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">us to continue all of these incredible programs and to continue to spread our outreach further and help bring pluralistic Judaism to more Israelis.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who we are \u2013 At the Forefront of Reform Judaism in Israel\u00a0 The Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism was founded in 1991 by a group of leaders with a vision for a modern Israel grounded in pluralism and egalitarianism. 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