Israeli secular movement BINA to open centers across Israel
The new centers will help spread BINA's message nationwide.
By AARON REICHPeople are see gathering at a Beit BINA event.(photo credit: BINA - THE JEWISH MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE)
Israeli secular movement BINA: The Jewish Movement for Social Change is set to establish new centers across the country to promote secular Judaism in local communities.The centers will host various lectures, social engagements and classes in secular Judaism, also known as Israeli Judaism or Yahadut Yisraelit, and is actively looking to partner with local Israelis in order to open the centers to the public.“BINA is a movement for social action and Judaism,” BINA director Eran Baruch said in a statement.“We promote liberal, 'Israeli' Judaism among secular and traditional communities in Israel through various activities such as communal Kiddush, cultural events, Jewish holidays and more.”The term Israeli Judaism refers to the new form of Judaism that developed in Israel by combining secular, traditional and ultra-Orthodox Judaism to create a new form that mixes tradition with national allegiance and a logical and modern approach.“Most Jews in Israel today do not meet the 20th century definitions of religious, secular, and traditional,” argued BINA's deputy director Nir Braudo.“In recent years, more and more Israelis have become interested in connecting with their Judaism on their own terms and have become engaged in the world of Yahadut Yisraelit.”Indeed, according to Shmuel Rosner, senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, this new Jewish demographic, which he also dubbed Jewsraelis, make up a majority of Israel's population. And it is especially characterized by being more accessible, open and diverse, while also being something decidedly Israeli. And it's this kind of thinking that BINA has been helping spread, as it does in its already-existing centers in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and Beersheba, alongside centers in India and Peru. And these new centers will help spread BINA's message nationwide.“Our Beit BINA in India very quickly turned into a hotspot for tens of thousands of Israeli travelers,” Baruch added.
“If it hadn’t been for COVID-19 travel restrictions, our Beit BINA in Peru would have undoubtedly turned into another successful Israeli hotspot abroad. After successfully establishing BINA centers abroad in recent years, we have decided to turn to people in all areas of Israel to join us and open new centers that promote open, diverse and accessible Judaism in the local community together.”Alan Rosenbaum contributed to this report.
