KolDor conference calls for initiative, as well as global Internet radio station for Jewish communities and 'reverse' Birthright program to send young Israelis to the Diaspora

By YNETNEWS

 

Declaring the Jewish month of Cheshvan (second month in the Jewish calendar) a "Jewish social action month" was the first project implemented at the second KolDor conference.

Knesset Member Collette Avital supported KolDor's initiative of declaring the Jewish month of Cheshvan, as Jewish social action month, spearheading social projects in Jewish communities in Isreal and abroad. Ê The initiative was also supported by representatives of the social and youth administration in the ministry of education as well as Abraham Inseld, president of Hillel International Center, who said Hillel would support promoting the concept through the thousands of Hillels around the world.

Other project proposals include establishment of an Jewish Internet radio stations, in which all communities of world Jewry would have a platform, and the Babylon Project, in which young Israelis would be sent to experience Jewish life in Diaspora communities, thus strengthening the bonds between them.

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski called on Jewish leaders to "face the fact that there are good Jews all over the world that have chosen their place of living outside of Israel. A Jew does not detach himself from another Jews even if he decides not to make aliyah to Israel. In this generation, 50 percent of world Jewry does not live in Israel, therefore unity and dialogue with Jewish communities is essential in order to guarantee our existence here in Israel."

Participants in the conference also met with professionals and opinion makers from Israel and from around the world including Arnon Mantver, director of Jewish Joint Distribution Committee's Israel arm, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, Stephen E. Herbits, secretary general of the World Jewish Congress and Prof. Yehezkel Dror, founding president of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute.